101 Smart Weight Loss Tips

Give your pizza a makeover. Regular varieties are full of refined sugars (thick crusts) and saturated fat (oily sauces and gooey cheese). So, instead, opt for thin-crust pies and sparse amounts of traditional toppings. Add nutritional value—and flavor—by piling on dressed salad greens and fresh veggies.

Good-for-you nutrients and fiber are largely removed from white pasta to make it denser and sweeter. This ultimately makes you hungry, soon after eating. So, leave spaghetti night to the kids and fill up on salad.

Yes, they get stuck in your teeth, but adding certain seeds, like chia and brown flax, to your diet is an easy way to infuse more soluble fiber and minerals into your grub. They can also help speed up metabolism and reduce blood pressure. Win, win! (Just start carrying toothpicks.)

When shopping for rice, look for brown rice that says it's "unrefined." This means that the fiber and nutrients are still in tact, which will leave you feeling fuller, longer when you finally make that Indian dish you've meaning to try.

Need inspiration not to get take-out again? Studies show that restaurant-prepared dishes contain as many as 60% more calories than ones whipped up at home.

If you're a speed-eater, think twice. A study from the University of Rhode Island showed that women who ate their lunch over the course of 30 minutes consumed fewer calories than those who ate theirs in under ten.

Eat oatmeal for breakfast. Because it's a complex carbohydrate, it will break down slowly in your system, making you feel fuller, longer. Amp yours up, sans brown sugar, by adding a scoop of peanut butter or ginger preserves.

Skip the soda. Seriously. A study from Harvard found that women who increased their intake from one sugar-sweetened soft drink a week, to one a day, gained an average of 10 pounds.

Make your pasta al dente. The longer you boil noodles, the more the starch breaks down and raises the pasta's glycemic index (causing your blood sugar to spike faster).

It takes about 20 seconds for your mind to register that it might be full. So, rest your fork on your plate in between each bite to give this impulse a chance to kick in. Bonus points: You'll be a better conversationalist if you're not gulping down grub.

Baked goods are filled with white flour and white sugar, two simple carbohydrates that are burned as soon as they are eaten, resulting in a large insulin spike, followed by a sugar crash. So, eat sugary goods sparingly and for good reason (like your birthday!).

While nothing hits the spot quite like a piece of confectionery bliss, satisfy your next sugar craving by munching on a dried apricot. The chewy texture and slightly-acidic taste will squash any demand for candy.

When you have the option, always go for a burger over a hot dog. The latter is packed with nitrates, dyes, preservatives, and sodium, making it sabotage for your digestive system. Plus, a burger made with natural, low-fat meat will keep you feeling full much longer. To cut calories, only use half of the bun.

Sweet-tasting yogurt flavors (like chocolate mousse or key lime pie) might contain a lot of calcium, but they'll also be packed with high fructose corn syrup. Instead of spending extra time checking labels at the grocery store, stock up on plain, natural Greek yogurt and add fruit, nuts, and honey (in moderation!) as good-for-you toppings.

If you really want to slim down, swap out sodas and juices for water. Need more motivation? Researchers found that women who replaced sweet drinks with H20 lost five more pounds than those who didn't.

When in doubt for dinner, do salmon dishes. The fish is rich in essential fatty acids and helps keep blood-sugar levels steady.

Toss your bagel in favor of two eggs. Even though the two foods roughly contain the same number of calories, a study from Louisiana State University showed that people who opted for the protein-heavy breakfast meal lost an average of 65% more weight than the carb-ophile dieters.

Drink you're water, too. But ingesting fruits with high moisture content, like watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew, is an easy way to hydrate and feel fuller at the same time.

Chicken is a staple of healthy diets because it's lean and full of protein. Facilitate your use of the poultry by pre-cooking (or grilling) a few boneless, skinless breasts every week and keeping them in the fridge. Then, you can bust them out, come dinner-time, to make stir-fries, fajitas, and even serve whole with colorful garnishes.

One definite outcome of bio-engineered super-sized fruits and veggies? The FDA has had to revisit their nutritional stats on produce. Before you bite into a gigantic apple or peach, cut it in half and save some for later.

Being hooked on sugary drinks is nothing to be ashamed about. Indulging in them regularly, however, is. Satisfy your sweet (caffeinated) tooth by using tiny cups (think, tea-party-sized) to sample higher-calorie warm and cold drinks, alike.

Incorporating protein-rich foods into your meals (in moderation) is a proven way to speed up weight-loss. Still fell like you can't give up your daily dose of granola? Layer it with a fat-free Greek yogurt and berries as a breakfast treat—or healthy dessert!

Bad News: Fries are designed to destroy your diet. No joke. The simple carbohydrates are salted and then (usually) dipped in high fructose corn syrup—aka ketchup—triggering your body to crave another fix. Your best bet? Skip the frites altogether and opt for a leafy, crunchy side salad instead.

Kill two birds with one stone, and resist the urge to grab snacks during commercial breaks by doing a few impromptu sets of exercises, instead.

Check out some home-ready workouts, here.

Take the offensive when it comes to snacking and keep a selection of veggies and yummy (low-fat!) dips on hand to break out when you feel the need to nosh. Bonus points to those who up the presentation with a hallowed-out cabbage.

Skip the mayo or sun-dried tomato spread the next time you're making a sandwich, and use a couple of slices of ripe avocado instead. The fruit is packed with good-for-you fats and vitamins, which will leave you feeling fuller than if you slathered on a much less healthy condiment.

It's okay to slip up when you're trying to drop pounds. Either brush your teeth immediately to cleanse your palette and return to your better-eating habits, or start the next day with a healthy breakfast.