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•Tips from The Biggest Loser

To Help Keep you moving toward your weight loss goals, Lyons, Alexander and several of the "Biggest Losers" offer these additional tips and tricks.
  1. "Eat often--snake often" says Alexander. While this may seem contrary to traditional dieting advice, the chef says that as long as you keep an eye on calories and portions, eating often will stave off hunger attacks that ultimately sabotage your diet. "When you're starving, you grab whatever is available--and that's the quickest way to get off your eating plain, "says Alexander.
  2. "Eat your carbs in the morning." says Biggest Loser contestant Brian Starkey. "It gets your day off to an energetic start." Lyons adds that carbs are quickly burned with activity, so eating them may help motivate you for that morning walk or bike ride.
  3. "Post a picture of yourself on the refrigerator--at your worst," says Biggest Loser contestant Sana Desilvio. "The next time you're thinking of grabbing something you shouldn't from the fridge, you'll be reminded of what you don't want to look like!"
  4. "Instead of watching the clock during workouts, listen to music," to make the time faster, says Erik Chopin, The Biggest Loser's season-three winner. Lyons reminds us that everyday activities, like bike riding, tossing a Frisbee, or walking you dog, count as physical activity, too.
  5. "When eating out, always ask for a 'to-go' box--at the start of your meal, " says Biggest Loser contestant Booby Moore. Then, when your food arrives, immediately put half of it in the box, he suggests. This way, you'll not get used to eating smaller portions, but you'll have a snack for later.
  6. Learn to cook healthfully. "cooking healthy doesn't have to be hard -- or take more time," says Alexander. While many "Biggest Loser" contestants said they thought cooking healthy would be complicated or time-consuming, Alexander says, most found that cooking healthy is actually easier, less expensive, and faster.
  7. "Never overlook the power of seasoning," says Alexander. One way she made even the blandest diet foods grab the contestants' attentions was by using low-sodium seasonings."People never realize what a major difference spices can make on even simple dishes like grilled chicken or salmon," she says
  8. "When it comes to cooking in flavor, it's never about the oil," says Alexander. Many dieters believe that unless food is fried in oil, you don't get much flavor. But, she says, the real secret is pan-browning, which can happen with out oil. The trick to getting restaurant-quality taste, she says, is to never overload your fan with food." If you put too much in the pan, the moisture content causes the foods to steam and not pan-fry," she says. "By reducing the amount of food in the pan you get that tasty pan-seared browning, without the use of any oils."
  9. Don't try to do too much exercise, too soon. You not only run the risk of injury, but you'll also get quickly discourage. "Don't try to stare down 45 minutes of exercise, "says Lyons. "Tell yourself it will be OK to quit after 10 minutes, because most of the time once you get going, you'll keep going."
  10. Remember: Self-esteem feeds on self -esteem. Accomplishing a little something toward your weight loss goal every day will not only get you on the road to success, but help keep you there. "You are not just losing weight, you are changing your life and your lifestyle, "says Alexander. "If you keepthat in mind, you come to see that every change, no matter how small, comes together to make a huge difference in not only your weight, but your life," says Alexander."If you keep that in mind, you come to see that every change, no matter how small, comes together to make a huge difference in not only your weight, but you life," says Alexander.