Ten Easy Changes You Can Make to Lose Weight – and Keep it Off

Losing weight is one thing, but keeping it off is another. Here are 10 small, easy changes that can aid your weight loss, and help you keep the extra pounds off.

We all go through periods of weight loss and gain. It seems like we pack on a few extra pounds during the holidays, but in the Spring we become more active and we get serious about dumping the excess weight we gained from two much pumpkin pie and too many Christmas cookies.

ABC News reports new research indicates the best and most successful path to weight loss may be the small things we do - not big specialized diets and marathon workouts.

Yes, it does matter what you eat, but the research shows there are other changes you can make that will greatly aid your weight loss efforts. Here's 10 helpful tips.

1.  Write down what you eat. 

 2.  Get up and move around during commercials.

 3.  Always take the stairs.  Climb three extra flights of stairs per day.

 4.  Pack your own lunch.  You'll save thousands of calories and hundreds of dollars.

 5.  Walk anywhere that's less than a mile away.

 6.  When you're eating a treat, make the experience LAST . . . like about 10 minutes.  And eat more slowly in general.

 7.  Skip juice and eat a whole piece of fruit instead.

 8.  Order a simple coffee instead of the mochachino type stuff. 

 9.  Drop high calorie foods like cookies at the rate of one serving per week.  At the same time, add one dose of healthy stuff like broccoli.

 10. Get plenty of rest.  For some reason, sleep deprivation causes weight gain.