1.

Exercise 30 to 60 minutes every day, or if you are on a tight schedule, exercise several times
during the day — for example, three 10-minute exercise sessions.
2.Eat small meals often. Rather than eating one large meal and skipping meals, eat three
healthy meals during the day, especially breakfast. Studies show that skipping meals causes can
lead to overeating or snacking unhealthy foods later in the day.
3.Eat fruits and vegetables. If your main entree is grilled, skinless chicken, and make the fruits
and vegetables the largest portions on your plate and cut down on other foods.
4.Weigh yourself every day. If you are conscious of your weight and the progress you are
making, you are more likely to be successful.
5.Keep a journal, or food diary with you at all times. Purchase a small notebook that is easy to
carry in a suit pocket or purse. Practice being conscious of what you eat and recognizing particular
situations or times of day when you are more likely to eat unhealthy foods. A food diary can help
you make life changes.
6.Remove unhealthy snacks from the house. This would include all fried foods, packaged snack
items such as chips, pretzels, greasy pizza, buttery popcorn, etc, and sugary treats such as sugary
sodas, candy bars, snack cakes, caramel corn, cookies, and ice creams or frozen treats. These
foods are high in trans fats and have been found to trigger and increase the risk of many health
problems and diseases.
7.Store healthy snacks. After removing all unhealthy snacks from your home, be sure to fill your
cupboard and refrigerator with healthy snacks. The best snacks are organic fruits, vegetables,
whole grain crackers, 100% juices, low-fat dairy products such as low-fat yogurt.
8.Keep active with friends or family members, and plan physical activities together. Have a
physical fitness buddy to go bike riding with, play soccer, tennis, go to the gym, go dancing, etc.
Choose activities several days a week that keep you moving rather than video-games or or
movies.
9.Eat at home often rather than eating out at restaurants or fast food chains. When you eat at
home you can control what food is available and eliminate unhealthy choices. Many restaurants
typically provide more food than needed. If you have to eat at a restaurant, decide how much food
you will eat and ask for a take-home box before eating. Box up the extra portions of food before
eating your portion.
10.Don’t use serving bowls. When preparing your food, put it on the plate instead of putting
serving bowls on the table. Always serve yourself a little bit less than what you expect to eat.
Bring the prepared plate to the table. Put away extra food that is left in the pot or pan before
sitting down at the table.
11.Fill up healthy. Always fill up on healthy foods throughout the day that are low
in calories, such as celery, or fruit, so that when you are invited to eat a dessert or snack you
won’t be as tempted or hungry.
12.Make active choices to accomplish everyday chores. Instead of going through a drive-
through pharmacy to pick up your prescriptions, walk inside the store. Use a bike to visit a friend,
instead of a car. Get down on your hands and knees and pull the weeds or scrub the floor, instead
of using garden extension tools or a long-handled easy-clean mop. Walk the dog regularly.
13.Never eat in front of TV. Television viewing strongly affects how much and what people eat.
People tend to continue to eat while watching.
14.Vary your activities regularly in order to avoid exercise burnout. Walk, swim, dance, and
engage in sports.
15.Never eat from containers such as an ice cream carton, a Tupperware container, a package
of cookies, or a bag of chips. Instead, put the portion on your plate, and then put the container of
food away. When you can see how much you’ve eaten on your plate you are less likely to eat
more.
16.De-stress before eating. Engage in relaxation techniques before eating because stress
causes people to eat more. Praying or saying grace before eating is not unwise. It helps to relax,
surrender and let go of worries and eliminate stress. Other options are deep breathing exercises,
meditation, stretching exercises, reading something amusing or humorous, listening to relaxing
music, and even chatting with friends and family about uplifting or inspirational thoughts or
experiences.
17.Start with high-fiber or bran foods, such as oatmeal or high-fiber breads or bran cereals.
Studies show that people that start the morning with a high-fiber diet are less likely to gain
weight.
18.Buy a pedometer and add an extra 2,000 steps a day. On average, sedentary people take
only 2,000 to 3,000 steps a day.
19.Walk 30-minutes a day. Walk to the store, walk down the street and give a basket of fruit to
a neighbor. Walk the dog. Studies show that those who regularly engage in walking are more
healthy and physically fit.
20.Plan a week’s groceries. To prevent impulse buying, always plan a week ahead and make a
detailed grocery list. Never go grocery shopping when you are hungry and have skipped a meal.
Last-minute trips to the grocery store can result in buying snack foods or tempting foods on
display in the bakery, snack aisle, or deli section, that are not on your healthy foods list.
21.Have a craving plan. If you feel hungry and are feeling a craving for an unhealthy food, then
do something active. Drink a full glass of water, call a friend, write in your journal, paint a picture,
clean the house, engage in sports, read a book, or do something that does not trigger thoughts of
eating. Keeping your mind and body active will help to eliminate cravings.
22.Reward yourself. If you have lost weight, reward yourself with nonfood rewards, such as
going on that vacation you’ve dreamed of, buying new clothes, getting a new haircut or
purchasing something for your home. Spend time listening to your heart and finding out how to
truly love yourself.
23.Find an on-line buddy. Studies show that online weight-loss partnering results in more
successfully achieving weight-loss goals.
 Studies on the effects of color and color therapy show that blue can be an appetite suppressant
whereas red tends to increases the appetite.

24.Choose blue. Wear the color blue more often and decorate your home with it. The color blue
is an appetite suppressant, whereas the colors red, yellow, and orange have been found to
increase the appetite.
25.Use small plates. Get rid of large dinner plates and buy small plates. You are more likely to
pile on the food if your plates are over-sized.
26.Throw out large clothes. When you have lost weight, give away or throw out clothes that are
too large for you. Keep only the clothes that fit or are “snug” on you. If you always keep large,
over-sized clothes you will be less likely to lose weight.
27.Use a mirror. If you eat in a dining room area, keep a mirror hanging on the wall opposite
where you sit. If you watch yourself in the mirror while eating, you are less likely to overeat.
28.Read labels. When buying foods in the grocery store, read the labels. Do not buy foods that
are high in trans fats or are high in cholesterol, salt, or sugar. Do not buy foods that have added
corn syrup, food coloring, or food additives.
29.Season smartly. Use salsa to season foods or spices such as curry, turmeric, pepper, basil,
etc., instead of heavy, high-fat sauces such as gravy or butter.
30.Increase calcium. Calcium in low-fat dairy foods triggers a hormonal response that inhibits
the body’s production of fat cells and breaks down fat.
RESOURCES
•Jessica Girdwain, “16 Ways to Lose Weight Fast” Health magazine
•Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD WebMD Expert Column, “Lose Weight Fast: How to Do It
Safely” WebMD
•Shick SM, Wing RR, Klem ML, McGuire MT, Hill JO & Seagle HM (1998). “Persons successful at
long-term weight loss and maintenance continue to consume a low calorie, low fat diet.”. Journal
of the American Dietetic Association, 98, 408-413
•James Quirk, Krystle C., Jack Herrick, Brett Fechheimer and 495 others, “How to Lose Weight Fast”
WikiHow
•Zoe Ruderman, “Drop 5 Pounds in a Week,” Cosmopolitan
•McGuire MT, Wing RR, Klem ML, Seagle HM & Hill JO (1998). Long-term maintenance of weight
loss: “Do people who lose weight through various weight loss methods use different behaviors to
maintain their weight?, ” International Journal of Obesity22, 572-577.
•Klem ML, Wing RR, McGuire MT, Seagle HM & Hill JO (1997). A descriptive study of individuals
successful at long-term maintenance of substantial weight loss. American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition, 66, 239-246.
•McGuire MT, Wing RR, Hill JO. (1999). “The prevalence of weight loss maintenance among
American adults.” International Journal of Obesity, 23, 1314-1319.
•Bond DS, Phelan S, Leahey TM, Hill JO, Wing RR. (2009). “Weight-loss maintenance in successful
weight losers: surgical vs non-surgical methods. International Journal of Obesity, 33, 173-180.
•Basics of Weight Control, Department of Veterans Affairs– PDF
•“Time to Talk: 7 Things to Know about Complementary Health Practices for Weight Loss, ”
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
•Weight-Control Information Network National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
Diseases
 •“Weight Control,” National Library of Medicine, National Health Institute, Medline Plus
•Butryn ML, Phelan S, Hill JO, Wing RR. (2007). ” Consistent Self-monitoring of Weight: A Key
Component of Successful Weight Loss Maintenance. Obesity, 15, 3091-3096

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This article is written by Jean Voice Dart, M.S. Special Education from Illinois
State University. Jean is a published author and has written hundreds of health
articles as well as hosting a local television program, “Making Miracles Happen.”
She is a Registered Music Therapist, Sound Therapist, and Master Level Energetic
Teacher, and is the Executive Director, founder and Health and Wellness
Educator of the Monterey Bay Holistic Alliance. The Monterey Bay Holistic Alliance
is a registered 501 (c) 3 nonprofit health and wellness education organization.
For more information about the Monterey Bay Holistic Alliance contact us or visit
our website at www.montereybayholistic.com.
Disclaimer: The Monterey Bay Holistic Alliance is a charitable, independent registered nonprofit
501(c)3 organization and does not endorse any particular products or practices. We exist as an
educational organization dedicated to providing free access to health education resources, products
and services. Claims and statements herein are for informational purposes only and have not been
evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The statements about organizations, practitioners,
methods of treatment, and products listed on this website are not meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or
prevent any disease. This information is intended for educational purposes only. The MBHA strongly
recommends that you seek out your trusted medical doctor or practitioner for diagnosis and
treatment of any existing health condition.