10 Tips for Dropping a Dress Size

1 Put Protein First
Ever notice how eating protein-packed foods, like meats, fish and dairy makes you feel full? You're not imagining it. Studies show that protein triggers the production of the enzyme glucagon, which causes the feeling of fullness, according to Jay Cooper, a fitness expert in St. George, UT, and author of The Body Code. Instead of skimping on protein during the day, try adding some chicken or tuna to your lunchtime salad - it may help curb your appetite for a big dinner late on. Also, most experts agree that people who eat breakfast may have an easier time losing weight than those who don't. Just be sure to get some protein: Add a slice of cheese (it has protein and calcium) or an egg to your meal - it's healthier and you'll feel fuller for longer.

2. Beware of Low-Fat Lures
No-fat and low-fat cookies might seem to be a guiltless way to indulge, but stop and read the labels. Manufacturers often save the taste with loads of added sugar (and calories). Besides, fat's bad rap may be a little unfair. Including some good, monounsaturated fats in your diet is healthy. These can be found in foods such as olives, olive oil, canola oil, avocados and almonds. Also important are the omega-3 fatty acids found in foods like salmon, tuna, soy, flaxseeds and walnuts. These fats are not only healthy, but they also can take the edge off your appetite. Feeling a pang of hunger? Cooper advises eating a tablespoon of your favorite nuts - it can dull the hunger, and it has real nutritional value as well.

3. Can The Juice
Liquid calories add up quickly. Keep in mind that the recommended serving size of juice is only one third to one-half cup, cautions Nancy Dell, a dietician in Feeding Hills, MA. A bottle of Snapple has about the same number of calories as four pieces of whole fruit. So grab an orange or grapefruit instead. Just one will do the trick, plus you'll get the added benefit of fiber.

4. Reach For The H20
You have a craving for.. Something. Is it that piece of chocolate? An ice cream cone? Actually, you may simply be thirsty. "Many people mistake thirst for hunger," says Kathy Kennan Isoldi of the Comprehensive Weight Control Program affiliated with New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. Our society is so food-oriented that we may assume that any craving is a food craving. So reach for that water bottle. Also, down a glass of H2O before dinner - it really can help you feel full and eat less. "My clients laugh when I tell them to do this," Isoldi says. "But when they try it, they find it works."

5. Draw the line when you dine
Fact: Most of us tend to eat more when we eat out. Here's a quick, calorie-saving guide. At a Mexican restaurant, avoid the taco salad, which can run you close to 1,000 calories, and order chicken or seafood fajitas. Going Italian? Pass on all chicken with sauce entrees and heavy pasta dishes like lasagna. Instead, order the sauce on the side or go for the grilled fish. If you want veal, order the veal chop; other veal can be high in fat. Skip the moussaka at a Middle Eastern or Greek restaurant, and choose pita bread with baba ghanoush (roasted eggplant spread) or souvlaki (grilled meat on a pita or platter with lettuce and tomato - tell them to hold the tzatziki sauce). At your local diner, ask for the dressing on the side if you order the Caesar salad with grilled chicken. Thumbs-down to the hamburger platter; thumbs-up to turkey with lettuce and tomato on rye (but get it with mustard, not mayo).

6. Graze On
If you starve yourself all day, you and a big evening meal are on a collision course. So get into a mini-meal habit. You'll increase your energy and keep a leash on your appetite. "With smaller meals, you may decrease your stomach's capacity so that you feel fuller faster," explains Daniel Kirschenbaum, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago and author of The 9 Truths About Weight Loss. The word on dessert? Cooper offers a three-bite rule: "Heap some dessert onto a teaspoon - that's one bite. Then have two more." Savor the flavor. You'll feel less fixated - and less likely to overindulge.

7. Set The Pace
You're better off running for 10 minutes than alternating running and walking, right? Nope. "You'll burn more calories by switching off," says Bonne Marano, the founder of FitToBeTiedOnline.com. So pace yourself - run for five minutes, walk for five minutes. Your body will love you for it.

8. Walk it Off
The average adult takes 3,000 to 5,000 steps each day; at this rate you're just maintaining your weight. But if you're not overeating and you up your number of steps per day to 10,000, you should start to drop pounds. Invest in a pedometer to wear on your hip; then climb the stairs instead of using the elevator and take a walk at lunchtime. Want to count calories while you're on the move? A half hour of gardening will burn off 300, and vacuuming the house for a half hour will burn 99. Snuggling with your honey? Passionate kissing can sizzle off 60 calories in an hour, Marano says.

9. Confess to Your Diary
Jot down everything you eat - including the handful of chips or the sliver of cheesecake. You don't need to include calories and fat grams; the point is to become more aware of your eating habits. Okay, the truth may hurt, but it can also make you strong. Once you know what you eat, you can take charge and get rid of the excess.

10. Destress
Anxiety is probably at the root of most food problems - it leads your hand right to the cookies. Instead, take a walk or try deep breathing for a calming effect, Cooper says. Inhale through your nose and hold your breath as long as it's comfortable, then exhale. Also, keep in mind that anxious feelings and food cravings tend to become less intense if you can wait them out. Divert yourself for 10 minutes, and you may just find that those cookies become a distant memory.