Easy Ways to Lose 10 Pounds This Year

Painless nutrition tips and simple exercise tweaks can pay off -- big-time -- over the course of one year! Just the thought of dropping a few pounds sends most dieters running right to the refrigerator, and anyone who's ever tried to seriously lose weight knows it takes work. But it may not require as much as you think. According to the American Dietetic Association, trimming only 100 calories per day equals about 10 pounds a year! Plus, winning the battle of the bulge isn't exactly rocket science. We've calculated how much an average 140-pound woman can lose by making tiny, painless changes over the course of a year. Our surefire diet and exercise plan won't exhaust your body, your wallet or your time-crunched schedule. All you have to do is commit to making small alterations along the way. Read our list below for 10 super-simple ways to lose weight

Binge-proof your day.
Studies show that regular breakfast eaters lose weight faster and with less effort than people who skip an AM meal. Why? Healthy morning calories stave off sweet cravings later on, they supply you with mental and physical energy for a busy workday, plus they may increase your resting metabolism by 10 percent. (That means you'll burn more calories throughout your morning and afternoon, too.)

Don't eat dessert for breakfast.
Skip the Sunday morning chocolate chip pancakes at the local diner and opt for healthier protein-rich fare instead. If you simply choose a ham, cheese and broccoli omelet instead of your typical French toast with maple syrup, you'll slash 200 calories. At home, prepare healthier options packed with a little lean protein such as whole-wheat toast with low-fat peanut butter and OJ.

Fire the gardener.
Only 50 minutes of gardening a week can blast about 400 calories, nearly as much as a power walk or a bicycle ride. Here's the best part: You can slice your gardening sessions into four separate 12- or 13-minute segments throughout the week or go full-throttle in one longer session of watering, weeding, digging and planting. It barely feels like exercise so the whole family can join in.

Keep eating!
Depriving your body of fuel by skipping meals is a surefire way to slow your metabolism, the rate at which you burn calories. Food stimulates energy metabolism needed for digestion, so when you don't eat for more than a few hours, it signals the body that there's no food available, so muscles and organs begin conserving stores of carbohydrate and fat by severely slowing your calorie burn. Skipping meals sets you up to overeat at your next meal, too.

Channel your journal.
Write notes to track our own diet progress and fitness motivation. "Think of it as a bank account for food and fitness," says registered dietitian Gail Frank, professor of nutrition at California State University in Long Beach, CA. "Jot down fat intake and describe exercise sessions in a notebook because the details help you monitor positive behavior, like which exercise is most enjoyable or which foods trigger cravings," she says. "Then leave yourself inspiring post-it notes on your computer and your refrigerator."

Watch creamy calories.
Fancy coffee concoctions may contain as many calories as a regular lunch. A 16-ounce Starbucks Caffè Mocha with whole milk, for instance, packs about 400 calories -- the same number as in a grilled-chicken sandwich -- plus it has over 20 grams of fat and 30 grams of useless sugar. If a regular cup of java bores you, slim down any latte by going icy with skim milk, or sip tea!

Kick it up a notch.
The next time you run, swim, or walk, ramp up the intensity for 30-second intervals, returning to your normal speed afterward. "Using this up-down strategy will help you consume more oxygen and work harder to burn more energy -- and more calories during workouts," said Dr. Mark Hyman, author of Ultrametabolism: The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss. By going super-hard for 30 seconds and then returning to a regular intensity for 30 seconds, you may double the calories burned during aerobic exercise.

Bag the bubbly!
Skip two glasses of cheap champagne on special occasions and serve yourself carbonated water with a berry tossed in, and imbibe from a fancy champagne flute. It's festive-looking and saves you about 150 sugary calories a week...a great way to jumpstart new holiday resolutions!

Snooze to lose.
Studies show that sleepers who get at least eight hours of sleep per night are less likely to raid the refrigerator. Insufficient shut-eye also appears to increase production of the stress hormone cortisol, which regulates appetite. High levels seem to worsen bingeing and hunger; moreover, too little sleep could keep your body from burning carbohydrates, which translates to more stored body fat.

Use fish to stir-fry.
Cook with four ounces of salmon or white meat turkey instead of a fatty cut of beef or pork, and you can actually cut 200-plus calories from every Asian-inspired entrée. Also, use fiber-rich brown rice over fried rice every time to save another 50 calories or so per serving!

Fitness expert Nicole Dorsey Straff is a Los Angeles-based exercise physiologist and author, and frequently writes about diet, health and wellness.