weight loss

If you're trying to lose weight, don't let your midday meal sabotage your best intentions. Guilty of any of these mistakes? It may be time for a lunch makeover.

1. You eat out all the time: Sure, you can find healthy options at many places, even fast food restaurants, but if you're trying to take control of what's in your food, bringing lunch you've made yourself is the healthiest option. Save time and make a few extra servings of dinner; these healthy recipes make great lunch leftovers!
2. You always wash it down with juice or soda: There's nothing wrong with an occasional treat, but if your lunch seems incomplete without popping a can of soda to accompany it, you could be adding thousands of unwanted calories to your diet in a month. Diet soda can also lead to an expanded waistline, so wean yourself off juice and soda and opt for water or tea instead.
3. You don't think about nutrition: It can be easy to opt for what's fastest or cheapest when you're ordering lunch, but that midday meal should help you hit your nutritional requirements in order to keep you energized throughout the day, especially if you've got a workout on your calendar. Instead of eating yet another greasy, carby lunch, think about your recommended daily intake of important vitamins and minerals; this RDI chart will help you make healthier choices at any meal.
4. You don't eat enough: You may think that choosing a 90-calorie soup over a fast-food stop is the healthiest choice, but you've also got to make sure your meal keeps you full throughout the afternoon in order to dissuade those afternoon junk food munchies. Choose healthy lunch options that have good amounts of protein and fiber to help keep you full; if you find yourself heading to the vending machine for an afternoon snack, get in the habit of keeping healthy snacks like fruit or any of these healthy store-bought snacks at your desk when cravings strike.
5. You eat mindlessly: Let's face it, we can't always step away from our desks to enjoy lunch, but wolfing down your lunch in front of your computer can make you feel hungry soon after. Help your brain register that you're full by eating slowly and if possible take at least 15 minutes away from your desk to eat.

Gently pull off the lid of a yogurt and add a topping, and you've got yourself an easy healthy breakfast. The protein in yogurt helps sustain energy throughout the morning, but if you're not careful that good-for-you bowl can turn out to be bad for your waistline. Here are some ways to save calories on this popular breakfast.

• Be a plain Jane: Flavored yogurts seem healthy since they're made with real fruit, but many also contain added sugar. Choosing plain yogurt will save you 30 calories (and at least 10 grams of sugar). It might take a little time to get used to the tangy flavor, but soon enough flavored yogurts will seem too sweet. Another tip: Greek yogurt won't necessarily save you calories, but it does offer more protein, which can help ward off mindless snacking later.
• Skip the sweeteners: Although natural, maple syrup and honey add about 65 calories per tablespoon.
• Go fresh: Always choose fresh fruit instead of dried varieties. One cup of fresh blueberries is 84 calories and 3.6 grams of fiber, while a quarter-cup of raisins is 123 calories and just 1.5 grams of fiber.
• Go nuts: Nuts increase the fiber and protein, but choose wisely. Raw cashews and pistachios have slightly fewer calories and fat than almonds, walnuts, or peanuts.
• Cereal swap: Granola and yogurt go together like PB&J, but if you read the label of your favorite bag you'll see a small serving is high in both calories and fat, and doesn't offer a ton of fiber. Instead of topping your yogurt with those sweetened oats, opt for one of these high-fiber cereals.
• Measure: Buying yogurt in large tubs will save you money, but if you just eyeball a six-ounce serving, chances are you'll end up with more. Grab the measuring cups to help you spoon out appropriate serving sizes of yogurt, and all your add-ons including fresh fruit, nuts, and cereal. Use a smaller bowl instead of a larger one to prevent you from adding a little extra to fill the space.

Learn from our friends at Shape the trick to finally shed that stubborn belly fat and boost energy

If you seem to have more than an inch to pinch on your waist no matter what you eat or whether you focus on intervals or weight training, the problem may not be your stomach but another organ.

You probably don't give much thought to your liver (except maybe when you contemplate that third vodka soda), but its health is key to your overall health and weight. Your liver is the ultimate multitasker: It acts as a filter to remove toxins (like medications and alcohol) and nutrient byproducts such as ammonia from the blood; it aids in digestion by producing bile to help break down fat and absorb fat- and water-soluble vitamins and minerals; and it plays a part in regulating glucose, blood pressure, blood sugar, insulin, estrogen, testosterone, immunity, and blood cholesterol production and removal. And you thought you had a long to-do list!

Because of all of this activity, your liver may be in need of a little TLC. When it's overworked, toxic residues can build up, causing inflammation that is associated with obesity. A stressed out liver can also cause fat to build up, especially around the belly. Added together, this can mean that no matter how much you restrict calories, weight loss is near impossible — unless you detox your liver.

Before you jump to start a crazy cleanse, check if you have other symptoms of liver problems, such as fatigue, insomnia, brain fog, rashes or acne, digestive troubles (constipation, acid reflux, indigestion, bloating), high cholesterol, and blood sugar and insulin imbalances, which can lead to low energy, cravings, and excessive thirst and urination.

If you think your liver may be amiss, ask your doctor for a liver function test, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) test, or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) test, or request CAT or MRI scan to get a picture of your liver.

Learn how you can detox your liver after the break!

Once you start snacking, it's hard not to stop — you can't just eat one! Not a good thing if you're trying to lose or maintain your weight since mindless munching can add up to hundreds of extra calories a week. Here are some ways to break bad snacking habits.

• Measure and be done: Eating directly out of the package almost always means eating your way to an empty bag. Read the label to find out what a serving size is, measure it out, close up the package, and take your snack elsewhere to eat.
• Steer clear of the M&M's bowl: If your co-workers keep candy on their desks and you can't help but grab a handful every time you stop by, opt for IM or email when you need to talk.
• Keep food out of sight: Just seeing food can be a temptation, so be sure to keep snacks and baked goods off your desk and kitchen counters (unless it's fruit of course!).
• Grab that bottle: Thirst is often confused for hunger; taking sips of water when you feel a snacking urge coming on can help, and the water will also fill your belly.
• Freshen your breath: Minty breath might make you think twice about reaching for a snack. Brush your teeth or chew minty gum after meals to prevent eating more when you're not even hungry.
• Don't eat just because someone else is: You head over to a friend's house and she is noshing on a bowl of popcorn. Before grabbing a handful think to yourself, "Am I actually hungry?" If the answer is no, ask for a glass of water to sip on instead.

Keep reading for more ways to prevent mindless snacking.

If you're craving a cool, refreshing sweet treat and thinking of heading to your local Starbucks for a creamy drink, then consider your choices first. These stats will help shave calories off your order.

Caramel

Mocha

Keep reading for more lower-calorie options at Starbucks.

Summertime is vacation time! If you're heading to the airport anytime soon, then along with your bikini and flip-flops, be sure to pack some snacks. Since airport food is notoriously pricey and unhealthy, bringing food along will save you money and unwanted calories.

Eating before and during your flight will maintain your metabolism and can help prevent the dizziness and headaches sometimes associated with flying. Snacking will also keep your energy levels up (and your crankiness levels down) so you won't have to dose up on caffeine, which tends to make jet-lag symptoms worse.

Grab some Ziploc baggies and make these 100-calorie snack packs prior to boarding the plane:

• One Horizon organic mozzarella cheese stick: 80 calories
• Three cups of air-popped popcorn: 93 calories
• One Lundberg Organic Brown Rice Cake (70) smeared with one tablespoon of hummus 23): 93 calories
• Two large red bell peppers cut in strips: 85 calories
• Eight Food Should Taste Good Sweet Potato Chips: 93 calories
• One date (66) paired with five almonds (35): 101 calories
• 28 baby carrots: 98 calories
• 2/3 of a Barbara's Blueberry Multigrain Cereal Bar: 90 calories
• One medium pear, washed and sliced: 103 calories
• 17 unsalted peanuts: 99 calories
• One small banana: 89 calories
• Five Triscuits: 100 calories
• Half an Odwalla Sweet & Salty Peanut bar cut up into bit-size squares: 95 calories

What kind of snacks do you bring when you fly?

You've been eating right and exercising for a while, but that stubborn belly fat just won't budge! Along with including these foods that fight fat in your diet, here are some ways to burn that pooch away while you are out on a run.

1. Switch up your pace: Intervals are proven to reduce belly fat and rev up metabolism; instead of running at the same pace for the entire workout, try alternating between periods of pushing your body to the max and periods of recovery.
2. Go a little longer: Unfortunately you can't spot treat when it comes to weight loss, which is one reason why solely doing crunches won't whittle your waistline. The key is to decrease overall body fat, and the one way to do that is to burn calories. Lengthening your workout will do just that. Every five minutes of running at a 10-minute-per-mile pace burns about 45 calories. Think about that on your next run, and it'll motivate you to keep going!
3. High knees: You're working hard to diminish your overall body weight, which will slim down your belly, so you can reveal toned abs underneath. Here's one way to strengthen your core. Do one-minute intervals in which you run with high knees. Concentrate on using your abs rather than your leg muscles to kick your knees up as high as you can.
4. Try this killer treadmill move: Here's another core killer if you're using a treadmill. Set the pace to 1.0 mph. Place your feet on a Plyo Box that's set up about two feet behind the back of the treadmill. Come into plank position with your hands straddling the treadmill belt. Step your hands on the belt and start walking, keeping your torso in one straight line. Do this for one minute, pulling your belly in toward your spine. Watch the above shredmill move in action here!

The kitchen is the heart of the home, but it's also the place that can make or break you on the weight loss front. If you're on a quest to slim down, do these nine things in your kitchen.

1. Make fruits as accessible as a bag of chips: Wash, cut up, and store fruits such as grapes, melon, kiwi, pineapple, and apples in reusable containers in the fridge so they're easy to grab. Make sure they're right up front at eye level so they're the first thing you see when you open the fridge door.
2. Prepare a big container of salad: Having a salad before dinner is a great way to fill you up so you eat less of the main course, but preparing a salad every night takes so much time that it's tempting to skip out. Ensure you get a bowl of greens every night by making an enormous bowl of salad at the beginning of the week. You're sure to eat a salad with dinner if it's already made — just scoop out a bowl, top with vinaigrette, and enjoy.
3. Have measuring cups and spoons on the counter: Measuring your food will keep portions in check since overestimating serving sizes is a huge reason people don't lose weight. Seeing measuring spoons and cups on your kitchen counter will be a visual reminder not to forget to use them.

Keep reading to find out other ways your kitchen can help you lose weight.