Say no to gum
“It causes you to swallow air,” Dr. Coyle explains. Sugar­less gum has sorbitol, a sugar substitute that your gut bacteria turns into gas, giving you a pooch.

Drink tea
Peppermint tea (warm or iced) may ease the upset stomach that makes you look bloated.

Skip salty foods
They cause you to retain water, so you look bigger than you actually are.

Bring in good bugs
Take a probiotic (such as acidophilus) or eat yogurt with live cultures to boost the good bacteria in your digestive tract that keep you regular—and keep a puffy stomach at bay.

 dieting, health magazine june 2008, Weight Loss,Ban bubbly drinks,Say no to gum,Drink tea,Skip salty foods,Bring in good bugs

You’ve been on the plan for a month, now it’s time to step up your exercise. Try these two ramp-it-up moves—from Feel Great Weight dream team member Geralyn Coopersmith.

Add in Superwoman
Superwoman works the back (pictured above).

This move will balance the back muscles that work with the ab muscles targeted by the Diagonal Crunches, further strengthening your core.

Here’s how to do it: Lie face down on a mat with your arms straight overhead. Exhale and lift your right leg and left arm several inches off the floor. Pause for a second, inhale, then lower down. Repeat using your left leg and right arm; continue alternating for a total of 20 reps (10 per side). Do 2-3 sets.

Replace Step-Up with Crane Lunge
This move works the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves.

Now that you have mastered the Step-Up, you’re ready to advance to the Crane Lunge. Not only does it challenge your balance, but it also provides a great workout for the same muscle groups with absolutely no equipment needed, since your body provides the resistance.

Here’s how to do it: Begin in lunge position with your left foot in front and right foot in back (don’t let your left knee go over your toes). Exhale, straighten your left leg, and bring your right knee forward and up as high as you can while maintaining a straight back. Inhale and return to the starting position. Do 10-12 reps, then switch sides and repeat. Do 1-2 sets.

Her biggest challenge: “I love going for drinks with my husband and friends, but cocktails are so fattening. Can I keep this ritual and stick to my plan?”

The fix: “Before heading out, stand in front of a full-length mirror and list aloud the reasons you want to lose weight,” says motivation expert Judith Beck. Next, make a game plan. (Nurse one Cosmo, say, then follow it up with seltzer and lemon.) “With a plan, you can relax and have fun,” Beck adds. Need extra motivation? Think about how you’ll feel if you stick to your plan, versus how you’ll feel if the effects of your partying show up on the scale the next day.

Miracle Cures 4 Big Health Whoppers

Most of us want to believe in “miracle” cures. But if it sounds too good to be true, it is.

Weight-loss formulas
The National Institutes of Health warns against taking any drug combos sold without U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, including herbal mixes that promise big results. “The problem is that many contain stimulants and may be dangerous for people with underlying heart disease, high blood pressure, and other chronic illnesses they may not be aware of,” says Marc Siegel, MD, a New York City physician and author of False Alarm: The Truth About the Epidemic of Fear. “And you may not know how much stimulant you’re getting.” It’s far better to ask your doctor about FDA-approved appetite suppressants or, best of all, exercise and watch what you eat.

Arthritis fixes
Copper bracelets, shark cartilage, honey-and-vinegar mixtures, magnets. If only they would cure arthritis. But it just isn’t so, Siegel says. In fact, copper can cause an allergic reaction. Although there’s no cure for arthritis, rest, exercise, heat, and drugs recommended by your doctor can help.

Colon cleansers
Colonics have been hawked as everything from a toxin remover to a cancer cure. But they only do what your intestinal system does already. Enemas, laxatives, or passing a rubber tube through your rectum and pumping water in and out can be expensive and dangerous. “There’s no evidence that colon cleansing is necessary,” Siegel says. And experts say long-term cleansing can cause anemia, malnutrition, infection, intestinal damage, and even heart failure.

Alzheimer’s cures
Removing silver fillings, zapping your brain with electricity, or taking smart pills won’t keep your memory intact, says Stephen Barrett, MD, a retired psychiatrist who operates www.quackwatch.org. “Reputable drugs for slowing memory loss are only in their infancy. If brain tissue is dead, you can’t revive it with something in a bottle.”