What Do You Have to Lose? An 8-Step Weight-Loss Plan

Promote Social Change

Happy hour, girls' night out, office goodies...food is a big part of our social lives. To stay on track, prep your peeps for the switches you're about to make.

• "Have a serious heart-to-heart with friends and family before you start, and be specific about what you need," says Tara Gidus, RD, a nutritionist in Orlando and a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. "For example, tell them not to give you chocolates as gifts." At work, ask colleagues to designate an out-of-the way place for candy, cookies, and other tempting treats, rather than putting them in areas you can't avoid.
• "Mix up the way you have fun," says Bonnie Taub-Dix, RD, a nutritionist in New York City and an ADA spokesperson. Instead of Friday-night happy hour, take a tennis lesson with your pals.
• Be smarter about eating out. Dinner at your favorite restaurant? Go for it! But choose your food carefully. "Split an entree, or order an appetizer and a salad as your meal," says Taub-Dix.