1.Go to sleep.
Getting enough sleep every night keeps you thin. Why? When your body doesn't get the 7 to 8 hours it needs every night, it doesn't get a full resupply of serotonin and dopamine, two feel-good brain chemicals it craves. So it looks for ways to replenish them, and guess what immediately releases both in the body: sugary foods. That's why when you're tired, you start craving sweets! So tuck yourself in early and stay slim.
2. Keep your hands full.
You'd think that sitting around playing video games, solitaire, or surfing around Yahoo! would be an invitation to putting on pounds. Nope. When your fingers are flying, they're not knuckle-deep in a bowl of chips. Now that's not to say that endless hours on your duff are good for anybody's waistline, but when you keep your hands and brain occupied, you're not reaching automatically for something to eat. In fact, you're probably not even thinking about food. So the next time you start to open the fridge door, turn on the computer, or pick up your knitting, instead.
3. Pick and stick.
Yeah, sure, variety may be the spice of life. But it can also be the death of dieting. When you have a lot of choices for a meal, it's a lot easier to slip out of good eating habits and into buffet binges. One way to avoid trouble is to eliminate choices for at least one meal a day. Pick the meal you rush through most and automate it. For most people, that's lunch. Find a healthy lunch - maybe salad with grilled chicken or a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread - and have it for lunch every day. Every day. Yes, every day. The less you think about food, the easier it is to control you appetite. And decreasing choices decreases temptations.
All three tips are from two weight-loss experts: RealAge superdocs Michael Roizen, MD, and Mehmet Oz, MD, authors of the huge bestseller, YOU: On a Diet.
