8 Slim Down Tips from the Biggest Loser Trainers

1. Crank Up the Incline

Run for the hills.

Jillian says, the next time you're doing your treadmill workout try boosting the incline. You'll change the muscles you're training; you'll up your calorie burn by increasing the intensity; and you'll add some variety to your cardio so you don't get bored.

2. Hold That Position

Just because your heart isn't pounding doesn't mean you're not working out.

Core workouts focus on improving strength and stability of the torso. Holding a yoga or Pilates pose offers as much of a challenge as a sweat-drenched workout, says Bob. Start by holding a pose for 5 to 10 breaths, then gradually work up to holding it for one minute. These workouts offer benefits such as improved posture and strengthening the lower back as well as your abdominals.

3. Ditch the Soda

Quench your thirst with better bubbles.

When it comes to choosing a beverage, don't drink soda, says Jillian. Whether it's sugared soda or diet soda, it's terrible for your body. It'll put weight on you, dehydrate you, and deplete the minerals from your system. Make a smarter choice. Sparkling water, unsweetened iced teas, green tea and white tea have been shown to burn more fat and up to 78 more calories per day.

4. Throw Your Weight Around

Discard the equipment for allover results.

Jillian says that a great way to improve your balance and coordination is to work with your own body weight. Oftentimes when you go to the gym and you work on machines, it artificially isolates a muscle, which isn't natural. But when you do things like squats, lunges, pushups, crunches, pull-ups--the variety of exercises is almost endless—you're forcing your upper and lower body to synergize and work together. This gives you more balance, more stability, more coordination and better overall performance.

5. Get Menu-Savvy

Pay attention to these healthy food terms.

Almost 25% of Americans' meals come from eating out. So it's important to make your next restaurant visit a healthy one. Jillian suggests you look for steamed, boiled, baked, grilled, poached, or roasted foods on the menu. Don't be shy about making special requests if you don't see a figure-friendly option. When in doubt, go the salad route. Salads are a healthy choice, especially with dressing and cheese on the side.

6. Avoid Over-Processed Foods

Read nutrition labels to identify diet disasters.

Bob suggests avoiding foods containing high fructose corn syrup, a sweetener and preservative that helps extend the shelf life of food. (Foods to watch out for: soda, cereals, bread, breakfast bars, ice cream.) It's found in processed foods that are often high in calories and low in nutritional value. Simply read the nutritional facts on your favorite foods to see if they contain high fructose corn syrup. If they do, throw them out.

7. Eat These for Stress Relief

Swap junk food for healthy comfort foods.

Bob says it's easy to make poor food choices when we're stressed—but here's the skinny on some real stress-reducing comfort food. Walnuts help replace stress-depleted B vitamins and it's a great source of omega 3s. Also try eating asparagus, a natural mood lightener. Dip them in fat-free yogurt for a touch more calcium. And when chocolate and only chocolate will do, go for the dark option. Dark chocolate contains anti-oxidants with the strength to fight not only cancer but also heart disease.

8. Torch Calories with Weights

Strength train for maximum calorie burn.

When you're working out, it's important to incorporate weight training into your routine says Bob. You'll burn 8 to 10 calories a minute lifting weights. Also, lifting weights gives you a metabolic spike for an hour after your workout because your body is trying hard to help your muscles recover.