8 Tiny Changes That Help You Lose Weight

1. Pick Up A Pen
Mindlessly munching a bag of chips could easily result in polishing off the whole thing; write down how much you've eaten and you're more likely to practice portion control.

2. Walk More
In Dr Lute's pilot study, increasing daily activity levels by just a few minutes at a time helped participants lose weight. Eventually, your goal should be about 30 minutes of physical activity a day.

3. Take 10 To Eat a Snack
Try this strategy to permanently reduce cravings. Portion out one serving of your favourite treat, taking time to smell it, look at it, and think about it. Take one small bite. Chew slowly, focusing on the texture and taste, then swallow. Ask yourself if you want

4. Take a Pedometer
Just as you wouldn't leave the house without your cell phone, make a pedometer a must-have accessory. Research shows pedometer users take 2,500 more steps a day than non users. Over a year, that's enough to burn off ten pounds.

5. Sleep Away Weight Gain
Make a point of turning in earlier and you'll see weight loss within a week. Research from the University of Pennsylvania found even just a few nights of sleep deprivation led to almost immediate weight gain.

6. Exercise During Commercials
Get moving during commercials. Skip, dance, go up and down some stairs, run in place, anything that gets your heart rate up so you feel somewhat breathless, says Geralyn Coopersmith, senior national manager at Equinox fitness. Do it for each 2-minute break during

7. Increase Your Fiber Intake
Skimping on fiber will make you gain weight. Forget the pretzels and go for a bag of low-fat popcorn. It has five times the fiber and only 90 calories for six cups, so it's filling and satisfying.

8. Take The Stairs
Have a choice between riding and climbing? Including 2-3 minutes of stair climbing per day - covering about three to five floors - can burn enough calories to eliminate the average American's annual weight gain of 1 to 2 pounds a year.