Get some “you” time
Carve out some quality time for yourself every day and do an activity that you enjoy. Be sure to schedule this time like you would a meeting, and follow through with it. It’ll boost your self-confidence and get you off the couch.

Be tricky
“Learn a new bedroom trick,” suggests Susan Crain Bakos, author of Make Over Your Sex Life…Tonight! (New American Library, 2005). “And do it well.” Just 30 minutes of sex can burn up to 150 calories.

Move it! Move it!
One hour of exercise a day is the key to getting rid of your excess weight. And along with losing that extra flab, the endorphin release you’ll get is one of the most natural and effective ways to enhance your mood.

Got gum?
Oxygen reader Natalie Greenberg suggests brushing your teeth or chewing on gum when you’re craving a mid-day snack. “The minty taste always curtails my appetite. I also chew gum while I’m cooking, so I won’t munch in the kitchen,” she says.

Learn from your mistakes
If you’ve cheated with too many treats in one day, say French fries with lunch or a tub of ice cream after a break-up, notice how gross you feel the next morning and change those nasty habits.

Shake it baby
“When you want a cookie, shake your head ‘No’ 100 times,” says Ahava Spillman, a motivational speaker based in Toronto, Ontario. “If you’re tempted to eat something even more delectable, like a piece of cheesecake, jump up and down 50 times instead. Not only will you burn calories doing the activity, you’ll also convince yourself to stay away from those fatty foods.”

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