Want to lose weight, but find it hard to stick to a diet? Or is it that there are so many different diets with conflicting advice that you just don't know what to, or not to, eat anymore? For someone who can't afford the sometimes pricey Mediterranean Diet, or cringes at the thought of a carb starvation diet, here are ten quick tips using general knowledge to help you shed weight, even if you can not hold to a regimented diet.



1) If you drink a lot of soda, stop! For many people who drink soda, switching to water alone may be enough to lose up to twenty or more pounds in a year. The average can of soda contains 150 calories. Even if you stop drinking one a day, that's 54,750 calories in a year. That's 15 ? pounds of calories, not to mention sugar, or the fact that the carbonated water makes your body keep on water weight. Dump the soda.

2) Drink lots of water. Aside from reducing liquid calories (which for some people make up 1/3, or even ? of their calories in a day), drinking five glasses of cold water in a day burns about 50 calories. It's not much, but it is about 5 lbs in a year. If you switch from one or two pops a day to five glasses of water, you are actually making over a twenty pound shift in one year! It's just that easy.

3) Walk. Walking is one of the best ways of burning calories and moving up your metabolism. Walking is low impact, and fifteen to forty-five minutes a day not only burns some extra calories, but it simply makes you feel better!

4) Replace "bad fats" with "good fats." Bad fats are especially found in junk food, processed foods, and red meat. Good fats are found in nuts, fish, and olive oil. While you do not want to go to a high fat diet, the fats found in nuts, fish, and oil tend to fight the bad fat and bad cholesterol, and generally contain less calories than beef, for example. Lighter meats are generally better than dark.

5) Use the stairs. Everyone likes an elevator, but a few flights of stairs can be muscle exercise and aerobic exercise all at the same time. Since more muscle equals a higher metabolism, walking stairs can have benefits well after you finish.

6) Fruits and Veggies. Fruits and vegetables are the best because they contain vitamins, have very low amounts of calories, but also fill you up. A steak fills you up, so does a large dish of broccoli, cauliflower, or musk melon. Care to guess which one puts on less weight? They also are pretty much non-existent fat wise, another added bonus.

7) Don't eat before bed time. This food is less likely to fully digest, meaning it goes straight into fat storage.

8) If possible, take a long leisurely walk right before, or right after, a meal. This is a good practice, and is most effective in burning the calories as you eat them, or right after. This will give your leisurely exercise maximum effect.

9) Drink Green Tea. Other than ice water, there is no better drink. Green tea is full of anti oxidants, it helps your organs run more efficiently, and your body requires calories to burn it. For those people getting off the soda, this can also ease caffeine headaches and other withdrawals.

10) Eat slowly. Many people grab seconds after wolfing down a first plate. If you are used to taking two or more plates and you eat slowly, you may be surprised after half an hour to realize that you aren't quite done, but you're already full!