Provided by Prevention

6. Log it six times per week
Why It Works
"Monitoring your eating and exercise every day will let you know if you're reaching the 500-calorie daily deficit you need to lose about a pound a week," says Robert Carels, PhD, a psychology professor at Bowling Green State University. His study of 40 obese adults found that those who recorded their food and exercise over 6 months lost more than 20 pounds. That was nearly twice the amount shed by less consistent notetakers.

Who It Helped
Julie Fugett, 29, of Lawrence, Kan.: "Journaling was an important part of my program. I chronicled food intake using the Weight Watchers Points system and also printed out a monthly calendar to schedule workouts in advance. I'd mark each successful day of exercise with a purple smiley face, and eventually those stick-on grins added up to a 25-pound weight loss that I've maintained for over 2 years."

Add It In
Carry a small notebook or PDA to record what you eat and use a pedometer to estimate the calories you burn. Although you should try to keep a daily log, it's realistic to give yourself a break one day a week and allow time off for holidays and houseguests. "Then get back on track," says Carels.

7. Sleep seven hours a night
Why It Works
A University of Chicago study found that people deprived of Zzzs had lower levels of the hormones that control appetite. "The research suggested that short sleep durations could be a risk factor for obesity," says James Gangwisch, PhD, an epidemiologist from Columbia University Medical Center. Sure enough, his follow-up study of 9,588 Americans found that women who slept 4 hours or less per night were 234 percent more likely to be obese.

Who It Helped
Julia Havey, 44, of St. Louis: "I used to stay up late watching movies and eating ice cream. I'd have to wake up at 6AM, so I always felt exhausted and bloated. Now I make it a point to be in bed by 11PM. The extra sleep makes it easier for me to stick to my diet and exercise routine because I have more energy and fewer cravings."

Add It In
The key number for most people is 7 hours or more a night, says Gangwisch, so set an early bedtime and stick to it.

8. Drink eight glasses of water per day
Why It Works
Water is not just a thirst quencher --it actually speeds the body's metabolism. Researchers in Germany found that drinking two 8-ounce glasses of cold water increased their subjects' metabolic rate by 30 percent, and the effect persisted for 90 minutes. One-third of the boost came from the body's efforts to warm the water, but the rest was due to the work the body did to absorb it. "When drinking water, no calories are ingested but calories are used, unlike when drinking sodas, where additional calories are ingested and possibly stored," explains the lead researcher, Michael Boschmann, MD, of University Medicine Berlin.

Who It Helped
Paige Tomas, 25, of Corpus Christi, Texas: "I used to have a five-can-a-day Dr Pepper addiction. To stop, I'd make myself drink a whole glass of water before allowing myself a soda, and now I'm down to just two Diet Dr Peppers a day."

Add It In
Increasing water consumption to eight glasses per day may help you lose about 8 pounds in a year, says Boschmann, so try drinking a glass before meals and snacks and before consuming sweetened drinks or juices.

9. After a nine hour day (lunch included!), go home
Why It Works
A University of Helsinki study of 7,000 adults found that those who'd packed on pounds in the previous year were more likely to have logged overtime hours. Lack of time for diet and exercise is most likely the cause, but it's also possible that work stress has a direct effect on weight gain through changes in hormones like cortisol.

Who It Helped
Nicole Bruni, 36, of Milwaukee: "I gained about 35 pounds in my first year at my law firm, so I started making it a point to wrap up the day in time for a 6PM spinning class, and I've since lost 40 pounds."

Add It In
Set firm limits on your workday so that when you're done, you still have the oomph to take a bike ride and broil fish for dinner. To help you stay productive enough to finish on time, set an hourly alarm; when it goes off, deal with your most pressing duties.

10. Shave 10 points off your glycemic load
Why It Works
Foods high on the glycemic index --including sugars and refined carbohydrates -- cause blood sugar to spike. "The body uses insulin to bring down blood sugar," says Yunsheng Ma, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. The body stores the excess sugar as fat. But that leaves blood sugar levels low, so we feel hungry again and eat more -- an unhealthy cycle. Ma studied the eating patterns of 572 people and found that those who ate foods high on the glycemic index weighed significantly more than those who did not. "There's about a 10-pound body weight decrease for every 10-point drop in the glycemic index of all the food a person eats each day," he says.

Who It Helped
Jessica Seaberg, 28, of Minneapolis: "I eradicated most refined sugars from my diet and lost 65 pounds. I stick to whole grain bread, slow-cooking brown rice, and whole wheat pasta."

Add It In
Read labels to avoid added sugars, or better yet, eat fresh produce. Healthy swaps include a baked sweet potato (48 on the glycemic index) instead of a russet potato (94); grapes (49) instead of dates (103); pasta (45) instead of pizza (60); and Nutella (30) instead of jelly beans (80). And skip the liquid glucose known as juice.



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