My ass is the size of a meteor set to vanquish the solar system and my love handles are getting out of hand. I’m not obese nor am I overweight (according to my BMI, which you can compute here) but my fat is distributed unevenly making me look… uneven (especially in unforgiving dresses).

But I’m not going to obsess over my weight – if there’s one thing I learned last year, I have control of my life, and definitely I can choose to control my weight.

Now controlling your weight or losing weight shouldn’t be painful. Here are some small tips in your quest to trim off that excess baggage:

Eat Breakfast

My mother, nagger extraordinaire, has always bugged us to eat breakfast – all together now – the most important meal of the day. Although I don’t live with her anymore, I can still hear her voice in my ear prodding me to eat breakfast. Starting your day with a full meal will make you eat less during the next few meals of the day – try a high-fiber cereal with low fat milk.

Bring out your old jeans…

The ones you used to strut your stuff. They can either motivate you to lose weight, or depress the hell out of you.

…and get into jeans that fit you

Buy a new pair or start wearing one – it will serve as your barometer if you’re losing or gaining weight. I bought mine a couple of days ago because after the holidays, I can only successfully zip up 2 of my jeans – the rest will have to stay in my closet for the meantime.

8 hours of sleep

When you sleep less than your body’s requirement, your supply of leptin goes down. Leptin is the hormone that makes you feel full. If it goes down, you’ll feel hungrier more often.

Drink a glass of water before every meal…

I’ve tried this and it works – I tend to eat less because I feel full.

….or you can have some soup

Try to have some soup(broth based) before the main course. No cream please!

Snack on fruits

Instead of munching on a donut, or drinking coffee during break, try to snack on a fruit – an apple perhaps. It’s sweet - which will satisfy your craving for sweets - and has less calories than a donut.

…and eat your vegetables

Whether it’s beans, carrot sticks, or broccoli, being naturally fibrous, will help in faster digestion, promoting weight loss.

Get Physical

Getting some good loving from your partner can burn as much 350 calories – almost equivalent to jogging for 30 minutes!

And most importantly: Try not to eat when you’re emotional

When I’m depressed, my boyfriend has to steer clear of the food section lest I stock up on snacks and ice cream. It’s even worse when I’m ranting – it’s either I’m on the phone eating a donut, or I’m having dinner with my friends. I’m the type they call an emotional eater (although I think we all are). When I’m overwhelmed with emotions, I respond by eating – and more often that not, I eat the highly-fattening type of food. This can be a nasty habit, and every time you’re feeling emotional, you’ll see yourself binging out.

**Nothing beats proper diet, and exercise to lose weight – but these small steps, consistently done can help you reach your goal of achieving a smaller waist, and a healthier, more fit lifestyle. Losing weight doesn’t mean you have to deprive yourself of all the delicious meals served by the world for you – give in a little every now and then - just remember not to eat more than your body can burn