10 Steps to Better Eating Habits

1. Use a food journal.  You can't adjust your diet and be good to go if you aren't sure what your diet is to start with.  "Bad" is just as general of a term as "healthy".
2. Never go on a diet!  The food you consume IS your diet.  Instead of dieting, adjust your diet to meet your physical and mental needs.
3. Commit yourself to understand good carbs, bad carbs, good fat, bad fat, sugar, fiber, protein, processed and whole.
4. Know and practice sometime foods versus anytime foods.
5. Don't NOT eat! Starvation is BAD! You need to eat to lose.
6. Reduce stress.  Stress causes the body to produce cortisol and cortisol stores as fat (particularly around your middle!).  Cortisol increases cravings for sugar and comfort foods (bad carbs).
7. You are what you eat!  Many foods are full of growth hormones and preservatives.  If you are what you eat, you will mature twice the normal rate but at least you will look good for years after you die.
8. Drink water.  Some foods and drinks cause dehydration (coffee, anyone?).  Asparagus, celery and leafy greens are awesome foods for your body but they take water away - so drink more water! 
9. Real is better than processed.  Blend berries or whole fruits to make jellies instead of buying jarred jellies and james.  Slice whole meats instead of buying pre-ground, packaged deli or sliced hunks of processed meat parts.  Use vegetables and spices to make soup stocks and bases instead of packaged stock.  Invest in a food processor or food dehydrater. 
10.  Think about why you eat.  Are you eating out of boredom, hunger, or stress? Think as food as your body's fuel.  Does your car 'knock' if you use 87 octane?