for the first month before a cycle, i cut out junk foods and cheat meals, replace them with all clean foods, complex carbs (rice, pasta whole grains, etc), add a few am cardio sessions a week. second month is just like the first except i start measuring out the weight of my protein sources and start using measuring cups for carb, sources. then i start the cycle, usually a 3-4 month cycle and the real dieting comes into effect.