1. Use Healthy Fats More Often: Spread your morning toast with almond butter, put a teaspoon of flaxseed oil in your pasta, mix flaxseed oil with balsamic vinegar, pepper, oregano (or any other spices) and pour over greens, eat more salmon, use avocados as a garnish for chicken or chop up with tomatoes and onions to make a salsa, snack on sunflower seeds or walnuts. Healthy fats not only make your food taste better they help you shed fat because they satisfy you faster and longer which means you won't eat as much or as often. Healthy fats also optimize your metabolism. Try this awesome salad: Two cups of spinach, 1/2 c strawberries, 2 tbsp. walnuts, 1 tbsp. crumbled bleu cheese, 1 tbsp flaxseed oil, 2 tbsp balsmic vinegar.

2. Be Condiment Smart: You know that butter, mayo, sour cream, cream cheese & creamy dressings (even the fat free kind), jelly, and gourmayos are full of calories, sugar, and trans fat so just forget about them for a few months. Instead switch to smart condiments like brummel & brown yogurt spread, salsa, mustard, horseradish, wasabi, tabasco sauce. Better yet use healthy foods to add flavor with less calories. ie. hummus, avocados, limes, garlic, olive oil, flaxseed oil, all types of vinegars, tomato sauce, low sodium soy sauce, chili powders, homemade mango & peach salsa, fresh raspberries & blueberries, and grated cinnamon. Try this chicken breast marinade: 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 lemon juice, 2 tsp. cummin, oregano, and parsley flakes, plus a sprinkle of pepper, and chili powder (cayenne if your brave).

3. Replace Starchy Carbs With Greens: Who said you need bread to make a sandwich or tortillas to make tacos? Wrap your chicken fajitas or lean ground beef taco meat in lettuce leaves with tomatoes or salsa and lowfat cheese. Try rolling ham & romaine lettuce in a slice of lowfat cheese. Spread natural peanut butter on apple slices, celery, or carotts. Save those starchy carbs for active days or eat them before workouts and start thinking outside the box when it comes to veggies. Try these stuffed bell peppers: mix 6 oz tuna, one hard boiled egg & two hard boiled egg whites, onions, 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper, and dill. Stuff red or green bell peppers and bake at 350 for 20 min.

4. Start Eating In More: According to the National Restaurant Association, the average person eats out three times a week, spending approximately $10 per meal (enough to make a healthy veggie & chicken stir fry for 4 -5 people). We don't always eat out because we have to. Sometimes we're lazy, bored, or trying to please someone else. But eating out often when you're trying to lose weight is a big mistake because not only do you get more food (big portions) you get more calories & fat than you think. You tell yourself you will eat smaller portions, choose from the guiltless grill, and skip drinks and dessert but once you're there the pressure is on either from the waiter or the significant other. Make your meals at home more exciting and you'll be less tempted to eat out. Grill more, eat outdoors, get ideas from cooking shows or cooking light magazine and use them. It's much easier than you think. Check out the magazine:
Cooking Light

5. Beware Of Empty Calories: Bottled or canned beverages, your starbucks concoction, apple chips, lowfat pudding, etc. Even if these foods are within your ideal calorie intake do you really need them? Strive to make better choices every chance you get. The more nutritious food you put into your body the better it runs and the faster you lose weight. Apple chips and pudding don't have much nutritional value but an apple or soy yogurt do. These provide nutrients your body needs to help you lose weight. Think of food in terms of what it can do for you and not just how good it tastes.

6. Have Weightloss Buddies My mother always said "tell me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are". Sounds better in spanish but you get the idea. If you spend most of your time with people who drink a lot, friends who eat out at fast food restaurants every day, or those who go from fad diet to fad diet then you're very likely to behave the same way. Make friends with other people who are serious about their weightloss goals and find ways to motivate each other. Share recipes, talk about setbacks and how to overcome them, make workout dates, or visit the message boards and chat with people there.

7. Get Over Your Mistakes: You blew your day by snacking on m&m's, eating a heaping bowl of pasta, slathering a cup of cream cheese on your bagel, or eating two slices of pie after dinner. Acknowledge what you did and get over it. Everyone makes mistakes. The bigger mistake would be to continue down this path of destruction for the rest of the day or the rest of the week. Instead write down your food intake in your journal, record your mood and try to figure out what went wrong. This is much more productive.

8. Aim for Balance At Every Meal: Yes even I'm guilty of trying fad diets where entire food groups are eliminated. Sometimes the body needs this to detoxify and eliminate cravings. Just don't make it a habit. Try to include a balance of protein, carbs, and healthy fats at every meal. You are less likely to binge when you don't feel like you're being restricted. Eating balanced meals helps you stay full longer which prevents snacking and overeating. You also get more nutrients from a wider variety of food which is essential for fat loss. A balanced breakfast is easy: 2 eggs 1 egg white, 1/2 c fruit provides protein, fat, carbs. It's as simple as you make it.

9. Make The Best Choice At Each & Every Meal: You're at Boston Market, you're hungry, and everything looks yummy. Stop yourself and think about how you'll feel after you have the meatloaf with a huge pile of mac & cheese, stuffing, cornbread, and pecan pie. You'll feel bloated, guilty, tired, and unhappy. Be aware of what that choice will do then choose the healthy option. ie. chicken breast, steamed veggies, garlic dill new potatoes with an iced tea and no dessert. Ask them nicely to keep their cornbread or trash it on your way to the table. Even places with some of the healthiest fare present a challenge. Strive to do your best one meal at a time.

10. Start & End With Water: Start your day with a huge glass of water. Start every meal with a glass of water. Start your workout with a glass of water and continue drinking as you workout. Every time you see a water fountain take a sip. End your day with a huge glass of water even if it means getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. You will decrease cravings & appetite, your liver will function properly allowing you to metabolize fat better, and you will avoid retaining water. Can't stand the taste of water? Crystal lite, unsweetened iced tea, propel fitness water, all count as water.