In a pinch to take off pounds in the summer? Experts will tell you how

You pile on a few unwanted pounds during the winter months? It's not too late to shed them in time for swimsuit season-and-shorts.Start now and you would drop 5 pounds or so before Memorial Day. You could double that loss of 4 July and even better in shape by August. To help you meet your goal, of the United States today nanci hellmich asked different diet book authors and leading experts to provide their best food and exercise exercise tips: handout

Dawn Jackson Blatner is a nutritionist who advises the simple ask question "am I hungry?"

Handout

Dawn Jackson Blatner is a nutritionist who advises the simple ask question "am I hungry?"

Dawn Jackson BlatnerAuthor of The Flexitarian Diet: •ask yourself these three magic words for eating everything: "am I hungry?" It's a quick way more connected to what is causing you to eat — whether it's physical hunger or emotions such as stress or boredom. •Write your calorie intake. It can help keep you honest and increase weight loss. •want a combination of products and protein are snacks. Products has water and fiber to fill you, and protein has stamina. So try a peer and string cheese or eat peanut butter on celery or apple. •satisfy your sweet tooth with tasty trade-offs. Choose individual servings of desserts such as dark chocolate-covered frozen bananas or try dessert-flavored tea as English toffee.Bob GreeneBest-selling author, Oprah's personal trainer and one of the authors of the life you want: get motivated, Lose Weight, andBe Happy: • free 30 to 60 minutes per day to exercise. "I have heard every excuse on the planet — except a good one," he says. •distract yourself while exercising. While watching TV show or a movie or listening to music to work out. And social people must walk or work with a buddy. •organize your food in three meals and one or two snacks per day. And when you find yourself eating outside these times, look at the possibility of such food is emotional nature. Write in your journal what could be the source of the emotion which enables you to eat. •Write ways you can enjoy that do not relate to food, as well as ways that you could improve your life. Handout

Author of transformation and the best-selling body-for-Life

Bill PhillipsAuthor of transformation and the best-selling body-for-Life: •weight-train intensely for about 45 minutes, three times per week, as Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Run 20 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week – Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Sunday takeoff.• Alternative training the major muscles of upper and lower body. For example, the first week, train the upper body Monday, the lower body upper body Wednesday and Friday. The second week, the lower body upper body Monday, Wednesday, and the lower body workout Friday.Liver plan your training. Plan some time you exercise goes, what specific exercises you are doing, how much weight you will lift and how long does it take you to finish the session. Keep accurate records. by Norman y. Lono

Author of reading before you eat it.

Bonnie Taub-DixAuthor Read It before you eat It: •motivate yourself. Get a pair of jeans or pants too tight and hang them in the kitchen instead of the Cabinet to keep yourself inspired.• Let enough sleep. The scientists have found that sleep deprivation levels of a hormone hunger increases and decreases levels of a hormone that makes you feel full. The effects can lead to overeating and weight gain. Try a late afternoon nap instead of cookies.• Have attention benefits. A 3-ounce portion of meat, poultry or fish is about the size of the palm of your hand or a deck of cards; 1 teaspoon butter or margarine, a standard postage stamp; a cup of cold cereal, berries or popcorn, a baseball.• Eat out without expanding out. Take a look at the menu online in advance. Salad dressing on the side. by Todd Plitt, USA TODAY

Co-author of the Skinny on weight loss without hunger.

Louis AronneCo-author of The Skinny on losing weight without being hungry:• Eat a high-protein breakfast as Greek yogurt, protein or cottage cheese. It helps you hunger and cravings later in the day. •eat as much raw or cooked vegetables if you can. During meals and in between meals, it will help fill you, if you eat them first.• Try to drink water, unsweetened tea, green tea or plain or flavored seltzer for each meal. •food from appetizer-size plates. Research shows that small plates make food appear larger and can help you eat less. •slowly eating. That fullness signals time to reach more of your brain. Firstly, the lowest calorie food such as vegetables, will have the same effect.For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ 's. Report corrections and clarifications, contact standards Editor Brent Jones. For consideration of publication in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and State for authentication. View our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.