Recipe--Slow Cooker Broccoli & Cheese Soup

Ingredients
3 Cups of Skim Milk
2 Tbsp of Can't Believe It's Not Butter Stick
1 lb Velveeta 2% Milk Cheese
1 Family Size (26 oz) Can Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup
1 package of Green Giant SteamFresh Broccoli

Directions
1) Add all ingredients, except Broccoli and Velveeta, into slow cooker.
2) Steam broccoli in the microwave as directed on package.
3) Chop up tender broccoli into small pieces and add to slow cooker.
4) Cut Velveeta Cheese block into 1 inch cubes and add to slow cooker.
5) Set slow cooker on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.Makes 8 1-cup servings

Number of Servings: 8
Nutritional Info* Servings Per Recipe: 8* Amount Per Serving* Calories: 272.5* Total Fat: 14.5 g* Cholesterol: 27.5 mg* Sodium: 1,551.9 mg* Total Carbs: 22.4 g* Dietary Fiber: 2.5 g* Protein: 16.3 g

Recipe--Slow Cooker Lime Salsa Chicken Tacos

Ingredients
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 tbsp of lime juice
1 tbsp chili powder
1 cup of salsa
.5 cup of frozen yellow corn
soft taco shells
Lettuce, tomatoes to tastereduced fat sour cream

Directions
Trim chicken breast of excess fat and place in bottom of standard sizedslow cooker. In a small bowl, mix 3 tbsp lime juice and 1 tbsp. chilipowder and pour over chicken breasts. Cook on low setting for 4-5 hoursor until meat is cooked thoroughly. Remove chicken from slow cooker andshred. Put shredded chicken back into cooker and add salsa and frozencorn. Mix thoroughly and let cook for another half an hour or untilheated through. Serve on soft taco shells with lettuce, tomatoes andother toppings. Makes 6 soft chicken tacos.

Number of Servings: 6
Nutritional Info* Servings Per Recipe: 6* Amount Per Serving* Calories: 223.4* Total Fat: 4.9 g* Cholesterol: 68.4 mg* Sodium: 326.3 mg* Total Carbs: 15.5 g* Dietary Fiber: 2.5 g* Protein: 29.4 g

Getting Over That Plateau

You’ve been on the treadmill for what feels like days on end. You are watching what you eat and drink. However, despite earlier success watching that scale move in the direction you wanted it to, you’ve hit the infamous plateau! What do you do?
These 5 tips will help you break through any plateau and continue on your path to success. By educating yourself and making sure you have all the proper behavioral “tools”, you can make more positive changes and continue to improve your health day after day! Believe me, it’s worth the effort.
1. Plan Ahead: Without a plan, you won’t know where you’re trying to go. You may have all the information in the world, are making the right food choices, increasing your exercise intensity, etc, but if you don’t plan your great intentions will go right out the window. Pack your meals ahead – take some time on Sunday, for example, and prepare some extra food for throughout the week. Pack this the night before work each day, so you’re never stuck without any options, forcing you to turn to the vending machine or fast food.

2. Learn to Grocery Shop: This one is right in line with planning ahead. Your weight loss efforts really start before you make any meals in your house. They start at the grocery store and if you don’t know what do look for, you’ll struggle when faced with the 50,000 products that fill grocery store shelves. Here is a simple step – stick to the perimeter of the store for 90% of your shopping. Outside of produce, grains, seafood, meat, poultry, and dairy, there’s nothing else you need at the grocery store in terms of food. And make a list before you go, and stick to it. It goes without say that you should not go grocery shopping when you are hungry – that’s a recipe for disaster!

3. Realize there is no magic bullet. Many folks become discouraged when beginning an exercise or weight loss program because they expect a magic bullet, or overnight success. But starting a simple exercise program or reading a “diet” book won’t cure a 30 year ice cream or soda addiction. Small steps each day mean big changes in the long run; nothing will happen overnight and it’s important to continually encourage yourself. Unhealthy habits weren’t created overnight and they won’t be changed overnight. You need to work towards improving your habits day after day.

4. Work with a friend(s) or spouse. Social support has been shown to improve the ability to lose and maintain weight loss. Use this to your advantage. Get a group of friends, family members, or co-workers together to get on a plan and work towards a goal. It’s much more likely that you make time for exercise if you know you are meeting other people; it is just another way to be held accountable. At the very least, get a friend to train with; this will help both of you when trying to push and break through to the next level.

5. Eat Breakfast! You’ve clearly heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? Well, if not…it’s true! Not only has research shown that those who eat breakfast regularly consume higher levels of many nutrients, but it has also shown time and time again that those who eat breakfast daily have lower body fat levels and body weights! And, get this, you’ll be more physically and mentally alert all day! Please don’t skip this important meal.

There are always going to be many barriers to changing eating and exercise behaviors and breaking through plateaus. Step out of your comfort zone and have a change of mindset. It’s very easy to stop at a fast food restaurant or order a pizza for dinner, instead of taking 10 or 20 minutes to prepare a healthy meal. The time to make a change is now!

Recipe--Pasta Puttanesca

Ingredients

• 8 ounces whole-wheat thin spaghetti, vermicelli or angel hair
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup pitted chopped Spanish or Greek olives
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1 teaspoon anchovy paste (we blended regular anchovies)
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, preferably "no salt added"
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh arugula (Western States don't have this, we excluded it)
  
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add pasta and cook according to the directions on the package.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium flame. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the parsley, olives, capers, anchovy paste, oregano and crushed red pepper to the skillet, and saute for 2 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in the arugula and simmer for 1 minute more, until the greens wilt slightly.

When the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the skillet, tossing it with the sauce to combine. Top with grated cheese.

This is 4 servings and there are 283 calories per serving and you can find it at:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/pasta-puttanesca-recipe/index.html

20 tips for permanent weight loss

These tips came for the Boeing Wellness Site. (Submitted by Terri)

Permanent weight loss can be a challenge. These 20 ideas can help.
Weight maintenance is much like weight loss. The principles are
essentially the same: Eat healthy foods, control your portion sizes and
exercise regularly. And to keep the pounds off permanently, you need to
incorporate the new, healthy behaviors into your routine so that they
become a natural part of your daily life.

Here are 20 ideas to reinforce your healthy lifestyle and to keep you
committed to permanent weight loss.

1. Exercise 30 to 60 minutes each day. If time is limited, exercise
for several brief periods throughout the day - for example, three
10-minute sessions rather than one 30-minute session.
2. Eat three healthy meals during the day, including a good
breakfast. Skipping meals causes increased hunger and may lead to
excessive snacking.
3. Focus on fruits and vegetables. Top off your morning cereal with
sliced strawberries or bananas. Stir berries or peaches in yogurt or
cottage cheese. Liven up your sandwiches with vegetables, such as
tomato, lettuce, onion, peppers and cucumber.
4. Weigh yourself regularly. Monitoring your weight can tell you
whether your efforts are working and can help you detect small weight
gains before they become even larger.
5. Don't keep comfort foods in the house. If you tend to eat
high-fat, high-calorie foods when you're upset or depressed or bored,
don't keep them around. Availability of food is one of the strongest
factors in determining how much a person eats.
6. Plan a family activity. Get the family together to go for a bike
ride, play disc golf or kick the ball around in the yard.
7. Eat healthy foods first. Eat foods that are healthy and low in
calories first so that when it comes time to enjoy your favorites -
sweets or junk food, for example - you won't be so hungry.
8. Pay attention to portions. Serve meals already dished onto
plates instead of placing serving bowls on the table. Take slightly less
than what you think you'll eat. You can always have seconds, if really
necessary.
9. Create opportunities to be active. Wash your car at home instead
of going to the car wash. Bike or walk to the store. Participate in your
kid's activities at the playground or park.
10. Sit down together for family meals. Avoid eating in front of the
television. TV viewing strongly affects how much and what people eat.
11. See what you eat. Eating directly from a container gives you no
sense of how much you're eating. Seeing food on a plate or in a bowl
keeps you aware of how much you're eating.
12. Vary your activities. Regularly change your activity routine to
avoid exercise burnout. Walk a couple of days, swim another and go for a
bike ride on the weekend. Seek out new activities - karate, ballroom
dancing, cross-country skiing, tennis or Pilates.
13. De-stress your day. Stress can cause you to eat more. Develop
strategies that can help you relax when you find yourself becoming
stressed. Exercise, deep breathing, muscle relaxation techniques and
even a good laugh can ease stress.
14. Eat at home. People eat more food in restaurants than at home.
Limit how often you eat at restaurants. If you do eat out, decide what
and how much you're going to eat before you start and have the rest
boxed to go.
15. Plan healthy snacks. The best snacks include fruits, vegetables,
whole grains and low-fat dairy products. Fruit smoothies, sliced fresh
fruit and yogurt, whole-grain crackers, and carrot and celery sticks
with peanut butter are all good choices.
16. Start your day with a high-fiber breakfast cereal, such as bran
flakes, shredded wheat or oatmeal. Opt for cereals with "bran" or
"fiber" in the name. Or add a few tablespoons of unprocessed wheat bran
to your favorite cereal.
17. Walk for 10 minutes over your lunch hour or get up a few minutes
earlier in the morning and go for a short walk.
18. Plan a week's worth of meals at a time. Make a detailed grocery
list to eliminate last-minute trips to the grocery store and impulse
buys.
19. Look for a distraction when you're fighting a craving. Call a
friend, put on music and dance or exercise, clean the house, pull weeds
in your garden, or run an errand. When your mind is occupied with
something else, the cravings quickly go away.
20. Reward yourself. Losing weight and keeping the pounds off is a
major accomplishment. Celebrate your success with nonfood rewards, such
as new clothes or an outing with friends.

Recipe--Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Stew

We made this yesterday and it was yummy and so easy. The only change I would make is to add a little more taco seasoning.

Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
1 16-oz can black beans
1 16-oz can kidney beans
1 16-oz can corn (drained)
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes w/chilies
1 1.25-oz packet taco seasoning
1-2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Directions
Mix everything together in a slow cooker except chicken. Lay chicken on top and cover. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. 30 minutes before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. This is good eaten with cheese, sour cream, or tortilla chips.

Number of Servings: 14

Recipe submitted by Terri Sims
Number of Servings: 14

If it is too spicy for you, substitute a can of diced tomatoes for one of the diced tomatoes w/chilies.
http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=188808

Recipe-Spinach-Rice Casserole

Time: 1-¼ hours to prepare, including baking
Servings: 4-6.

Before you begin: Prepare 4 cups cooked brown rice, a buttered casserole dish, and preheat oven to 350.

4 cups cooked brown rice
2 lbs raw, chopped spinach (I remove the stems)
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic (I usually double or triple the garlic)
3 Tbsp butter
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1-½ cups grated cheddar cheese (a little extra doesn’t hurt)
¼ cup shopped parsley
2 Tbsp tamari sauce
½ tsp salt (or more, to taste)
A few dashes of nutmeg
A few dashes of cayenne pepper
¼ cup sunflower seeds (I’ve used both raw and roasted & salted)
Paprika

1. Prepare the rice in advance. (I use Lundburg short grain organic brown rice).
2. Saute onions and garlic with salt in butter until the onions are soft.
3. Add spinach. Cook 2 minutes.
4. Combine all other ingredients except sunflower seeds and paprika.
5. Spread into buttered casserole and sprinkle sunflower seeds and paprika on top.
6. Bake, covered, 35 minutes at 350.

Sore Muscles Tip

This tip comes from Terri:

If you've been working out a bit too hard, or if you're just getting into exercise, you might have minor muscle soreness.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine offers these suggestions to help manage minor muscle pain:

* Allow your muscles to rest. Don't engage in any heavy exercise while they recover.
* Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen to ease pain.
* For the first few days, ice the area. After the first two to three days, apply heat to the sore muscles.
* As you recover, try low-impact exercises such as swimming, biking and walking. Gradually work your way up to longer and tougher exercises.
* Sleep, stretch and avoid stress.

Recipe--Berry Delicious Smoothie

INGREDIENTS
2 cups frozen mixed berries
1 cup strawberry flavored yogurt
1 banana, sliced
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon white sugar (optional)

DIRECTIONS
In the container of a blender, combine the mixed berries, strawberry yogurt, banana, milk and sugar. Cover, and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.

4 Servings 119 calories per serving and 1.6 g fat



Enjoy!

Successful Weight Loss

Ingredients for Success
By Paige Waehner, About.com
Updated: March 24, 2006

You already know how to lose weight...At it's simplest, you need to burn more calories than you eat, right? And exercising and eating healthy is the healthiest way to do that, right? But, successful weight loss doesn't start with your body--it starts with your mind.
As we've all discovered, the mind is a powerful thing--it can take you to success or failure, depending on your attitude. What you think about yourself can make the difference between reaching your goals and quitting before you even get close. So how do you get your mind right to make exercise and healthy eating a part of your life? Below are some key ingredients you can rely on to reach your goals.

Commitment
You already know you have to commit to being healthy, but what does that actually involve? It's more than just shouting from the roof tops "I'M COMMITTED TO BEING HEALTHY!" Being committed means you have to wake up every day and decide you're going to make healthy choices. Being committed is a choice and something you have to reinforce each day. So how do you do that? Use these tips to help you commit to your goals:
Plan and Prepare. The night before, plan your workout for the next day and get all your stuff (gym bag, clothes, etc.) ready to go. Decide what and when you'll eat and get your meals ready. Make it as easy as possible to follow through with your plans.
Motivate Yourself. Remind yourself throughout the day of your workout plans--send yourself a reminder or have a friend call and ask about your workout, so it's always in the front of your mind.
Hold Yourself Accountable. What will happen if you skip that workout? You need to have consequences so that missing your workout isn't an option--maybe you can't watch your favorite TV show until you exercise. On the other side, you can also reward yourself for working out--just make sure you don't reward yourself with food.
Remember Your Goals. As you're getting ready for the day, remember what your goals are. Weight loss? More energy? Whatever it is, that workout is an important step in reaching it. Remind yourself of the big picture--what you do today counts!

Discipline
Such an ugly word, I know, but discipline is a part of successful weight loss and just another way of saying self-control. Think of how you practice self-control in the other parts of your life. Each day you fulfill your obligations to work and family, even when you'd rather just lie in bed and sleep late. That takes discipline. The same can be true of exercise. Of course, it's easy to make yourself go to work because there are consequences if you don't--you won't make as much money or you could lose your job. But if you don't workout, the consequences aren't as immediate, are they? Try these ideas to get more disciplined with exercise:
Make Exercise a Habit. Part of being disciplined is creating a habit. You may not want to brush your teeth every night, but you do it anyway because you always do it right before bed...it's a habit. You can do the same thing with exercise by keeping your workouts on specific days and times each week (if you can). Knowing that every Monday at 6 a.m. will find you at the gym will make it that much easier to show up for your workouts.
Know the Consequences. You already know what happens if you don't brush your teeth--cavities, gum disease, painful dental experiences, etc. But what are the consequences of not exercising? Make a list of all the things that could happen to your body and mind without exercise such as weight gain, increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer, to name a few.
Get Some Help. One sure way to show up for your workout is to have someone waiting for you. One option is a personal trainer--someone who will hold you accountable for your workouts while educating you all at the same time. Another option is to get a workout buddy and have consquences if you don't show up. Having that support will make exercise more enjoyable AND keep you on track.
Make a Deal With Yourself. Don't feel like working out? Promise yourself you'll just do a warm up. If after 10 minutes you still don't want to workout, you can quit and go home. The majority of the time, you'll keep going...trust me.

Honesty
Being honest with yourself about what you'll really do is a tough one. Many people fail at weight loss because they set their sights too high, planning so many workouts and diet changes, it's impossible to follow. This is where a little self-awareness comes in and what that means is figuring out what you'll really do to reach your goals. Take some time to ask yourself some crucial questions before embarking on another failed journey. Ask yourself:
How much time will you really spend exercising? Forget the guidelines and decide what you'll actually do...then plan your workouts accordingly. If you're not going to spend an hour doing cardio, don't set that as a goal--set a goal you can reach!
Are you willing to do what it takes to reach your goals? If you want to lose weight, are you willing to change your eating habits? What if that means spending more time cooking and shopping? Preparing your meals in advance? Saying no those daily lunches out with co-workers? What if it means you have to keep track of what you're eating and work on your bad habits? Decide if you're really willing to commit to doing that every single day.
Can you accept failure? A big part of weight loss is falling off the wagon...and it WILL happen. It happens to all of us! What happens if you flub up one day and give into those pizza cravings? What if you eat that extra piece of pie? Are you willing to accept your slip-up and get back on track or will you just quit at the first mistake? Be honest with yourself about this one because willingness to persevere in these circumstances can mean the difference between success and failure.

Flexibility
Maybe this has happened to you: You start an exercise program--you're working out, eathing healthy and feeling great. Then, Something Happens--an injury, an illness, a mean boss heaping more work on you. Whatever it is, it throws you off and before you know it, you've completely stopped working out.
It's important to realize that these kinds of things will happen on a regular basis. Your job is to be prepared and, to do that, you have to be more flexible. You need to be willing to...:
Change your workouts when necessary. If you suddenly have to work late, decide you're still going to exercise...just in a different way. This might mean squeezing in some stair walking or short, brisk walks whenever you can. Decide you'll do something, even if it's just a quick walk.
Do shorter workouts. Many people quit exercise when they don't have time to do a full workout. Remember this: Something is always better than nothing. If you only have 10 minutes, use it! It might mean getting up early and lifting weights for 10 minutes before work. Stay committed, but give yourself permission to do what you have time for until things calm down. Try these 10-minute cardio ideas and don't forget strength training too.
Be creative. Yes, there are guidelines for exercise, but when time is short, stop worrying about the rules and do what you can. This might mean combining cardio and strength workouts, spreading out your workouts throughout the day or making your household chores a workout, if that's all you have time for. I have one client who runs around the ball field while she watches her son play baseball--now that's creative!

Consistency
Consistency is what comes from all that discipline, commitment, honesty and flexibility we've been talking about. Why? Because being consistent with your eating and exercise is the only way to reach your goals. Exercising heavily for 3 weeks and then quitting for a month isn't going to work. Your assignment?
Find a program that you can live with for the rest of your life. Do something you enjoy and that fits into your daily schedule.
Create, through trial and error, a workout routine that fits with your life, your goals and your needs.
Find a way of healthy eating that you can live with for the rest of your life. You already know that diets don't work--at least for the long-term.
Give yourself a little leeway to make mistakes and, above all, don't expect perfection. Be ready to screw up from time to time, acknowledge it and then use it to do better.
Don't be afraid to experiment. Try different workout activities and times. Try different ways of eating and preparing your food. Find what works for you!
In the end, losing weight requires you to draw on all of your strengths while acknowledging your weaknesses--not an easy thing to do. The good news is, you have many resources to rely on, most of them readily available right there in your own mind. And it helps to have some outside motivation as well. Don't forget to reward yourself for your successes and don't be afraid to count on yourself...you know what to do.

Recipe--Grilled Orange Chicken Fingers

Ingredients
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons frozen orange-juice concentrate, thawed
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Salt to taste

Directions
Cut chicken crosswise into 3/4-inch-wide strips. Whisk together mustard, orange-juice concentrate, honey, sesame oil and pepper in a medium bowl until smooth. Add the chicken and toss to combine. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat grill or broiler. Lightly oil rack or coat with nonstick cooking spray. Remove the chicken strips from the marinade, discarding remaining marinade. Grill or broil until no longer pink in the center, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Season with salt and serve.

Makes 4 servings and 174 calories per serving

10 Healthy Foods That Will Make You Fat

This tip comes from Maggie:

This month, C. W. Randolph Jr., M.D., Diet.com expert and co-author of From Belly Fat to Belly Flat, writes about common misconceptions about diet-friendly foods.

Most dieters mistake the following food choices as great to eat while dieting. Unfortunately, they are loaded with fats, preservatives and hidden calories... all big saboteurs of a slimmer belly, thighs or rear.
1. Diet soda
Soda is never good for you, but diet sodas create more insulin in your body, which means more sugar. Diet soda also inhibits the hormone leptin, which regulates your metabolism and appetite. Try a glass of water with your meal instead.
2. Pretzels
You may think they're better than potato chips, but they're made with enriched white flour and loaded with carbohydrates, a big diet no-no.
3. Fruit juices
These can contain high amounts of sugar. And depending on the brand, some may only have 5 percent natural fruit juice. Eat your fruits rather than drink them. Two servings of citrus a day provides your body with D-Limonene, which has been shown to promote the detoxification of estrogen.
4. Salad kits
Salad dressings can add hundreds of calories and more fat than you need to consume in one day. Lighter varieties are better.
5. Reduced-fat peanut butter
A reduced-fat version seems like a great idea, but the fat that is removed is replaced with fillers, with no reduction in calories. Using a bit less of the full-fat version is the healthiest choice.
6. Poultry hot dogs
All hot dogs include skin and fat, even those made from poultry. Try a low-fat or fat-free dog as a lower-calorie alternative for your cookouts.
7. Cereal bars
You can find plenty of cereal bars that are low in fat and calories, but you have to look. Many are high in sugar and saturated fat. Make sure to read the labels to avoid starting your morning with an addition to your belly!
8. Frozen yogurt
Frozen yogurt contains added sugar, which translates to extra calories. Look for the low-fat labels and indulge sparingly.
9. Rice cakes
These crispy treats can cause your blood sugar to spike, which in turn causes your body to store unwanted fat by slowing down its ability to burn it off. And beware of flavored rice cakes: They're loaded with sodium.
10. Granola
All those wonderful healthy things added together must be good for you, right? Wrong. Granola contains about 350 calories and 12 grams of fat per 3/4 cup — plus a ton of sugar. Low-fat or low-sugar granolas make for a better snack.
C.W. Randolph, Jr., M.D. and Genie James, M.M.Sc., are co-authors of From Belly Fat to Belly Flat and co-founders of The Natural Hormone Institute of America.

Calorie-Cutting Tactics by Readers Digest

Starvation and deprivation diets simply don't work. Instead, the little things are what matter. Here are seven ideas to get you started:

1. Eat breakfast.

A study published in the February 2002 journal Obesity Research found that eating breakfast was a key behavior among people who averaged a 60-pound weight loss and kept it off an average of six years. Participants told researchers that skipping breakfast made them so hungry that they overate during other meals and snacked on unhealthy, high-calorie foods.

2.Measure that cereal.

The average serving of cereal is 1 cup. Yet most adults pour out at least twice that.

3. Scoop and save.

Every now and then someone comes up with such a cool kitchen utensil that you just have to rush right out and buy it. That's the Lê Scoop. Its function: to scoop out the inside dough from a bagel, leaving you with the outer crust (and, of course, less fat and fewer calories). Fill the inside with nonfat cottage cheese sprinkled with ground flaxseeds for an easy, low-fat, low-calorie breakfast.

4.Buy the smaller size.

The larger the portion in front of you, the more you'll eat. It's a proven fact. When researchers sent 79 parents home with a video and either 1- or 2-pound bags of M&Ms along with either a medium or jumbo size tub of popcorn for each family member, they ate more M&M's from the 2-pound bag than the 1-pound bag, and about half a tub of popcorn, regardless of the tub size.

5. Make smart switches.
See how much you can save by switching from high-fat, high-calorie indulgences to lower-fat, lower-calorie options. Just by making the following substitutions, you could lose 25 pounds a year:

Instead of eating this once a week	Try this once a week	Calorie savings
Large fries	1-ounce snack-size bag of potato chips	383 calories a week, or 5.7 pounds a year
Fried chicken breast	Roasted chicken breast and wing and thigh without skin	243 calories a week, or 3.6 pounds a year
Burger	Veggie burger	216 calories a week, or 3.2 pounds a year
Three slices bacon	Two slices deli-style ham and two eggs and egg substitute	199 calories a week, or 3 pounds a year
Chocolate ice cream	Nonfat fudgsicle bar	240 calories a week, (1 cup) or 3.6 pounds a year
Pasta carbonara	Pasta with tomato sauce (1 cup)	246 calories a week, or 3.7 pounds a year
One slice cheesecake	One slice angel food cake with strawberry topping	130 calories a week, or 1.9 pounds a year

6. Skip the soda.
If you drink non-diet soda, you can cut 160 calories (per 16 ounces) out of your day just by switching to diet soda. Better yet, drink green tea or water flavored with a squeeze of lemon or lime.

7. Start with soup.

Studies show that people who start a meal with soup--especially broth-based soup--end up eating fewer calories by the end of the day without feeling hungrier.