Good for you Keith! about 7 years ago I ended up dropping 60-ish lbs and have kept it off - i started exercising and changing my eating habits as well as 8 months of Slim-Fast. So much of it is behavior modification - if you can get your mind around the lifestyle change, then the battle is (mostly) won... just got to keep at it... i agree about the diet sodas - i drink a few Big Gulps a day of Diet Coke (my one vice) - it'll probably shorten my life by a few years, but i'll die happy! At least try Coke Zero - it's got less of the diet taste... in addition, i drink about the same amount of water... just get out and walk a little more, bike a little more, throw in some light weightlifting a little - just try things until you find something you like. the key is to just get moving. as far as eating, cutting out the fried stuff is good, and everything in moderation... great start!