Wellness Advisory Group: How do you control your weight?

	Jennifer Brown, homemaker: My son came home from school with a "Drink 1% Milk" sticker. I always had purchased 2% since childhood. Once we talked about his sticker and what he learned, we switched to 1%, and I have lost 20 pounds since. That was my biggest dietary change. If you currently consume 2% milk, make the change to 1%.
	Cathi Wiley-Bingaman, director business development: Really, the best thing is just focusing on making good choices on a regular basis and finding some sort of aerobic or cardio activity you enjoy and can incorporate into your daily routine. Make it so it's your lifestyle, not "diet" and "exercise."

	Kim Broecker, public school teacher: I was a chubby kid. I joined Weight Watchers 13 years ago and got down to my goal weight. I weigh myself three to four times a week. That way, I can catch the weight gain quickly. Losing two pounds is much easier than losing 20 pounds.
	Kristi Jedlicki, program manager at the St. John Center for Homeless Men: I find that exercising and making healthy food choices keeps my weight in check. A combination of cardiovascular exercise and strength training is a way to lose weight and stay fit and toned.
	Allison Phillips, massage therapist: After having my son, I gained almost 80 pounds! Approaching 30, I really noticed an ease in putting on weight that accompanied a never-before-seen difficulty to lose it. I tried everything! Raw diet (failed), starving (huge fail), low-carb (failed every time I left the house to eat). Finally, I gave up on a quick fix and decided to envision my quest as a long-term experience designed to change my eating habits more permanently. I downloaded the MyFitnessPal app on my iPhone and set a daily caloric goal, and I use that to track myself every day. It was not an easy start, but as I got used to putting in all my foods and adding my exercise calories, it all got easier, and I'm able to think about my Big Food Picture more clearly.
	Deborah Tuggle, clinical nurse specialist, Critical Care Curriculum, Louisville: I try to eat right every day. If I feel my pants getting tight, I put it in high gear! I walk an average of 30 minutes a day. Walking helps keep 10 pounds off! If you can just get yourself to start, it will become a well-established habit, and you will never regret it.
	Dee Jay Kelly, public educator, Harrods Creek Fire Department: You can try all the diets in the book, but the one that worked best for me is eating healthy meals and watching the carbs along with exercise. Laughter is very good for the body and mind as well!
	Melissa Little, co-owner, Little Eatz LLC: I know the solution, but I don't always follow it. Eat less and exercise more is the only way! It is hard to consistently do that, though. Exercise in the morning, so that excuses don't creep in later in the day.
	Maria Angelica Munoz, physical educator at JCTC ESL Department: Exercising is the best formula. It makes you think healthy. Another good strategy is to decrease the ingest of refined sugars. A tip that worked for me some years ago was decreasing a little bit of sugars every day from my diet. Now I can go without sugars for a day.
	Margie Beeler, retired: Read labels! Look at serving sizes of food and drink packages and notice how many servings are in the package. Eat only one serving, not the whole package!
	Janie Watts, librarian: I try to do Bikram yoga and eat more organic, natural foods and much less processed food. Another tip is when you eat out, always leave half to take home for another meal.

Do you have a helpful tip on how to manage your weight? Join the discussion and leave a comment below. We want to know what works for you!