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" You know the drill for losing weight: eat healthy, exercise, and burn more calories than you consume. But what if you still aren&amp;#039;t seeing results? With beach season right around the corner, Joy Bauer weighs in (no pun intended) and gives us three easy-to-follow tips that might help you drop the pounds. 1. Take stock of your habits. It&amp;#039;s amazing how much extra food you can eat without realizing it: nibbling while cooking, finishing your kid&amp;#039;s leftovers, munching while you watch TV. Even if the bites are small, every bit adds up over time. Give yourself a reality check by keeping a food journal for one week, writing down everything you eat and drink. Are you hitting the vending machines in the afternoon instead of packing a bag of carrots and hummus to get you through the afternoon slump? At the end of the week you&amp;#039;ll be able to spot any unhealthy eating patterns you need to rethink. RELATED: Is Your Kitchen Making You Fat? 2. Say goodnight to the kitchen. The toughest time to resist snacking is the late evening \u2014 that&amp;#039;s when you have the least resolve. Curb your P.M. munchies by eliminating the option to eat after dinner for a few days. Follow your meal with a soothing mug of decaf tea, and as soon as you&amp;#039;re finished, floss and brush your teeth. Then, clean up the kitchen and turn off the lights. Going through these motions helps to close out the day&amp;#039;s eating. RELATED: 12 Weight Loss Traps to Avoid 3. Set a weekly goal. Accomplishing mini-challenges helps you stay motivated. The key is settling on concrete and tangible ones. They can focus on weight (&amp;quot;I&amp;#039;m going to lose 2 pounds&amp;quot;) or actions (&amp;quot;I&amp;#039;m going jogging on Tuesday and Thursday&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;m going to try a new healthy recipe&amp;quot;). Anything goes \u2014 just be sure to write it down to make it official. To up the ante, treat yourself to a non-food reward for every three goals met. JOY BAUER, MS, RD, is the nutrition and health expert for NBC&amp;#039;s TODAY show. Visit JoyBauer.com and follow Joy on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. This story originally appeared on WomansDay.com "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/advice/a19405/weight-loss-plateau-tips/>