10 Tips for Fast Weight Loss

July 1, 2013— -- intro: Sick of chasing fad diets? Time to hop off the bandwagon and get some down-to-earth advice from people who have been there, done that.

Sure, we spend our days sifting through the latest research and asking super-toned celebrities about their workout secrets. At the end of the day, though, peeling off the pounds is just as challenging for us as it is for anyone else.

These 10 diet tricks aren't always easy to stick to, but they've worked for us.

Health.com: 30 Foods Under 40 Calories

quicklist: 1category: Weight Loss Tiipstitle: Put Away the (Food) Scaleurl:text: "Portion control isn't about measuring; it's about ordering two appetizers instead of an entrée and cutting back on bread if you have pasta."—Bethenny Frankel, author ofNaturally Thin

quicklist: 2category: Weight Loss Tiipstitle: Stash Fruiturl:text: "Keep fruit at work. It helps during the I-need-chocolate part of the afternoon."—Diana Cerqueira, Health beauty assistant

The 20 Best Foods for Fiber

quicklist: 3category: Weight Loss Tiipstitle: Shake Chocolateurl:text: "When I'm trying to drop a few pounds, I carry around a shaker cup of chocolate protein powder. If I'm ravenous, I add the water, and it fills me up so I don't eat something high-calorie instead."—Bobbi Brown, founder of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics

quicklist: 4category: Weight Loss Tiipstitle: Set Limits, Then Go Nuts!url:text: "In the cafeteria I use a 4-by-4-inch Styrofoam box, and I put whatever I want in there. It's almost impossible to overeat."—Ellen Kunes, Health editor-in-chief

Are You Making These Dieting Mistakes?

quicklist: 5category: Weight Loss Tiipstitle: Floss for Desserturl:text: "Brushing my teeth after dinner makes me less likely to eat again before I go to bed."—Jo Miller, Health photo director,

quicklist: 6category: Weight Loss Tiipstitle: Take a 'Before' Photourl:text: "Before I got in shape, a friend convinced me to take photos of myself wearing nothing but a sports bra and underwear. Anytime I fall off the wagon I look at those pics—that's all the motivation I need!"—Rozalynn S. Frazier, Health assistant fitness editor

10 Weight Loss Tips that Work

quicklist: 7category: Weight Loss Tiipstitle: Avoid Liquid Caloriesurl:text: "Cut out drinks with calories—juice, lemonade, and, hardest of all, after-work wine."—Lisa Lombardi,, Health executive editor

Best Superfoods for Weight Loss

quicklist: 8category: Weight Loss Tiipstitle: Break Out the Skinny Jeansurl:text: "Wear something tight! It provides the extra bit of motivation to lay off the fries."—Ilana Blitzer, Health beauty/fashion editor

New Twists on Grilled Vegetables

quicklist: 9category: Weight Loss Tiipstitle: Pitcher Thisurl:text: "Fill a pitcher with water and cucumbers. It's pretty—and it feels like a treat."—Olivia Rassow, Health food editorial assistant

12 Summer Fruit and Veggie Recipes

quicklist: 10category: Weight Loss Tiipstitle: Set Aside Leftoversurl:text: "Serve yourself, then immediately pack the leftovers in a Tupperware container and store in the fridge."—Maria Ricapito, Health contributing beauty editor

This article originally appeared on Health.com.