Know all those hours you spend chatting on your cell? Turns out they might do you some good.

That is, if you use them to chat with a weight loss buddy. Supportive phone conversations help people stick to a diet better.

The iPhone Diet
In a study, overweight people who had lost about 18 pounds each as part of a weight loss program were followed to see how long they kept the weight off. And people who spent time each month talking on the phone with a supportive pal did the best job. Seems there's nothing like a little personal contact and some positive human reinforcement to help you resist those daily temptations. Regularly logging on to a Web-based diet and exercise program can help you stay on track, too. (Find a diet and exercise buddy right now on the RealAge Community Message Boards.)

More Gone-for-Good Approaches
Keeping lost weight off is one of the most challenging parts of weight loss. Here are a few more tricks to make lost pounds stay gone:

• Eat breakfast. Besides giving you energy, a morning meal gets your metabolism going. See how different breakfast choices stack up.
• Choose foods with healthy fats, such as avocados, nuts, olives, and fish. Find out why healthy fats help you eat less overall.
• Stay off the couch. People who have lost weight may need to exercise more than the average person to stay slim. But it doesn't have to be hard. Watch this video to learn the optimal number of steps for helping shed up to 35 pounds.

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Comparison of strategies for sustaining weight loss: the weight loss maintenance randomized controlled trial. Svetkey, L. P. et al., Journal of the American Medical Association 2008 Mar 12;299(10):1139-1148.