Tips and tricks for keeping your New Year's resolution

If losing weight is on your things-to-do list this year, I'd like to share some tips and ideas based on my weight-loss experiences that may help make your scale's numbers head in the right direction.

Understand why you gained weight and have a good reason to lose it: I came to terms with why I gained weight - I'm a compulsive overeater. That compulsion was, and still can be, triggered by emotions. Being aware of that made it easier for me to control that behavior.

As for my reason for losing weight, I wanted my life back; the life I enjoyed when my weight was near normal for almost 10 years.

Have a support system: I wanted a group to cheer for me when I lost weight and help me figure out what happened when I didn't. I found that with Weight Watchers. But I also built what I named "Team Don" - a group of friends, relatives and professionals who assisted me along my journey.

Don't skip meals ... ever: Start your day with breakfast, and have at least three daily meals, along with two healthy snacks (such as a reduced-fat cheese stick and an apple), especially if you're feeling hungry. Two good reasons: your metabolic engine doesn't start until you eat, so why wait; if you're hungry, you'll make bad eating decisions.

Monitor portions carefully: I have a digital scale in my kitchen and weigh almost everything I eat. Don't guess at what an ounce of cereal looks like; use a scale for a simple and accurate measure.

Exercise. Exercise. Exercise: This can be as simple as heading to an indoor mall during brutal winter weather to walk for 30 to 45 minutes (steering way clear of the Food Court, of course), to joining a fitness or wellness center. Find a center you like that is close to your home. Time pressures can easily keep you from working out, but convenience keeps that to a minimum.

At first, join on a monthly basis and see if you truly like it. Once convinced you've made the right decision, join for a year; it'll be less expensive and keep you coming back.

Consider working with a certified trainer (either in private or with a group) who can help you build a workout plan that fits you and your needs.

Allow yourself a weekly splurge: Every week, Weight Watchers members have an extra 35 points that can either be used daily for a little "wiggle room," or once a week for a splurge. You'll be surprised that you may not do this after a week or two, since you won't feel that good after a fatty, sodium-heavy meal.

Along those same lines, don't deny yourself a favorite food. Decades of studies prove that as soon as a dieter decides to never eat something again, they crave it and quickly give in to the craving. Nibble a tiny portion of what you crave, but don't forget to mark it down in your food diary.

Eat at home: It's too difficult, especially at the beginning, to know what you're eating when dining out. By making meals at home, you'll know everything about what you're eating, and it'll be far easier to control caloric intake and momentary impulses.

Weigh yourself once a week: On the same day and time each week step on the scale. Accept whatever the scale says. Congratulate yourself if you lose; consider why if you didn't. Never beat yourself up over weight gain. Share your stories with me: I want to know how you're doing and what helped you to lose weight or keep it off. You can do this. A new, slimmer you is just around the corner.

Try this recipe: When I was losing weight, soup for lunch or dinner satisfied my tastebuds and filled me up. I like turkey sausage, green peppers and onions, so I turned the trio into a tasty soup. Give it a try.

• Don Mauer welcomes shared recipes and recipe makeover requests. Write him at don@theleanwizard.com.

Italian Sausage, Sweet Peppers and Onion Soup

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 pound bulk hot or sweet Italian turkey sausage

4 cloves garlic, peeled, trimmed and pressed through a garlic press

3-4 Anaheim peppers, seeded and thinly sliced

2 medium-large onions, peeled and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 cups lower-sodium, fat-free chicken broth

2 cans (15 ounces each) or 1 can (28 ounces) crushed or diced fire-roasted tomatoes

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves (Italian flat-leaf preferred)

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Place a 4- to 6-quart saucepan over medium to medium-high heat and add olive oil. When oil is hot, add sausage and cook, stirring and breaking it up, until it looses its pink color. Add garlic, peppers and onions, and cook until softened, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add vinegar and stir up the brown bits on the pan's bottom.

Stir in broth and tomatoes; reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, and then stir in parsley and basil. Serve immediately and top with 1 to 2 tablespoons cheese.

Serves four.

@Recipe nutrition:Nutrition values per serving with 1 tablespoon cheese: 326 calories (29.4 percent from fat), 10.4 g fat (3.4 g saturated), 19.6 g carbohydrates, 4.5 g fiber, 36 g protein, 105 mg cholesterol, 1,539 mg sodium

SaltSense: The sausage is the primary source of sodium, followed by canned tomatoes and broth. To reduce the sodium, substitute no-salt-added diced tomatoes and no-salt-added chicken broth to bring the sodium per serving to 795 mg per serving.