Weight loss Tip 1 - Portion Control

Use portion controlled packaged foods to help you get used to eating smaller portions(prepackaged frozen meals and single serve snack packs for example).

Weight loss Tip 2 - Serving Size

Gradually reduce your serving sizes over time until they reach the ideal size.

Weight loss Tip 3 - Take Away

When ordering takeaway food, don't buy super-sized, up-sized or so-called ‘value' options.

Weight loss Tip 4 - Slow and Steady

When it comes to changing your diet, making small permanent changes are better than radical changes that you won't be able to live with.

Weight loss Tip 5 - Time

When it comes to changing your diet or exercise levels, remember that to make these changes habit you are going to have to continue to practice them consciously for awhile (maybe up to 3 months) until they become unconscious.

Weight loss Tip 6 - Eat Slowly

Put your fork or food down between bites.

This will give your body time to digest the food properly and recognize when your stomach is full.

Weight loss Tip 7

Don't eat while cooking – this increases your total serving size, often without being noticed.

Weight loss Tip 8

Begin eating main meals with a healthy soup or a salad with low calorie dressing.

This will help fill you up and may provide valuable nutrition not otherwise contained in your main serving.

Tip 9

Try to reduce stress in your life and other things that cause you to eat on emotion.

Tip 10

Eat the widest variety of foods possible.

A healthy diet is a balanced diet and a balanced diet has plenty of variety - occasional fast food meals are OK; just don't make them the staple.

Weight loss Tip 11

Try to stay happy.

When we are overweight, there is a fair chance it will get us down from time to time. 

But if we want to lose weight and lead a happier, healthier life it's very important that we try to keep our spirits high and enjoy life.

Weight loss Tip 12

Always eat a healthy breakfast.

Breakfast is so important that it is the logical place to begin when trying to improve your diet. Whole-grain, high-fiber cereals with low-fat milk are an excellent choice.

Weight loss Tip 13

Understand and read the Nutrition Facts labels on packaged food.

We can't get away with not eating packaged and processed foods these days. However we can choose to eat the healthiest choices available and being able to read nutritional labels contained on all packaged foods is the first step to making the right choice.

Weight loss Tip 14

Compare the nutritional facts of like products and if possible, opt for the choice with the lowest calories, sugar, salt and/or fat.

Weight loss Tip 15

Be adventurous; try new dishes whenever you can.

Weight loss Tip 16

Remember that the cooking method you use can increase or reduce the calories contained in food.

The best cooking methods to keep calories to a minimum are usually steaming, broiling, grilling, microwaving and baking.

Weight loss Tip 17

Buy a new cookbook or food magazine for healthier food ideas.

Weight loss Tip 18

Exchange healthy recipes with friends and family.

Weight loss Tip 19

Alternate alcohol with low calorie drinks (water is perfect).

Weight loss Tip 20

Invite friends over for a vegetarian (or other theme) meal or join them at a new vegetarian restaurant that neither of you have tried.

Weight loss Tip 21

Feel proud every time you say "no" to a problem food.

Weight loss Tip 22

Neutralize food. There are no good or bad foods - all foods are OK when eaten in moderation.

Weight loss Tip 23

Watch your language, especially when talking to yourself.

Try to be positive and encouraging and don't be too hard on yourself. Treat yourself with the same level of respect and understanding that you would a close friend.

Weight loss Tip 24

Change your reward system so that it is not based on food and rewards behaviour modifications, not weight loss results.

Weight loss Tip 25

Be a role model and set a good example for your children by eating healthier yourself.

Weight loss Tip 26

Encourage your kids to eat healthy food by making sure it is tasty, well prepared, and easily available at home.

Weight loss Tip 27

Limit fast and snack food temptations by eating healthy food choices before visits to shopping centres, the movies, etc.

Weight loss Tip 28

Stock your home with healthy foods, like fruits, vegetables, whole grain cereals and bread, lean meats, poultry and seafood, and low-fat dairy products.

Weight loss Tip 29

Prepare meals with your children - kids often enjoy cooking and as well as having fun, they can learn about healthy cooking and food preparation.

Weight loss Tip 30

Don't force children to finish their food if they are full, they'll eat more than they need to and will adopt the 'clean plate' eating philosophy for life.

Weight loss Tip 31

Encourage your children to drink water and limit their opportunities to drink soft-drinks, fruit drinks and the like which are usually packed with sugar and calories.

Weight loss Tip 32

Start teaching your kids good eating habits as early as possible.

Weight loss Tip 33

As well as doing whatever we can to make sure our children are eating healthy foods, it's just as important to also make sure they are getting enough exercise and developing a love of being active.

Weight loss Tip 34

Try to help your child get at least thirty to sixty minutes of "exercise" broken down into ten or fifteen minute segments.

Weight loss Tip 35

Be a role model by being active yourself and engage your children in activities like walking, hiking, tennis, swimming, basketball, or bike riding.

Weight loss Tip 36

Make fitness a family affair and get the whole family involved in walks, bike rides, hiking, tennis, basketball, etc.

Weight loss Tip 37

Take advantage of family holidays by making sure they are "active breaks" and not just excuses for laying around and eating too much.

Weight loss Tip 38

Help your kids to develop basic fitness skills by helping them to enjoy swimming, walking, cycling, running, dancing, hiking, skating, etc.

Weight loss Tip 39

Keep your alcohol consumption in check.

Alcohol is high in kilojoules/calories. In fact 1g of alcohol contains around 28 kilojoules or 7 calories. In addition, all of these calories are known as "empty" calories because they provide no real nutritional value to our body.

Weight loss Tip 40

Where possible, try to reduce the number of calories contained in alcoholic drinks.

For example, use low-cal mixers in your spirits and make wine Spritzers using mineral or soda water and your favourite wine.

Weight loss Tip 41

Ask for Sporty presents.

If our partner, family and friends don't know what to buy us for Christmas or our birthday, ask for something sporty that will encourage you to do some physical activity of some kind, like a new tennis racket, pair of runners, treadmill, exercise bike or golf clubs.

Weight loss Tip 42

Don't let your exercise routine slip during the holidays.

The end of year holiday season may be a time of catching up with old friends and family mixed with a little overindulgence, but it shouldn't be a time when we have to give up completely on our regular exercise routine.

Weight loss Tip 43

Never eat just to please others - eat only what and how much you want, not as an obligation to others for cooking our favourite foods.

Weight loss Tip 44

It's not always a good idea to skip meals prior to a dinner out or a holiday feast. Being overly hungry before a meal can cause us to eat a lot more than we normally would once we do sit down at the table.

Weight loss Tip 45

Try not to pick at foods before or after a meal. The things we're all likely to pick at are those things that will add the greatest amount to our waistlines. 

Weight loss Tip 46

Cross Train.

Quite often people who want to lose weight rely solely on one exercise like walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, rollerblading, yoga, Pilates, aerobics classes or weight training to meet all of their fitness and weight loss needs.

This is a mistake.

Weight loss Tip 47

Make sure your exercise routine includes activities that promote all three aspects of physical fitness – aerobic training for our heart and lungs, strength training for our muscles and bones and stretching for flexibility of ligaments and tendons.

Weight loss Tip 48

Ensure that your exercise routine includes some days of pure rest to ensure total recovery and provide true life balance.

Weight loss Tip 49

Whatever activities you choose to help you get fit and lose weight, always start slowly and build up your exercise time and intensity gradually.

Weight loss Tip 50 

Don't take weight loss too far.

An appropriate amount of weight loss can make many of us healthier and happier. But for others who take weight loss too far, eating disorders can lead to very unhealthy outcomes and can even be life-threatening.

The kitchen is the heart of the home, but it's also the place that can make or break you on the weight loss front. If you're on a quest to slim down, do these nine things in your kitchen.1.     Make fruits as accessible as a bag of chips: Wash, cut up, and store fruits such as grapes, melon, kiwi, pineapple, and apples in reusable containers in the fridge so they're easy to grab. Make sure they're right up front at eye level so they're the first thing you see when you open the fridge door.

2.     Prepare a big container of salad: Having a salad before dinner is a great way to fill you up so you eat less of the main course, but preparing a salad every night takes so much time that it's tempting to skip out. Ensure you get a bowl of greens every night by making an enormous bowl of salad at the beginning of the week. You're sure to eat a salad with dinner if it's already made — just scoop out a bowl, top with vinaigrette, and enjoy.

3.     Have measuring cups and spoons on the counter: Measuring your food will keep portions in check since overestimating serving sizes is a huge reason people don't lose weight. Seeing measuring spoons and cups on your kitchen counter will be a visual reminder not to forget to use them.

Keep reading to find out other ways your kitchen can help you lose weight.

4.     Pre-make snack packs: You know what happens when you eat chips or crackers out of the box — you practically end up polishing off the entire package! Take your favorite healthy snacks such as mixed nuts, popcorn, cheese, and fresh fruit, grab some Ziploc baggies, and make some 100-calorie or 150-calorie snack packs you can keep in your cupboard or fridge.

5.     Ditch the unhealthy foods: Your hubby and kids might be fans of an occasional can of soda, bowl of cookie dough ice cream, or Hershey's Kiss, but if those foods are within your reach, you're bound to crave them. Throw out or give away the junk because if it's not in your kitchen, you can't be tempted to eat it.

6.     Use smaller-sized plates: When we prepare a plate of food, we feel the need to fill it up completely. If you start out with a smaller-sized salad plate, there's only so much you can pile on, so you'll end up consuming fewer calories.

7.     Freeze fruits and veggies: Buy larger bags of fruits and veggies at the store and wash, cut, and store them in baggies in the freezer. You'll not only save money when you buy in bulk, but you'll also have them on hand to add to your smoothies, yogurt, pasta dishes, soups, and omelets.

8.     Double or even triple the recipe: Whether you're making soup, roasted veggies,quinoa salad, or something else for dinner, don't just make enough for one meal. Package the leftovers in containers you can easily grab for the next few days' meals. If your lunch or dinner is already prepared, you won't have to resort to unhealthy takeout.

9.     Put food away before you sit down to eat: After you've cooked up an amazingvegan mac and cheese, serve yourself an appropriate serving size and then wrap it up and put it in the fridge. If you leave it out, you're more likely to go back for unnecessary seconds or thirds. Out of sight means off your hips.

Most people don't think about liver health in terms of weight loss, but the liver is responsible for helping metabolize fat. It produces bile, which breaks down fat while also working like a filter to clean toxins out of our blood, helping us feel energized. Optimizing your liver health can help you lose weight and meet your athletic goals.

Most people struggle with overburdened livers due to a toxic diet and lifestyle. This means their bodies are ineffective at digestion and fat breakdown, resulting in weight gain, feeling heavy, bloated, and sluggish. The liver's role is therefore crucial for efficient circulation, metabolism, and fat breakdown. There is no other organ like it.

Here are five ways you can improve your liver health for weight loss support:

1. REDUCE OR ELIMINATE PROCESSED FOODS. Pick up anything that comes in a box – frozen meals, pizzas, microwave dinners, mac and cheese – and look at the ingredients. Most of the things you can't pronounce are toxins that must be filtered out by your liver. The more foreign substances you ingest, more your liver health is compromised.

Our liver was biologically designed to filter naturally occurring metabolic byproducts out of our blood, not all the chemicals and preservatives we are now eating through processed foods. These chemicals significantly reduce liver health and cause it to be ineffective at its other functions.

TIP: When grocery shopping, try walking the perimeter of the store first instead of weaving through the aisles. All of the fresh foods are usually located on the perimeter, while the processed foods fill up the aisles.

2. MONITOR MEAT AND DAIRY INTAKE. The digestion of meat and dairy are taxing on the liver when overconsumed. Eat them in smaller quantities to avoid overwhelming this important organ. Because the liver works like a filter, it can become clogged when we eat too much, too fast. The digestion of meat and dairy in particular produce byproducts that the liver must filter and eliminate from our bodies. If we are eating poor quality meats, or dairy from animals that have been fed antibiotics or hormones, the liver must also filter those foreign chemicals out of our bodies. If it is ineffective and cannot keep up, we may become sick and gain weight.

TIP: Try replacing cow's milk with almond milk and choose grassfed products. Instead of meat, use legumes like black beans or chickpeas as well as root vegetables like carrots and beets. Mushrooms are a great meat substitute since they can have a similar consistency and they're both flavorful and filling. Instead of eating meals where meat is the main dish, make soups or stews or chili. With these dishes it is easy to cut back on some meat and throw in more vegetables instead.

3. MANAGE STRESS. When we are under stress, our entire digestive system shuts down. This means our liver health is drastically reduced. Eating under stress is a detrimental combination for someone trying to lose weight because the food is not being broken down, absorbed, or metabolized efficiently.

TIP: Make sure you eat all your meals in a seated position and in a calm state of mind. Never eat on the run and try taking a couple of deep breaths before a meal. Chew your food approximately 15 times with each bite – it should be pulp before you swallow. This will help you eat less, feel more full, and access more of the nutrients your body needs.

4. AVOID EATING OUT. Fast food meals and even "healthy" restaurant foods are not only higher in calories, but full of additives and flavorings that your liver must process out of your blood stream. We also tend to eat more when we eat out, which is an additional burden on the liver. Preparing food and eating at home is cheaper, healthier, and more fulfilling.

TIP: Preparing meals at home is most enjoyable when the chores are shared. Use meal preparation as an opportunity to spend time with your kids or your partner. Cooking can be a fun and intimate activity that bonds people together.

5. DO A GENTLE LIVER DETOX. The following two liver cleanses are safe enough to use daily. Choose one to incorporate into your daily routine:

Gentle Liver Cleanse I

Squeeze half a lemon into a warm or lukewarm glass of water first thing in the morning and drink it 20 minutes before breakfast. Cold water requires more time to process because calories must be used to warm it up before it can get to your liver. Warm or lukewarm water will access your liver much sooner. The lemon will act as a cleaning agent and can help to unclog your liver filter.

Some people can work their way up to a whole lemon a day, but that takes time. This may initially act as a diuretic because it stimulates the toxins in your liver to be released from your body. If this becomes uncomfortable or if you experience a headache (also due to toxins being dislodged from your liver and released into your bloodstream), reduce the amount of lemon you are using. Over time, as your liver becomes used to this cleanse, you will be able to use more lemon and cleanse more thoroughly.

Gentle Liver Cleanse II

Mix one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of warm or lukewarm water. Drink it 20 minutes before any meal. The vinegar will work similarly to the lemon. If you forget to take it, it is still useful during or after a meal, but it will have the greatest effect on your liver 20 minutes before you eat.

You can also begin incorporating apple cider vinegar into your diet. It is most commonly used as a salad dressing. It is very liver-friendly and healing no matter how you consume it.

BONUS TIP The most liver friendly foods are dark, leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale or swiss chard. Most of these have a bitter taste when raw, and are more commonly enjoyed steamed. Throw them into your everyday dishes for an added boost of nutrients and enjoy the benefits of great liver health.

To watch this video on YouTube,visit:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxVWZCSKA0k

Practical strategies for healthy weight loss
Here are 10 practical strategies for planning weight loss menus:

1. At each meal, choose a protein source (meat, fish, poultry, eggs, tofu, cottage cheese, natural peanut butter, protein powder); generally the size of the palm of the hand and the same thickness. For breakfast, half a palm should suffice.

2. At each meal, eat a starch (bread, cereal, pita, cooked pasta or rice, potato, corn, dried beans); about the size of a clenched fist.

3. The third component of your meal should be a fruit and/or vegetable choice; I would encourageunlimited quantities of these.

4. The best beverage to accompany a meal is water; limit juice (unsweetened) to one cup daily. You could have milk or unsweetened soy beverage at meals but I prefer to incorporate these at snack time.

5. Meal timing. We should eat within 1 hour of waking and from that starting time try to eat every 3 hours; with preferably nothing after the evening meal. Try to allow three to four hours of no eating before getting to sleep.

6. Snacks. I suggest low glycemic snacks such as: fruit, fruit salad, unsweetened applesauce, dried fruit, raw vegetables, brothy soup with vegetables (no starch), yogurt, smoothies (milk, yogurt, fruit), decaf latte, milk (or chocolate 1% milk for chocolate lovers), milk puddings, V8 vegetable juice (one cup). You could substitute unsweetened soy beverages or rice beverages for the milk.

Page 1 of 2 – more practical weight loss strategies on the next page!

7. Instead of counting total calories, use the practical tools in points 1-3. Once we get into caloriesthere can be significant error regarding estimating requirements, intake, and the difficulty of being able to sustain an approach to calorie counting. As well, if someone has been dieting for years, most formulations will likely overestimate their energy requirements, etc.

8. Ask yourself what your three most significant challenges are in achieving your weight loss goals. After you've identified those obstacles, you can focus on them. For example, someone might always snack while preparing or putting away a meal. Or, "I always eat when I can finally unwind in the late evening," or "I miss morning and afternoon snacks because I am out and about, which leads to overconsumption at meals." Or, "I have afternoon cravings for sweets," etc.

9. Another critical step is to keep food and fluid records for at least 7 days – longer is always better. A food record will help you assess imbalances in areas such as meal timing (e.g. too long between meals or no snacking); small lunch and huge dinner; lack of sufficient fluids (i.e. less than two litres daily); too many sweetened beverages (slushy coffees, ice tea, juices, pop, slurpees, etc.); or too many sweets (reaching for mints, candies, etc.) that may be readily available. Often we only think about the food on our plate when we sit down (or not) to eat; the extras between meals are usually the culprit, not the meals.

10. Assessing body weight. I use two perspectives. One is to take a weight history. What is the lowest weight that someone has been stable at in the past for at least five years since the age of 25. For example, Kathy weighed 145 pounds for years and then shot up to 177 pounds. Thus we are aiming for 145 as a goal weight for her (regardless of height/weight tables).

Another method is to take 100 pounds for five feet in height and another five pounds per inch, give or take 10 per cent. So at five feet, seven inches, the average person should be 100 35 = 135 pounds, or within a range of 123 to 148 pounds. If this number is unrealistic, go back to the first perspective of stable weights.

A third approach is to take your current weight and aim for a 10 per cent weight reduction. For Kathy that would be to lose 17 to 18 pounds. Then we can re-evaluate and see if she can stand to lose another five to 10 per cent . You know you are at a natural set point when you eat to satiety, are not preoccupied with food thoughts, and enjoy a variety of foods without major restrictions or sacrifices.

If weight loss came in a pill, the list of side effects might include "May cause shortness of cash" and "Some users experience a loss of friendships." After all, that's what happens when you spend half a paycheck on healthy food and pass up happy-hour invites so you can avoid the bar snacks. And those side effects aren't just misery inducing, they're self-defeating too: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that people who turned these pitfalls into excuses were up to 76 percent less likely to lose weight than those who figured out ways around them. This advice will help you battle the bulge without missing a beat of your life.

Lose Weight, Not Friends

Ever notice that the day you announce you're starting a new diet, your friends go AWOL? Here's why: Cutting calories causes your level of serotonin (a feel-good brain chemical) to nosedive, leaving you cranky and unpleasant to be around. 

To keep your serotonin levels in check, figure out how many calories your body needs based on your activity level. And make sure those calories are split evenly among protein, whole grains, and produce at every meal. 

"Unbalanced meals—made entirely of refined carbs, for example—cause blood-sugar fluctuations that make you irritable," says Caroline M. Apovian, M.D., director of the Nutrition and Weight Management Center at Boston Medical Center. 

Apovian also recommends adding omega-3 fatty acids to your diet, because research shows that they may fight depression and slow digestion, which helps you stay full longer. (Try eating two or three three-ounce servings of salmon a week, or adding a tablespoon of olive oil, canola oil, or flaxseeds into your daily meals.)

Lose Weight, Not Money

When you're on a diet, you expect your stomach to be on the empty side—not your wallet. But researchers at the University of Washington found that the cost of healthy, nutrient-dense foods like whole grains and lean meats has increased nearly 30 percent in the past four years, while candy and soft drinks have gone up only 15 percent. 

One money-saving tactic: Eat less meat. "Meat is one of the priciest items on a grocery bill, and most Americans eat more of it than they should," says Dawn Jackson Blatner, R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and the author of The Flexitarian Diet. Plus, meat is a source of excess calories and saturated fat. 

Most women can slash around 15 percent of their daily calories by sticking to one or two servings of meat a day, estimates Blatner. Fill the void with fiber-rich foods like beans, oatmeal, and brown rice, plus hearty veggies like portobello mushrooms and eggplant. All of these will fill you up for a fraction of the calories and cash.

Lose Weight, Not Time

In a recent study, 41 percent of women cited "not enough time" as the reason they don't eat better. Spending just an hour or two on the weekend shopping for a week's worth of healthy meals and getting a jump-start on the prep work (cutting veggies, making marinades) will save you time and pounds in the long run. A survey by the CDC found that almost 40 percent of people who lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off planned their weekly meals. 

"When you don't map out your meals, you're too tempted to grab whatever's nearby, which is often high-calorie junk," says Elizabeth Ricanati, M.D., founding medical director of the Lifestyle 180 Program at the Cleveland Clinic.

Lose Weight, Not Muscle

If you drop weight without lifting any, you risk shedding muscle tissue instead of fat. Muscle takes more than twice as many calories to maintain, and it keeps your metabolism revving at peak calorie-burning speed, so it's important to hang on to it, says Donald Hensrud, M.D., an associate professor of preventive medicine and nutrition at the College of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic. 

Your best strategy is to eat lots of protein and strength train for 20 to 30 minutes two or three times a week. Protein will fuel those workouts and help you maintain lean muscle, says Hensrud. Eat at least three or four servings of two to three ounces of protein-rich beans, soy, fish, lean meat, poultry, or low-fat dairy every day.

Lose Weight, Not Your Lifestyle

Watching your waistline doesn't mean you have to become a recluse who spends every spare moment on the elliptical machine. In fact, an all-or-nothing approach is counterproductive. "Many women make changes they'll never be able to stick with—like eating nothing but raw food or vowing to go for a run at 5 a.m. every day—and set themselves up for failure," says Hensrud. "Total deprivation doesn't work." 

He advocates skipping extreme regimens in favor of small changes. When he asked a group of overweight study subjects to make several small lifestyle shifts—such as eating breakfast, having as many veggies as they'd like with each meal, and watching TV for only as long as they'd exercised that day—they dropped an average of eight pounds in two weeks. "When you combine a bunch of little strategies, the cumulative effect can be huge, and you won't feel as if you've given up your entire life to be slim."

You know the drill when it comes to losing weight -- take in fewer calories, burn more calories. But you also know that most diets and quick weight-loss plans have about as much substance as a politician's campaign pledges. Here are more than 50 easy ways for you to finally lose the weight.

If you’re trying to drop a few pounds, don’t start off by trying to overhaul all your eating and exercise habits. You’re better off finding several simple things you can do on a daily basis—along with following the cardinal rules of eating more vegetables and less fat and getting more physical activity. Together, they should send the scale numbers in the right direction: down.

1. Indulge in fat releasing foods. They should help keep you from feeling deprived and binging on higher-calorie foods. For instance:

·         Honey. Just 64 fat releasing calories in one tablespoon. Drizzle on fresh fruit.

·         Eggs. Just 70 calories in one hard-boiled egg, loaded with fat releasing protein. Sprinkle with chives for an even more elegant treat.

·         Part-skim ricotta cheese. Just 39 calories in one ounce of this food, packed with fat releasing calcium. Dollop over a bowl of fresh fruit for dessert.

·         Dark chocolate. About 168 calories in a one-ounce square, but it’s packed with fat releasing fiber.

·         Shrimp. Just 60 calories in 12 large.

·         MORE: 13 fat releasing foods »

2. Treat high-calorie foods as jewels in the crown. Make a spoonful of ice cream the jewel and a bowl of fruit the crown. Cut down on the chips by pairing each bite with lots of chunky, filling fresh salsa, suggests Jeff Novick, director of nutrition at the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa in Florida. Balance a little cheese with a lot of salad.

3. After breakfast, make water your primary drink. At breakfast, go ahead and drink orange juice. But throughout the rest of the day, focus on water instead of juice or soda. The average American consumes an extra 245 calories a day from soft drinks. That’s nearly 90,000 calories a year — or 25 pounds! And research shows that despite the calories, sugary drinks don’t trigger a sense of fullness the way that food does.

4. Carry a palm-size notebook everywhere you go for one week. Write down every single morsel that enters your lips—even water. Studies have found that people who maintain food diaries wind up eating about 15 percent less food than those who don’t.

5. Buy a pedometer, clip it to your belt, and aim for an extra 1,000 steps a day. On average, sedentary people take only 2,000 to 3,000 steps a day. Adding 2,000 steps will help you maintain your current weight and stop gaining weight; adding more than that will help you lose weight.

6. Add 10 percent to the amount of daily calories you think you’re eating, then adjust your eating habits accordingly. If you think you’re consuming 1,700 calories a day and don’t understand why you’re not losing weight, add another 170 calories to your guesstimate. Chances are, the new number is more accurate.

7. Eat five or six small meals or snacks a day instead of three large meals. A 1999 South African study found that when men ate parts of their morning meal at intervals over five hours, they consumed almost 30 percent fewer calories at lunch than when they ate a single breakfast. Other studies show that even if you eat the same number of calories distributed this way, your body releases less insulin, which keeps blood sugar steady and helps control hunger.

8. Walk for 45 minutes a day. The reason we’re suggesting 45 minutes instead of the typical 30 is that a Duke University study found that while 30 minutes of daily walking is enough to prevent weight gain in most relatively sedentary people, exercise beyond 30 minutes results in weight and fat loss. Burning an additional 300 calories a day with three miles of brisk walking (45 minutes should do it) could help you lose 30 pounds in a year without even changing how much you’re eating.

9. Find an online weight-loss buddy. A University of Vermont study found that online weight-loss buddies help you keep the weight off. The researchers followed volunteers for 18 months. Those assigned to an Internet-based weight maintenance program sustained their weight loss better than those who met face-to-face in a support group.

10. Bring the color blue into your life more often. There’s a good reason you won’t see many fast-food restaurants decorated in blue: Believe it or not, the color blue functions as an appetite suppressant. So serve up dinner on blue plates, dress in blue while you eat, and cover your table with a blue tablecloth. Conversely, avoid red, yellow, and orange in your dining areas. Studies find they encourage eating.

11. Clean your closet of the “fat” clothes. Once you’ve reached your target weight, throw out or give away every piece of clothing that doesn’t fit. The idea of having to buy a whole new wardrobe if you gain the weight back will serve as a strong incentive to maintain your new figure.

12. Downsize your dinner plates. Studies find that the less food put in front of you, the less food you’ll eat. Conversely, the more food in front of you, the more you’ll eat — regardless of how hungry you are. So instead of using regular dinner plates that range these days from 10-14 inches (making them look forlornly empty if they’re not heaped with food), serve your main course on salad plates (about 7-9 inches wide). The same goes for liquids. Instead of 16-ounce glasses and oversized coffee mugs, return to the old days of 8-ounce glasses and 6-ounce coffee cups.

13. Serve your dinner restaurant style (food on the plates) rather than family style (food served in bowls and on platters on the table). When your plate is empty, you’re finished; there’s no reaching for seconds.

14. Hang a mirror opposite your seat at the table. One study found that eating in front of mirrors slashed the amount people ate by nearly one-third. Seems having to look yourself in the eye reflects back some of your own inner standards and goals, and reminds you of why you’re trying to lose weight in the first place.

15. Put out a vegetable platter. A body of research out of Pennsylvania State University finds that eating water-rich foods such as zucchini, tomatoes, and cucumbers during meals reduces your overall calorie consumption. Other water-rich foods include soups and salads. You won’t get the same benefits by just drinking your water, though. Because the body processes hunger and thirst through different mechanisms, it simply doesn’t register a sense of fullness with water (or soda, tea, coffee, or juice).

16. Use vegetables to bulk up meals. You can eat twice as much pasta salad loaded with veggies like broccoli, carrots, and tomatoes for the same calories as a pasta salad sporting just mayonnaise. Same goes for stir-fries. And add vegetables to make a fluffier, more satisfying omelet without having to up the number of eggs.

17. Eat one less cookie a day. Or consume one less can of regular soda, or one less glass of orange juice, or three fewer bites of a fast-food hamburger. Doing any of these saves you about 100 calories a day, according to weight-loss researcher James O. Hill, Ph.D., of the University of Colorado. And that alone is enough to prevent you from gaining the 1.8 to 2 pounds most people pack on each year.

18. Avoid white foods. There is some scientific legitimacy to today’s lower-carb diets: Large amounts of simple carbohydrates from white flour and added sugar can wreak havoc on your blood sugar and lead to weight gain. But you shouldn’t toss out the baby with the bathwater. While avoiding sugar, white rice, and white flour, you should eat plenty of whole grain breads and brown rice. One Harvard study of 74,000 women found that those who ate more than two daily servings of whole grains were 49 percent less likely to be overweight than those who ate the white stuff.

19. Switch to ordinary coffee. Fancy coffee drinks from trendy coffee joints often pack several hundred calories, thanks to whole milk, whipped cream, sugar, and sugary syrups. A cup of regular coffee with skim milk has just a small fraction of those calories. And when brewed with good beans, it tastes just as great.

20. Use nonfat powdered milk in coffee. You get the nutritional benefits of skim milk, which is high in calcium and low in calories. And, because the water has been removed, powdered milk doesn’t dilute the coffee the way skim milk does.

 21. Eat cereal for breakfast five days a week. Studies find that people who eat cereal for breakfast every day are significantly less likely to be obese and have diabetes than those who don’t. They also consume more fiber and calcium—and less fat—than those who eat other breakfast foods. Of course, that doesn’t mean reaching for the Cap’n Crunch. Instead, pour out a high-fiber, low-sugar cereal like Total or Grape Nuts.

22. Pare your portions. Whether you eat at home or in a restaurant, immediately remove one-third of the food on your plate. Arguably the worst food trend of the past few decades has been the explosion in portion sizes on America’s dinner plates (and breakfast and lunch plates). We eat far, far more today than our bodies need. Studies find that if you serve people more food, they’ll eat more food, regardless of their hunger level. The converse is also true: Serve
yourself less and you’ll eat less.

23. Eat 90 percent of your meals at home. You’re more likely to eat more—and eat more high-fat, high-calorie foods—when you eat out than when you eat at home. Restaurants today serve such large portions that many have switched to larger plates and tables to accommodate them!

24. Avoid any prepared food that lists sugar, fructose, or corn syrup among the first four ingredients on the label. You should be able to find a lower-sugar version of the same type of food. If you can’t, grab a piece of fruit instead! Look for sugar-free varieties of foods such as ketchup, mayonnaise, and salad dressing.

25. Eat slowly and calmly. Put your fork or spoon down between every bite. Sip water frequently. Intersperse your eating with stories for your dining partner of the amusing things that happened during your day. Your brain lags your stomach by about 20 minutes when it comes to satiety (fullness) signals. If you eat slowly enough, your brain will catch up to tell you that you are no longer in need of food.

26. Eat only when you hear your stomach growling. It’s stunning how often we eat out of boredom, nervousness, habit, or frustration—so often, in fact, that many of us have actually forgotten what physical hunger feels like. Next time, wait until your stomach is growling before you reach for food. If you’re hankering for a specific food, it’s probably a craving, not hunger. If you’d eat anything you could get your hands on, chances are you’re truly hungry.

27. Find ways other than eating to express love, tame stress, and relieve boredom. For instance, you might make your family a photo album of special events instead of a rich dessert, sign up for a stress-management course at the local hospital or take up an active hobby, like bowling.

28. State the positive. You’ve heard of a self-fulfilling prophecy? Well, if you keep focusing on things you can’t do, like resisting junk food or getting out the door for a daily walk, chances are you won’t do them. Instead (whether you believe it or not) repeat positive thoughts to yourself. “I can lose weight.” “I will get out for my walk today.” “I know I can resist the pastry cart after dinner.” Repeat these phrases like a mantra all day long. Before too long, they will become their own self-fulfilling prophecy.

29. Discover your dietary point of preference. If you work hard to control your weight, you may get pleasure from your appearance, but you may also feel sorry for yourself each time you forgo a favorite food. There is a balance to be struck between the immediate gratification of indulgent foods and the long-term pleasure of maintaining a desirable weight and good health. When you have that balance worked out, you have identified your own personal dietary pleasure “point of preference.” This is where you want to stay.

30. Use flavorings such as hot sauce, salsa, and Cajun seasonings instead of relying on butter and creamy or sugary sauces. Besides providing lots of flavor with no fat and few calories, many of these seasonings—the spicy ones—turn up your digestive fires, causing your body to temporarily burn more calories.

31. Eat fruit instead of drinking fruit juice. For the calories in one kid-size box of apple juice, you can enjoy an apple, orange, and a slice of watermelon. These whole foods will keep you satisfied much longer than that box of apple juice, so you’ll eat less overall.

32. Spend 10 minutes a day walking up and down stairs. The Centers for Disease Control says that’s all it takes to help you shed as much as 10 pounds a year (assuming you don’t start eating more).

33. Eat equal portions of vegetables and grains at dinner. A cup of cooked rice or pasta has about 200 calories, whereas a cup of cooked veggies doles out a mere 50 calories, on average, says Joan Salge Blake, R.D., clinical assistant professor of nutrition at Boston University’s Sargent College. To avoid a grain calorie overload, eat a 1:1 ratio of grains to veggies. The high-fiber veggies will help satisfy your hunger before you overeat the grains.

34. Get up and walk around the office or your home for five minutes at least every two hours. Stuck at a desk all day? A brisk five-minute walk every two hours will parlay into an extra 20-minute walk by the end of the day. And getting a break will make you less likely to reach for snacks out of antsiness.

35. Wash something thoroughly once a week—a floor, a couple of windows, the shower stall, bathroom tile, or your car. A 150-pound person who dons rubber gloves and exerts some elbow grease will burn about four calories for every minute spent cleaning, says Blake. Scrub for 30 minutes and you could work off approximately 120 calories, the same number in a half-cup of vanilla frozen yogurt. And your surroundings will sparkle!

36. Make one social outing this week an active one. Pass on the movie tickets and screen the views of a local park instead. Not only will you sit less, but you’ll be saving calories because you won’t chow down on that bucket of popcorn. Other active date ideas: Plan a tennis match, sign up for a guided nature or city walk (check your local newspaper), go cycling on a bike path, or join a volleyball league or bowling team.

37. Order the smallest portion of everything. If you’re ordering a sub, get the 6-inch sandwich. Buy a small popcorn, a small salad, a small hamburger. Studies find we tend to eat what’s in front of us, even though we’d feel just as full on less.

38. Switch from regular milk to 2%. If you already drink 2%, go down another notch to 1% or skim milk. Each step downward cuts the calories by about 20 percent. Once you train your taste buds to enjoy skim milk, you’ll have cut the calories in the whole milk by about half and trimmed the fat by more than 95 percent.

39. Take a walk before dinner. You’ll do more than burn calories — you’ll cut your appetite. In a study of 10 obese women conducted at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, 20 minutes of walking reduced appetite and increased sensations of fullness as effectively as a light meal.

40. Substitute a handful of almonds in place of a sugary snack. A study from the City of Hope National Medical Center found that overweight people who ate a moderate-fat diet containing almonds lost more weight than a control group that didn’t eat nuts. Really, any nut will do.

 41. Eat a frozen dinner. Not just any frozen dinner, but one designed for weight loss. Most of us tend to eat an average of 150 percent more calories in the evening than in the morning. An easy way to keep dinner calories under control is to buy a pre-portioned meal. Just make sure that it contains only one serving. If it contains two, make sure you share.

42. Don’t eat with a large group. A study published in the Journal of Physiological Behavior found that we tend to eat more when we eat with other people, most likely because we spend more time at the table. But eating with your significant other or your family, and using table time for talking in between chewing, can help cut down on calories — and help with bonding in the bargain.

43. Watch one less hour of TV. A study of 76 undergraduate students found the more they watched television, the more often they ate and the more they ate overall. Sacrifice one program (there’s probably one you don’t really want to watch anyway) and go for a walk instead. You’ll have time left over to finish a chore or gaze at the stars.

44. Get most of your calories before noon. Studies find that the more you eat in the morning, the less you’ll eat in the evening. And you have more opportunities to burn off those early-day calories than you do to burn off dinner calories.

45. Close out the kitchen after dinner. Wash all the dishes, wipe down the counters, turn out the light, and, if necessary, tape closed the cabinets and refrigerator. Late-evening eating significantly increases the overall number of calories you eat, a University of Texas study found. Stopping late-night snacking can save 300 or more calories a day, or 31 pounds a year.

46. Sniff a banana, an apple, or a peppermint when you feel hungry. You might feel silly, but it works. When Alan R. Hirsch, M.D., neurological director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, tried this with 3,000 volunteers, he found that the more frequently people sniffed, the less hungry they were and the more weight they lost — an average of 30 pounds each. One theory is that sniffing the food tricks the brain into thinking you’re actually eating it.

47. Order wine by the glass, not the bottle. That way you’ll be more aware of how much alcohol you’re downing. Moderate drinking can be good for your health, but alcohol is high in calories. And because drinking turns off our inhibitions, it can drown our best intentions to keep portions in check.

48. Watch every morsel you put in your mouth on weekends. A University of North Carolina study found people tend to consume an extra 115 calories per weekend day, primarily from alcohol and fat.

49. Stock your refrigerator with low-fat yogurt. A University of Tennessee study found that people who cut 500 calories a day and ate yogurt three times a day for 12 weeks lost more weight and body fat than a group that only cut the calories. The researchers concluded that the calcium in low-fat dairy foods triggers a hormonal response that inhibits the body’s production of fat cells and boosts the breakdown of fat.

50. Order your dressing on the side and then stick a fork in it — not your salad. The small amount of dressing that clings to the tines of the fork are plenty for the forkful of salad you then pick up.

51. Brush your teeth after every meal, especially after dinner. That clean, minty freshness will serve as a cue to your body and brain that mealtime is over.

52. Serve individual courses rather than piling everything on one plate. Make the first two courses soup or vegetables (such as a green salad). By the time you get to the more calorie-dense foods, like meat and dessert, you’ll be eating less or may already be full (leftovers are a good thing).

53. Passionately kiss your partner 10 times a day. According to the 1991 Kinsey Institute New Report on Sex, a passionate kiss burns 6.4 calories per minute. Ten minutes a day of kissing equates to about 23,000 calories—or eight pounds—a year!

54. Add hot peppers to your pasta sauce. Capsaicin, the ingredient in hot peppers that makes them hot, also helps reduce your appetite.

55. Pack nutritious snacks. Snacking once or twice a day helps stave off hunger and keeps your metabolism stoked, but healthy snacks can be pretty darn hard to come by when you’re on the go. Pack up baby carrots or your own trail mix made with nuts, raisins, seeds, and dried fruit.

56. When you shop, choose nutritious foods based on these four simple rules:
1. Avoid partially hydrogenated.
2. Avoid high fructose corn syrup.
3. Choose a short ingredient list over long; there will be fewer flavor enhancers and empty calories.
4. Look for more than two grams of fiber per 100 calories in all grain products (cereal, bread, crackers, and chips)

57. Weed out calories you’ve been overlooking: spreads, dressings, sauces, condiments, drinks, and snacks. These calories count, whether or not you’ve been counting them, and could make the difference between weight gain and loss.

58. When you’re eating out with friends or family, dress up in your most flattering outfit. You’ll get loads of compliments, says Susie Galvez, author of Weight Loss Wisdom, which will be a great reminder to watch what you eat.

Is your metabolism stopping you from losing weight? Here's how to change it

It's an unfair fact that some people burn kilojoules faster than others. But if a slow metabolism is holding you back, you can change it, says Melbourne-based exercise physiologist and motivational coach Mark McKeon. "Genetics are the most important factor in basal metabolic rate [or BMR, the amount of energy we expend while at rest] and there's nothing we can do about that," he says. "But building muscle, staying active and increasing the quality of food you eat all increase your BMR."

Perhaps the number one strategy is increasing your muscle mass. "Muscle burns kilojoules at rest; fat does not. Muscle is eight times more metabolically demanding than fat cells. This is why lean but well-muscled people seem to be able to eat anything without putting on weight," says McKeon. "The BMR of well-muscled people is like a raging inferno," says Sydney-based exercise physiologist and personal trainer Carl Matthews.

He says that, on average, our BMR drops two per cent each decade, but building more muscle will combat creeping weight gain. "But it's important to be assessed and listen to your body," he says. "If you are unwell or stressed, you may need regular eight-hour blocks of sleep or a yoga class to help your BMR work more efficiently." Interestingly, a 2000 study by Yale University researchers found that non-overweight women who are vulnerable to stress are more likely to have excess abdominal fat.

So getting enough relaxation time is probably also important for increasing your BMR.  Of course, regular aerobic exercise and a healthy diet are also important for weight control. While BMR is calculated by attaching electrodes to your body and then finding out how fast electrical current runs through it - muscle is less resistant than fat - you can estimate your rate by using our BMR calculator.

Ways to raise your BMR ·         Hit the weights. How much and how often will depend on how active you have previously been, says Carl Matthews. One muscle cell weighs twice as much as one fat cell, but takes up one-fifth of the space. "Therefore your overall weight may stay the same, but your clothes size will come down."

·         Reduce stress. It can interfere with the efficiency of your metabolism. Try meditation.

·         Raise your body temperature. BMR increases by about seven per cent for a 0.5-degree increase in body temperature. This may be why it's easier to stay slim in summer.

·         Exercise in the morning. You will lift your metabolic rate by 10 per cent for four hours.

Eat your way slimmer ·         Try eating smaller, regular meals to get the maximum thermal effect (the increase in metabolic rate during digestion) and don't fast. Fasting can reduce metabolic rate by 30 per cent as your body prepares itself for starvation.

·         The quality of food is important. Fat is easy to process and has little thermic effect, while protein is hard to process and has a larger thermic effect. Your body works harder to break down the fibre and complex carbohydrates in wholegrains and vegetables than it does to break down refined flours or simple carbs such as sugar. You also need two to two-and-a-half litres of water and vitamins such as B2, B3, B5, B6 and vitamin C.

·         According to R. Scott Van Zant of Northern Arizona University, metabolism slows down during the afternoon and evening, which means that food has less of a thermogenic effect when eaten late in the day. If you must eat late, go for lean protein and vegies, he says, and make sure your carbohydrates are complex.

Slim down fast with these top fat loss tips from H&F magazine Whether you want a flat stomach and firm bottom, or you need to lose a few pounds to fit into your favourite summer dress, the key to weight loss success is to combine exercise with a healthy diet. There's no point slogging away at the gym, then ruining your efforts with all the wrong foods. Those washboard abs will be hidden under a layer of calorie-induced flab!

Follow our diet tips for fast weight loss:

1. EAT THE RIGHT FUEL
When you’re training hard and aiming to lose weight, it’s important to eat frequently, to constantly fuel your metabolic fire. But you need to add the right fuel! By feeding your body with a good balance of lean protein (which you should eat at every meal including snacks), good fats and carbs – primarily from fruit, veg and legumes – you’ll find cravings for sugar and calorie-laden carbs decrease along with your waistline. And, as protein takes longer for the body to break down and requires more energy to do so, you’ll stay feeling fuller for longer.

2. DRINK YOURSELF SLIMMER
Do yourself a double favour by switching to water instead of other drinks, wherever possible. Not only will you cut your calorie intake by up to 500 calories a day, you’ll also increase hydration levels, too. This, in turn, can reduce the amount you eat. Research shows that even mild levels of dehydration can cause your brain to confuse thirst with hunger. Lattes (300 calories), fizzy drinks (150 calories) and fruit juices (120 calories) soon mount up without you even noticing. 

3. CHEAT YOURSELF SLIM
As with any new habit, sticking to a diet can be tough. At my fitness club Phoenix Pro Fitness, we recommend sticking to a diet plan 80-90 per cent of the time. This means that each of our members is allowed at least one cheat meal per week where they can have anything they like, which means they’re more likely to stick to a healthy eating plan. Eating more calories than your daily norm also boosts your metabolism and increases your rate of fat burning. Studies show the calorie surplus of a cheat meal can elevate your BMR by nine per cent. Being in caloric deficit reduces the appetite-regulating hormone leptin, but a cheat meal increases leptin production, to help beat your hunger cravings. 

4. TIME YOUR CARBS
Save your starchy carbs (bread, pasta, potatoes, rice) for after training, within a two-hour window. This serves two purposes: first, it means you’re taking in starches when your body is low on glycogen so they’ll be used to replenish your muscle glycogen stores rather than being squirrelled away as excess fat. Second, it means you’ll regulate your intake of starchy carbs without having to count points or calories.  In my experience, few people get fat by eating too much protein or too many vegetables.

5. JUGGLE YOUR MEALS
Juggling the ingredients of your favourite meals by reducing the carb content and increasing the amount of fruit and vegetables, can cut calories while doubling your nutrient intake. For instance, spaghetti Bolognese contains around 600 calories. But if you use 50 per cent less meat and spaghetti, and add more veg such as peas, sweetcorn, tomatoes, mushrooms and grated carrot (which dissolve during cooking to give a fabulously rich and velvety texture), not only will you create a tastier, more filling, vitamin- and mineral-packed meal, you’ll halve the calories to around 300 per serving. Apply this process to your other meals and watch the pounds disappear without feeling hungry!

6. SLIM STARTERS
Salad vegetables are at their best this time of year, so make the most of the seasonal produce and eat a small bowl of salad before your main meal. Not only is this a great way to increase your fruit and veg intake but, according to a study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, it also means you’ll eat up to 12 per cent fewer calories. Just remember to go easy on the salad dressings though!

7. GET YOUR 4:1 
We know we should eat our five a day. But five pieces of fructose-packed fruit will send your insulin levels soaring and your sweet tooth into overdrive, which can make staying on an even keel difficult. It’s hard to fight the urges produced by chemical reactions in your brain, such as the release of calming serotonin after ingesting carbohydrates. I recommend you stick to a ratio of 4:1 vegetables to fruit. Plus, to get all the daily nutrients, fibre and sustenance you need, you should be shooting for 10 servings of veg and fruit per day, not five. So pile ’em up!

This is the time of year when many people gear up to lose weight. For the past 25 years, USA TODAY has been offering readers practical advice on how to trim down in the annual Weight-Loss Challenge  series. Nutrition reporter Nanci Hellmich shares 25 of the best tips from over the years.

1. Set a realistic weight-loss goal. Most experts recommend aiming for half a pound to 2 pounds a week.

2. Keep track. Dieters who keep track of everything they eat lose twice as much weight as those who don't, research shows.

3. Motivate yourself. Get a pair of jeans or pants that are too tight and hang them in the kitchen instead of the closet to keep yourself inspired.

4. Get help from family and friends. Dieters who have support from a partner at home lose more weight than those who don't, studies show.

WEIGHT-LOSS CHALLENGE: Lose the excuses to get in shape 

SUCCESS STORY: Tom Slater lost more than 100 pounds 

5. Move it to lose it. Research shows that people who do physical activities such as walking or biking for two to four hours a week during weight-loss efforts lose an extra 3 to 5 pounds over a year.

6. Pay attention to portions. A 3-ounce portion of meat, poultry or fish is about the size of the palm of your hand or a deck of cards; 1 teaspoon of butter or margarine, a standard postage stamp; a cup of cold cereal, berries or popcorn, a baseball; 4-inch pancake or waffle, the diameter of a CD.

7. Clean out your pantry and refrigerator. Get rid of the foods that sabotage your weight loss.

8. Create "a dinner deck." This would include 10 favorite quick and healthful dinners written on index cards. Each card should list the ingredients for the recipe on one side and directions for making it on the other.

9. Avoid hunger. Eat regular meals and snacks. Make sure you have some protein foods such as yogurt, tuna, beans or chicken for most meals. Some research suggests that protein helps you feel full longer.

10. Keep produce on hand. Place a bowl of vegetables such as broccoli, snap peas, cucumbers or carrot sticks in the refrigerator. You can eat them as a snack or when preparing meals to take the edge off your hunger.

11. Stock up on "impulse fruits." Keep things like grapes, clementines, small apples, small bananas and pears around the house. These foods are easy to eat without having to do much cutting and slicing.

12. Make some stealth changes. That will get everyone in the family eating healthier. Buy low-fat 1% or skim milk, low-fat cream cheese and reduced-fat cheese instead of the full-fat versions. Use them in recipes to cut the fat and calories.

13. Cut out liquid calories. Eliminate soda and sugary drinks such as sweetened iced tea, sports drinks and alcoholic beverages. Liven up the taste of water by adding lemon, lime, cucumber or mint. Choose skim and 1% milk.

14. Practice the "Rule of One." When it comes to high-calorie foods, you won't go wrong if you allow one small treat a day. That might be one cookie or a fun-sized candy bar.

15. Pace, don't race. Force yourself to eat more slowly and savor each bite.

MORE TIPS:Weight-Loss Challenge 

16. Hydrate before meals. Drinking 16 ounces, or two glasses, of water before meals may help you eat less.

17. Downsize plates, bowls, glasses, silverware. Using smaller versions of your serving ware will help you eat less food naturally.

18. Adopt the motto "after 8 is too late" for snacks after dinner.

19. Buy a pedometer. Health experts recommend taking at least 10,000 steps a day, which is roughly 4 to 5 miles, depending on your stride length.

20. Treat yourself occasionally. If your chocolate craving is getting to you, try diet hot-chocolate packets. If you need a treat, go out for it or buy small prepackaged portions of ice cream bars. If you love chocolate, consider keeping bite-size pieces in the freezer.

21. Dine at a table. Eat from a plate while seated at a table. Don't eat while driving, lounging on the couch or standing at the fridge.

22. Dine out without pigging out. Figure out what you are going to eat in advance. Get salad dressing on the side. Restaurants usually put about one-quarter cup (4 tablespoons) of dressing on a salad, which is often too many calories. Best to stick with 1 to 2 tablespoons. Dip your fork into the dressing and then into the salad.

23. Get plenty of sleep. Scientists have found that sleep deprivation increases levels of a hunger hormone and decreases levels of a hormone that makes you feel full. The effects may lead to overeating and weight gain.

24. Weigh yourself regularly. That's what successful dieters and those who manage to maintain weight loss do. Some step on the scales once a week. Others do so daily.

25. Reward yourself. When you meet your incremental weight loss goals, say losing 5 pounds, treat yourself to something — but not food. Buy a CD or DVD you've been wanting or go out to a movie with a friend.

Source: USA TODAY research; nutrition bloggers: registered dietitians Dawn Jackson Blatner, Elizabeth Ward, Bonnie Taub-Dix and Keith Ayoob