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My flat-stomach secret: a banana a day. I eat it in the morning with cereal, as a postworkout snack, or in a smoothie, and I'm convinced it's cured me of those puffy, fat-feeling days. You know, the ones when your pants are a bit tight, your belly looks rounder and you feel a little swollen? One banana delivers 422 milligrams of potassium, which helps limit the amount of gut-bloating sodium in your body. (Even if you avoid the saltshaker, you may not be square with sodium if you eat lots of packaged foods. Up to three quarters of your sodium intake can come from processed goods.)

Try this refreshing recipe to work potassium-rich bananas into your diet:

CHAI FRAPPÉ

(makes two 115-calorie servings)

Storing a tray of iced chai tea in the freezer is the trick to having a cool, refreshing (and healthy!) drink in half the time you'd spend in the barista's line. Slice a banana into 1/2-inch pieces and drop into a blender. Add 8 iced chai tea cubes (regular or decaf). Pour in 1/2 cup lowfat vanilla soymilk, 1 tbsp honey and 1/8 tsp cinnamon. Blend until ice is crushed to a smoothie consistency.

Check out more tricks for looking and feeling leaner at Self.com, or get healthy recipe ideas delivered to you weekly.

I've never been a big fan of counting calories. In fact, in the past year, I have lost about 30 pounds without counting a single dietary digit. Sure, I know recording everything you put in your mouth can help peel off pounds, but I also know that obsessing over calories makes you more likely to eat lowfat, low-fiber foods that wouldn't satiate a starling.

Instead of crunching numbers, I munched on healthy food to become a weight loss success. If a food lover like me can do it, you can, too! Try these tips:

• Pick up produce. Have at least one fruit and veggie at every meal. On busy days when I know my lunch won't have a smidge of green in it, I have two fruits at breakfast; I toss berries or peaches into my nonfat Greek yogurt and sprinkle it with granola. I love asparagus, green pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, sprouts, endive and more. Fruits and veggies are high in fiber, which staves off hunger. Shoot for nine servings daily. It sounds like a lot, but if you don't have to be a rabbit to reach that goal. Eat a salad at lunch or dinner, and you're there.

• Snack smart. Add protein (such as a stick of lowfat string cheese or Parmesan) to your between-meal bites. Research suggests protein may enhance the effect of leptin, a hormone that reins in appetite. I love hummus and dip veggies into it instead of pita bread or crackers. Protein is also filling and can help curb cravings for chips, cookies and the like.

• Sip more water. Dieters who swapped sugary drinks for water lose weight, but those who gulped the most H20 peeled off the most pounds, according to a study at the meeting of Obesity Society in Boston. Don’t love agua? Try the flavored kind but check the label for sugar content (it should be below 8 grams per serving).

• Map out your meals. A little attention to portions can help you eat less and still stay satisfied. Start by using a salad dish (8 inches in diameter) and divide it into quarters to help keep helpings healthy. Half the plate should get veggies, top another quarter with lean protein (3 to 6 ounces of fish, chicken or tofu) and the last quarter with whole grains (1/2 to 1 cup of brown rice, sweet potatoes or whole wheat pasta).

• Eat every meal. When you wait longer than five hours between bites, your body may release extra cortisol, a hormone that can increase appetite. I call it "hangry." I get hungry and angry: My stomach starts to burn and my brain gets annoyed at every little thing. Then I eat whatever is in front of me, usually a cookie or other sweet, empty-calorie treat. I realize I'm putting out the "hangry" fires, but it is better not to get there in the first place!

For additional tips on eating healthy without hating it (and shedding pounds in the process), check out SELF's Eat Like Me blog, by Cristin Dillon, R.D

One of my favorite parts of summer is the fresh foods that abound from my garden and the farmers' market. On the other end of the dietary spectrum, I'm also a sucker for a good cookout. I've found a way to enjoy both the bountiful produce and my weekly indulgence of a juicy burger. To make your grill session healthier, try these tips:

• Top your burger with a slice of avocado instead of the usual tomato. It is loaded with healthy monounsaturated fats, and the combination really satisfies.

• Add a dash of hot sauce in place of ketchup. The spicy stuff contains capsaicin, which makes you feel full faster (in a good way!) and can decrease your appetite. 

• Sandwich your patty with a bun sprinkled with sesame seeds; the nutty kernels reduce cholesterol more than any other seed.

• If you want to end your meal with lowfat ice cream, add some fruit. Try antioxidant-packed berries or pineapple to compensate for all the grease!

• Fold 1/8 cup of pureed blueberries into each serving of 1/3 pound lean, ground meat. The fruit will keep the patty moist, add fiber, and provide heart-happy antioxidants.

I'm a big believer in saving leftovers. Even if it's just a dozen berries or an entire giant meatball from dinner, I pop each in their own plastic container (I always save the ones I get after ordering takeout) and store them in the fridge.

It's perfect for when I need snack-sized portion, and it helps me eat less because I always have the perfect amount. (Meatball sandwich! Berries over yogurt!)

When I go out to eat, I try to eat about half the portion of pasta or chicken and then ask for the other half to get packed up nicely for the next day's lunch or dinner.

As editor of SELF, I get some pretty great tips from our readers as well as leading experts on how to make the most of every meal. Here are a few of my recent favorites:

• "I freeze grapes to make a quick, cool, healthy treat." Patti Moyer, South Daytona, Florida

• "Put your usual amount on a plate before eating and then scoop 25 percent of that into a container for another day," suggests Roger Gould, M.D., founder of ShrinkYourself.com.

• "Rather than toss ripe fruit that doesn't get eaten, I dice it up and store it in the freezer bag to use later, when I want to make smoothies." Liz Rilling, Omro, Wisconsin

• "I cook a week's worth of mini-frittatas on Sundays. I store cooled frittatas in the refrigerator individually in plastic bags, then microwave one to eat on my way out the door." Beth Shaw, Orlando, Florida

Get Beth's frittata recipe at Self.com.

Gentlemen,

I recently completed my first 52DC with the gang from the weight loss forum. I earned a Platinum metal, which is the highest honor in that competition.

I dropped 15 pounds during that time, and I'm down 26 from the high I saw in July. I lost a lot early, and now have fell into the 2# a week.

Before the next challenge, I want to fine tune my diet.

Any constructive criticism is appreciated?

On a normal day, here's what I eat:

Breakfast: two pieces of WW bread, one egg, egg whites, a slice of reduced fat cheese, and two links of turkey sausage.

Mid morning snack: 1 oz of almonds

Lunch Turkey or Chicken Sandwich. Had been eating a low sodium deli meat.

Mid Afternoon snack: 1 oz of almonds

Dinner: Variety, but normally a nice piece of lean meat, and veggies.

evening snack: 1 cup of Reduced Fat cottage cheese.

Per formulas I've seen, I need to eat 3300 cals to maintain. I want to lose, so I'm aiming for 2300 to 2500.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Anything I'm lacking? I struggle to count calories simply due to time on task.

I usually workout over my lunch hour and right after working out I drink a protein shake and eat an apple. I also bring to work with me a fairly large salad which I bring for lunch. My question is knowing that lots of fiber after working out isn't the best thing, how long should I wait before digging into my large salad?