I'll tell you my tricks. I lost 12 pounds in 1 month the healthy way. I've actually lost a total of 19 pounds from the beginning of my journey with this lap band approval waiting and all. If you have an iPhone, there is an app called Lose It. U enter in how much weight you want to lose and it gives you a timeline as to when u are going to lose that as well as a set caloric intake to maintain each day. U log in all the food you eat and it gives you the amount of calories u are ingesting. If you do any exercise that day you log it in as well and it reimburses you some calories. It really makes you se how much you are putting in your body. My second trick was downloading another app, Couch to 5K in 8 weeks... I love this app! I have a hard time doing excersize on my own but this app has a voice that tells you when to start running, stop, and start walking. I'm no runner, trust me! But I jog walk and it makes the difference! The more you exercise the longer the pounds stay off. Eating right is also another perk to keeping down the weight. Good luck!