April Fools On You

Remember those practical jokes from April Fool's Days of your childhood? Channel that mischievous spirit into something more productive than setting your little brother's alarm clock for PM instead of AM. Use the following playful tricks on yourself to help boost your weight-loss efforts.

1. Trick yourself out of eating when you're bored. Call an old friend. No answer on the other end? Write an e-mail to your old book club, telling the gang what's going on in your life. This way, you'll keep busy without mindlessly noshing and keep in touch with your friends.

2. Exchange the sugar in the bowl for a sugar substitute. Or swap the regular soda for diet, or even better, flavored seltzer. These tricks are bound to save you excess calories.

3. Empty the ice cube trays. Sweetened drinks rarely taste good warm. With no ice in the house, you'll be more likely to reach for good old H2O.

4. Keep goodies in the garage or have someone hide them on you. There are times when we all give in at the grocery store and buy those irresistible cookies (or chips, or candy). Don't panic — just keep your trigger food in a place that makes it difficult for you to access when you have those midnight cravings.

5. Throw your metabolism into high gear without even knowing it. Add interval workouts or weight training to your fitness regimen. These will help you burn extra calories, even when you are at rest.

6. Instead of waiting weeks for your fitness goals to kick in, make a change you can see instantly. Buy a new pair of earrings or get a new hairstyle. Seeing these kinds of instant results will keep you motivated daily when your long-term goals seem far away.

7. Ditch the watch. Many of us get caught up in the "I have to exercise for at least 30 minutes" mentality. But sometimes you look at your watch after what seems like an hour, only to discover you still have 27 minutes to go! When you take off your watch and remove the 30-minute rule, two things are likely to happen: you'll work longer since you're under less pressure to beat the clock, and mentally, time will fly by.

8. Take a fitness class. Ever notice how people walking out of an exercise class at the gym are often dripping with sweat and red-faced? It's group mentality gone good: Taking a class can trick you into working harder than you might on your own. Try it — it's likely that you'll burn more calories, build even more muscle and boost your fitness level.