Oil your bread

Can't give up the bread basket? Use olive oil instead of butter: You'll eat 23 percent less bread and 16 percent fewer calories, according to a 2003 study in the International Journal of Obesity

Downsize your plate

Eat what your family eats, but put your serving on a kid-size plate

Sweeten up your morning

Embrace "breakfast dessert." In a 2012 study, researchers at Tel Aviv University Medical Center found that dieters who ate a large breakfast that included a sweet treat lost 37 pounds more over eight months than those on an equal-calorie diet with a smaller, low-carb breakfast.

Serve from the stove

Leave serving dishes on the stove instead of at the dining table and you'll eat nearly 10 percent less. [And] pack snacks into single-serving bags. Eating out of a large container ups consumption by 61 percent

Set aside leftovers

Serve yourself, then immediately pack the leftovers in a Tupperware container and store in the fridge

Floss for dessert

Brushing my teeth after dinner makes me less likely to eat again before I go to bed

Set limits, then go nuts!

In the cafeteria I use a 4-by-4-inch Styrofoam box, and I put whatever I want in there. It's almost impossible to overeat

Put away the (food) scale

Portion control isn't about measuring; it's about ordering two appetizers instead of an entrée and cutting back on bread if you have pasta

Don’t supersize it

When going out for fast food, I used to get the large-size value meal. Now, I satisfy a craving by ordering just one item: a small order of fries or a six-piece box of chicken nuggets. So far, I've shaved off 16 pounds in seven weeks, and I'm on track to being thinner than my high school self for my 10-year reunion later this year.

Do a purge

I totally cleaned out my pantry. Once I replaced the foods I used to overindulge in, like ice cream, with lower-cal snacks, such as roasted sunflower seeds or Special K Chocolatey Delight cereal, I began making better choices automatically. Now, I'm slimmer than I was before I had my two kids

Get fit in five!

I try to fit in small bouts of exercise whenever possible, like doing jumping jacks or crunches during television commercials or dancing while washing dishes. This burns extra calories and keeps me from mindlessly munching in front of the TV. Now my clothes fit way better, and I’m more toned than ever.

Have a 300-calorie breakfast

I used to skip breakfast, but now I never go without. I always eat about 300 calories of a healthy mix of protein and whole grains. My go-to meal: a sandwich with natural peanut butter and apple butter. It keeps my hunger down so I snack less throughout the day. In a little over a year, I've shed 65 pounds

Skip the salty aisle

I reached my goal weight after I stopped routinely buying snacks at the grocery store. If I wanted a bag of chips or a candy bar, I had to walk to the store to get it. That inconvenience usually made me ignore my cravings

Swap your go-to order

I used to eat out at restaurants up to nine times a week! By cutting back to just once a week and ordering a grilled chicken salad instead of a large bowl of pasta, I've lost 20 pounds in one month