So what's your diet secret?

instead of reaching for the cany bar, sweets etc I try to eat sweet fruit instead: strawberries, blue berries, black berries, bananas, braeburn apples. A lot less calories and a lot better for you!

When I'm really craving a sugar hit in the evenings I make a cup of fruity tea with truvia. Sometimes, if I have the extra calories, I put a little real sugar in it--a tsp., no more. It seems to satisfy that sweet craving.

Chewing each bite for 30 seconds. It's amazing how even the smallest thing fills you up so much more.

I've got a sweet tooth and if I try to deny it, it will end badly.

When I get a craving (that nothing else is going to satisfy), I break out the dark chocolate chips. I eat one at a time to make them last, I'm getting the craving fix I need, and dark chocolate is good for you!

flavored vinegars work very well for dressings - I have Acai, Blueberry, Balsamic, and garlic. These add little to no calories as well! I also am cheap - so this works for me - I buy a small amount of expensive chocolate, and when I have a craving, I have to convince myself I really have the craving before having a small piece - it keeps me honest, and I can still fill that craving once in a while with something high quality.

Sometimes I give myself a week or two to maintain so I don't get all stressed out about an inevitable plateau.

So periodically we all hear about little tricks and tidbits on ways to cut calories, fat, or both from our diets. I am dying to hear what other people have in their secret arsenal of diet tips.

One of my favorites is to replace salad dressing with salsa. Tastes great, and is very low cal. A quarter cup of Salsa has as many calories as a tablespoon of most regular salad dressings. It's usually fat free and depending on how much you have counts as a serving of veggies.

Put your favorite dietary tip in your response.

I'd love to see some of the ideas!

wow that's a great idea! i love salsa.

The other night I mixed fat free greek yogurt with a little low fat buttermilk and ranch dressing seasoning... was not disappointed!

I actually dip my fork into salad dressing rather than spread it all over. But the salsa sounds awesome! I'll have to give that a shot

The biggest thing I have learned in the four weeks since I started, was to have plenty of healthy foods ready to eat. That means having a few baked, sweet and regular potatoes in the fridge, ready to go in the microwave, plus lots of fruits and veggies. Also quick cooking oatmeal and unsweetened almond milk are great for a quick snack and filling the void. The other biggest thing was that prior to joining MFP, I had no clue as to how many calories were in certain foods (per volume), and how few calories in others. Education is really the "secret" weapon. Also, I truly believe that there is something to artificial sweetners slowing down the weight loss process. No more Equal.

I like to blend fruit in with my chocolate protein shakes in the blender, it makes them taste more like a smoothie and treat. Sometime I put a little Greek yogurt in to make it more creamy like a shake.

I quit drinking alcohol and saved around 800 calories a day. Also quit visiting the snack machine and bring a bag of apples, oranges, bananas, and grapefruits to work every day.

When I get the 3:00 sugar/choco craving ... I blend up 2 Tbsp of vanilla lowfat yogurt, 1/2 c of coffee and a tsp of hershey syrup with ice. Makes an 8 oz cup that stops the craving, fills me up, and gets me through to dinner without reaching for the kids' after school snacks.

LOVE this topic!

wow! this sounds great...will def have to give this a try...thanks!

I'm an ice cream addict. So I got thse all natural fruit bars that I eat instead. There isn't any fat in them and all it is is frozen fruit on a stick, but it's like I'm eating an ice cream bar.