Exercise physiologist and certified personal trainer Bob Greene has helped millions of people slim down, most recently with his online program TheBestLife.com. The best-selling author shares the sure-fire strategies for losing weight, protecting your health and living your best life.

Why wait until the spring to start cleaning? Get a jump on it now and you might boost your odds of weight-loss success. Creating a healthy kitchen -- one that eliminates (or at least limits) the temptations, and encourages good-for-you choices -- will get you to your goal weight much quicker. Check out my six-step plan to make your kitchen a healthy-eating zone.

Empty the refrigerator. Remove everything from your fridge and toss any food that's expired or unrecognizable. Then, restock it, putting healthy food, like low-fat yogurt and veggies, where it can be seen and grabbed easily -- at eye level. (By the way, supermarkets use this trick in reverse: They stock high-calorie, high-fat foods right in your line of sight with the nutritious stuff above and below.)

Clear out cabinets. Get rid of most junk food, including chips, cookies and crackers. (You can keep one or two of your favorite treats -- a small daily splurge helps ward off feelings of deprivation.) In their place, load up on canned veggies, beans, broth-based soups (one of my favorite foods!), tuna fish and brown rice -- healthy staples you can easily build a complete meal around.

Hide treats. Remember the one or two treats you were allowed to hang onto? Be sure to stash them in the cabinet instead of leaving them on the counter in plain sight to reduce the temptation to nibble!