For weight-loss motivation during the next few months, put up reminders around the house, suggests Dawn Jackson Blatner, a registered dietitian in private practice in Chicago and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

"Use a calendar to keep a pre-summer countdown and record your weight each week to watch your progress," she says.

Keep magazines with covers showing fit people on the coffee table. It'll be harder to sit on the couch, snacking on cookies and chips, when you see those healthy images staring back at you, she says. And hang a summer outfit that you want to fit into out in the open as a reminder of what you are working toward.

There are plenty of things you can do to cut calories, she says. Just decreasing the amount of fruit juice, soda, alcohol and gourmet coffee drinks you consume can help you get bikini-ready.

"It's estimated that the average American drinks 450 calories a day," Blatner says.

When it comes to what you are eating, aim to have 50 percent of your plate filled with vegetables and fruits. And Blatner recommends retraining yourself to eat smaller portions by using frozen meals, such as Lean Cuisines, once a day for lunch or dinner. Add fresh or frozen vegetables to balance out the meal and fill up.

She suggests eating three meals plus one to two snacks each day on a regular schedule. People who eat regular meals tend to eat about 80 fewer calories per day than those who don't.

Also, sit in a chair at a table and eat from a plate, Blatner says. When people eat mindfully, not standing eating out of the fridge, they tend to eat about one-third fewer calories.

What matters most is your overall way of eating and living, says Dean Ornish, author of a new book, "The Spectrum," in which he suggests that people tailor their diets to their individual needs, genes and taste preferences.

Choose quality over quantity, says Ornish, an internist who is the founder of the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, Calif., and best known for his program for reversing heart disease.

Ornish also recommends paying attention to how you feel after eating. You'll begin to notice how different foods affect you. More healthful foods make you feel light, clear and energetic. Less healthful foods make you feel heavy, dull and sluggish, he says.

"If you indulge yourself one day, eat healthier the next. As you move toward the healthier end of the spectrum, you're going to look better, feel better, live longer, lose weight and gain health."

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4 tips on losing weight

• Cut back on fast food

• Stop drinking so many calories with sugary sodas or alcohol

• Eat smaller portions

• Stop snacking after dinner