1. Excercise when you first wake up. There are few/no carbs in your system and you burn fat. Do a combo of light weights and cardio. (like maybe actual stairs instead of a stepper) 2. Excersice before eating, it increases your metabolic rate and insures what you eat is used up as energy. 3. Try muscle milk just after excersie as one of your meals and as your eveing snack. It tastes great, comes in a variety of flavors, can be found at gnc and most health stores, is easy to prepare and 1 $25-35 container lasts all month. It'll fill your cravings (specially if blended with frozen fruit and low fat or soy milk), help you for muscle and keep muscle from deteriorating while you sleep. 4. Get enough sleep and keep on a schedule. 5. Get a buddy and go on weekend long hikes. 6. Do breathing excersises, yoga or swim. (Swimming tone you up the fastes of these and only requires a pool, is you arms get tired or you're not much of a swimmer: try walking through the water for a great resistance excercise.)