6. Eat half your dessert. Share a piece of cake with your sweetie. Order the smallest serving you see in the display. Do not add syrup or whipped cream to your apple pie. Save at least 200 calories.

7. Switch to diet soda. If you drink two cans of regular soda a day, switching to diet will save you over 350 calories.

8. Work around the house. Vacuum every room. Do yard work. Dust above the refrigerator and any other high and difficult places you can think of. You burn about 150 calories for an hour of preparing dinner and over 300 calories for mopping up after the dinner guests leave.

9. Take up gardening. Plant vegetables to enjoy fresh salads or flowers to beautify your backyard. Grow herbs and use them to spice up homemade low-fat marinades and soups. Gardening burns over 300 calories an hour.

10. Change your china. Most people tend to finish the food on their plates, whatever the amount. Trick your mind by using dessert plates instead of jumbo ones and you will be eating up to 30 percent less food than usual. Depending on the food (salad or French fries?), you can save from 50 to 250 calories.

11. Walk. Walk to work, walk instead of driving, walk laps around the mall, walk during lunch hour, get off the bus one stop earlier and walk, adopt a dog from the local shelter and walk him or her twice a day. Aim for at least 12,000 steps a day. Walking briskly burns about 300 calories an hour.

12. Avoid late night snacking. If you stay up late and need to refuel, snack on crackers and peanut butter, a cup of light popcorn, or a small yogurt. If you find yourself eating large quantities of food at night, review your food diary.

13. Choose fat-free milk over whole milk. Dairy products are a source of cholesterol, artery-clogging fat. Lower the consumption of dairy in general, but especially full-fat products. By switching to skim milk, you save 100 calories a glass.