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Staying on Track

Even if you didn't take a summer vacation - I know I didn't! - life seems to move at a faster pace once fall starts. There are new school and after school schedules to juggle, winterizing projects to tackle around the house, and with the staff at the office reunited after Labor Day, the calendar is crowded with deadlines.

The schedule shift can make it hard to find time to work out or plan menus for the week. Even worse, stress and anxiety often kick our cravings into high gear, causing us to reach for foods that are fast, easy and unhealthy. But making healthy choices doesn't require a huge amount of time or effort.

Use these simple strategies to combat the "I'll get back on track next week" mentality:

Drink your way to health. Fill your commuter mug with green tea in the morning - two to three cups per day can kick up your metabolism by 80 calories. To stay hydrated - and avoid the office soda machine - buy a reusable water bottle and keep sipping from it at your desk and in the car. More about healthy hydration

Go out of your way for produce. The typical American diet is overloaded with starchy carbohydrates; to right the balance, always choose fruit or vegetables for snacks or quick meals rather than packaged crackers or chips. And make vegetables the centerpiece of lunch and dinner - load up on salad greens before the main course (just avoid the bacon bits!), and try a vegetable curry or stir-fry as an entree. More tips for getting your veggies

Make every moment - and movement - count. Few of us have two hours free each day to hit the gym, but even 15 minutes can make a difference. Watching your child's soccer game? Walk a lap around the field during half time. Yawning through a conference call at work? Stand up and stretch. For more ideas, check out the book The Fidget Factor, which lists dozens of ways to burn extra calories throughout the day.

Eat out right. A restaurant meal or takeout order is a frequent solution to the weeknight time crunch. Steer clear of fast-food drive-thrus, and choose takeout wisely: opt for Chinese food or sushi rather than pizza, and order steamed brown rice and plenty of veggies. If your family has a favorite go-to restaurant, request whole grains and healthy options; restaurants want to please their customers, especially regulars. More restaurant tips

Find a way to track food intake. Keeping a meticulously detailed food log may seem beyond your means, but the effort is worth it - journaling can boost weight loss by 50%. There are easy ways to record what you're eating: Snap a picture of your plate with a cell phone camera, jot a few lines in a small notebook you carry in your purse, or email yourself a list of what you ate for lunch at work. More on food journaling