Article: Losing 5 pounds may be accomplished by fixing weak spots in your diet and exercise regime. Create a list of everything you ate in the past week. Include your daily schedule so that you can see how much activity you do. You can start recording this a week before your diet, or you can recall it from memory.   How much soda and juice do you drink? How much sugar do you eat every day? How much white bread and pasta do you eat? How much do you exercise every week? Do you sit for long periods for work? How often do you eat out? . This will tell you how many calories you can eat every day.  Aim to hit an area between 1,200 and 1,800. Smaller women should aim for between 1,200 and 1,500, and men should aim for 1,600 to 1,800. Buy all of your food at one time to avoid buying junk food later in the week when you might be having cravings. Shop along the perimeter of the supermarket where the whole foods and produce are located. Don’t forget to pick up berries, green, leafy veggies, whole grains and low-fat yogurt. Whether it’s your husband, best friend, mom or co-worker, morale helps boost weight loss results. Workout buddies can help motivate you to exercise longer. They can also help spot you on weights or split the cost of a personal trainer. As you progress through the week, write down everything you eat and drink throughout the day. Note how much of it you ate and how many calories were in the meal. Add these up at the end of the day to see if you are within your calorie allowance.  You may also want to record all of your physical activity so that you know how many calories you are burning. There are many apps for your smartphone that can help you track diet and exercise. Some even have a database of common meals and foods with the nutritional information and calorie count available to make it easier to watch your calorie intake. Set a bedtime for every night of the week to make sure that you get plenty of rest. Sleep is one of the secret ingredients in achieving any weight loss goal. When you are low on sleep, your body releases cortisol, a hormone that makes you store weight. When setting your bedtime, be aware that you may have to wake up earlier than usual to exercise. Weight can fluctuate throughout the day, so you should try to weigh yourself right after you wake up for consistent results.  Aim to have lost 2 pounds (.91 kg) by Wednesday. If you do not see the results you want, check back over your activities and food journal to make sure that you were burning more calories than you were eating.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Identify your current habits. Calculate your daily calorie allowance Shop ahead for your week of meals. Find a weight loss buddy. Record what you eat in a journal. Go to sleep early. Weigh yourself in the morning.