When it comes to losing weight, a little inspiration can go a long, long way. So we looked into the latest studies, combed the most intriguing research and interviewed real women on how they shed extra pounds to come up with 25 winning weight-loss tips that are well worth trying.

Remember to always check with your doctor before beginning any diet or exercise program.

1. Put the kettle on.
Drinking green tea (which is also known for its powerful cancer-fighting compounds) may help you burn more calories by inducing slight changes in metabolism, according to researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

2. Choose cereal.
Eating cold cereal with skim milk for breakfast and as a replacement for lunch or dinner can help jump-start your diet, according to a Purdue University study released last fall. The men and women in the study, who all ate Special K, lost an average of six pounds in two weeks.

3. Consider peanut butter.
Foods rich in monounsaturated fats (including nuts, peanut butter, olive and canola oils and avocados) can help you lose weight, according to a study conducted at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital. Researchers studied 101 overweight people who were divided into two groups. One group was put on a low fat diet that got about 20 percent of its calories from fat; the other followed a diet that got 35 percent of its calories from fat, mostly the monounsaturated kind. While both groups of women lost an average of 11 pounds in the first year, only those on the so-called "peanut butter" diet were able to keep the weight off for 18 months or longer.

4. Keep sipping.
Experts say you should drink enough water to equal half of your body weight in ounces. If you weigh 160 pounds, aim to drink 80 ounces a day. One way to keep tabs: Drink fluids with each meal and keep a water bottle with you at other times so you remember to drink, suggests Kimberly Glenn, M.S., R.D., L.D., a registered dietitian at Northside Hospital in Atlanta. Drinking adequate water will help keep you from mistaking thirst for hunger, which is a common pitfall.

5. Prioritize your workouts.
"Once I put my workouts in my datebook, I found myself getting to the gym and enjoying my time there," says Pam Silvestri, 37, a public affairs manager in Dallas, who lost 15 pounds last year. "I consider my workouts just as important as any other business meeting."

6. Pump up the volume.
Foods with high water or fiber content tend to fill you up faster, according to researchers at Penn State University. The idea here is that you'll eat less of (and it'll take longer to eat) a spinach omelet versus a plate of scrambled eggs.

7. Reach for dairy.
Low fat dairy products can be among the best weight-loss staples, according to researchers at Purdue University who studied a group of women for two years. Those who met the recommended dietary intake (RDI) for calcium (1,000 mg) and ate less than 1,900 calories a day lost an average of six pounds, while women who consumed the same amount of calories but less calcium actually ended up gaining weight. Researchers speculate that calcium may help promote the breakdown of the body's fat stores

8. Change your morning routine.
Boston public relations executive Sherry Moskowitz, 24, switched from drinking a large coffee with cream every day to a large cup of tea without milk or cream. "I still treat myself to coffee on the weekends, but during the week I get the same amount of caffeine with tea, without the added fat or calories." Just by switching her morning beverage, she cut about 250 calories a week.

9. Get fiber first thing.
"The easiest place to start getting the thirty grams of fiber you need every day is at breakfast," says Glenn. "Look for a high-fiber whole-grain cereal or bread, which will keep you feeling fuller longer."

10. Aim for 30-40-30.
A University of Illinois study revealed that overweight women who ate 1,700 calories comprised of 30 percent protein, 40 percent carbohydrates and 30 percent fat lost 18 percent more body fat than those who ate the same number of calories but a higher percentage of carbs.

11. Add protein to your meals.
Every meal or snack should include protein, says Glenn, such as three to four ounces of chicken, fish, peanut butter or low fat cheese. "Protein slows down digestion so you'll feel fuller longer," she says.

12. Fill half of your dinner plate with vegetables.
You'll increase your vegetables (the lowest-calorie category) and decrease your calories. "Rather than just one, you may want to make two vegetables at every meal," recommends Cathy Nonas, M.S., R.D., a registered dietitian at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in New York City. "The other half of your plate could be equal parts protein and starch."

13. Skip the high-calorie drinks.
"There are approximately nine packets of sugar and close to one hundred and fifty calories in one twelve-ounce can of soda or juice," says Netty Levine, M.S., R.D., a registered dietitian at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Smoothies and specialty coffee drinks often contain 250 to 500 calories, and that's not including the whipped cream.

14. Weigh down your remote.
By attaching a 2-pound weight to your remote (with a piece of string or a rubber band), you'll get a little exercise every time you lift it, says Nonas. "Sometimes people will lift the weight a couple of times between channels or will stand and walk around with it. It gets you going and moving."

15. Consider the Rule of Fives.
"Five minutes into a meal, put your fork down and assess the situation," says Dawn Jackson, R.D., L.D., a nutrition and exercise specialist at Northwestern Memorial Wellness Institute in Chicago. "Think about whether you're rushing or whether you're enjoying your meal enough. Lots of times, you're already full but you're still eating because you're a 'clean-plate-club' person. Instead, try to leave at least five bites behind. You'll save at least 200 calories in that course alone."

16. Limit alcohol.
Bonnie Littman, 35, is a paralegal in New York City who used to go out a lot. "On the weekends, I'd drink too much and then I'd eat late at night," she says. "To make things worse, a close friend used to live next door and she was my late-night eating buddy. Now I try to follow a pretty strict diet — I've lost about thirty pounds since I changed my diet last summer, and I only treat myself to a glass of wine or hamburger every once in a while."

17. Set a kitchen curfew.
If you're tempted to go back to the kitchen after dinner's done, place a piece of masking tape across your kitchen doorway — at eye level, says Nonas. You'll avoid adding hundreds of calories from late-night snacks. "Taping the door will remind you not to go back into the kitchen. It doesn't mean you can't, but you'll think twice about it."

18. Reach for a breath mint after a meal.
This will trick your taste buds into thinking you're done eating, says Andrea Platzman, M.S., R.D., nutrition programs manager for New York Sports Clubs in New York City. "Anything with a fresh taste, including a breath mint, gum or toothpaste, will signal to your brain that dinner is over," she says. "Since the flavor of your meal is no longer in your mouth, you won't crave the food that you were just eating."

19. Stow the scale.
"I don't have a scale in my house, and when I go to the doctor, I get on the scale backward so I don't see the number," says Aurora Johnson, 36, a marketing and communications consultant in Pasadena, California, who has lost 15 pounds in the last 10 months. "Now I'm able to focus on doing healthy things like eating right and exercising for the right reasons — because it's good for me. I don't need the number to know what I'm doing is effective."

20. Cook more than you can eat.
If you freeze extra portions of main dishes, you'll save hundreds of calories, says Katherine Tallmadge, M.A., R.D., president of Personalized Nutrition, a weight-loss and nutrition counseling service in Washington, DC. "Keeping pre-prepared dinners on hand will mean you'll be less likely to order high-calorie meals in restaurants or grab calorie-laden convenience foods from your cupboards," she says.

21. Snack smart.
Keeping some staples, like grapes, mission figs, almonds, apples, peanut butter or herbal tea with honey, around will help you stay focused without overdoing it, says Silandara Bartlett, 25, a news and Web specialist at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, who lost 15 pounds last year.

22. Eat with your opposite hand.
You'll automatically slow down and experience fullness and enjoy what you're eating, says Michele L. Trankina, Ph.D., a nutritionist in San Antonio. If you're ambidextrous, try eating with chopsticks. "Most of the time, we don't let ourselves feel full because we eat on automatic pilot," she says.

23. Walk, don't run.
A recent study conducted at Washington University in St. Louis found that those women who walked rather than jogged (although both moved at a 12-minute-mile pace) burned 4 percent more calories than the runners.

24. Let yourself feel hungry.
"I don't let my hunger go until I feel my stomach rumbling, but sometimes when I'm hungry late at night, I realize I'm not as hungry as I think," says Amanda Cushman, 45, a chef in Miami Beach who lost 10 pounds over a two-month period. "It's important to really think about that rather than acting on it immediately and reaching for a snack."

25. Spice up your meals.
Adding cayenne pepper and salsa to your meals may boost your metabolism. In one recent Canadian study, two groups of women were fed a stir-fry meal. Those who ate the spicier meal ended up burning more calories and fat than those who ate the blander meal.