Though your doc might ask you to inhale and exhale through your chest during a physical exam, this kind of superficial breathing won't do you any good when you're trying to lose weight quickly. According to Pam Grout, breathing coach and author of "Jumpstart Your Metabolism," breathing is the key to sustainable and long-lasting weight loss. Grout, who teaches people how to change their breathing patterns to lose weight, says clients report losing a pound a day.

And yet nine out of 10 of us aren't breathing properly, she says. "Put one hand on your chest, the other on your abdomen. Take a normal breath. If the chest hand goes up rather than out, you're breathing wrong."

If you don't breathe properly, you'll take in a third of the oxygen your body needs. "And when the body doesn't get enough oxygen, it can't burn through fat," says Grout.

What's more, proper breathing can rev your metabolism, lower stress chemicals which cause your body to retain fat, and keep you centered so you're less likely to binge or stress eat. The goal is to take long, deep breaths into your abdomen. To practice this, lay on the floor with a book on your belly. On your inhale, make sure the book rises. On the exhale, the book should come down. "Slow, deep inhales and exhales are best," says Grout.

Once you get the hang of belly breaths, she recommends trying the 1-4-2 breath, which is specifically designed for weight loss. Here, breathe through your nose to whatever count is comfortable. Hold the breath inside your body for four times as long, and then exhale through your mouth for twice as long. So if you breathe in to the count of 4, lock it into your body for 16 (4x4) and exhale for 8 (4x12). "It will get deeper and longer as you can get better at it," she says. "Do 10 of these, twice a day."

When the alarm goes off at 6 a.m., your first instinct may not be to work those abs. Yet five minutes of high intensity core work, first thing in the morning, will trim inches from your waist. "It speeds your metabolism for the rest of the day," says Len Glassman, owner of Personal Best Training Center and creator of FITness FUNdamentals DVD.

Two slimming moves we like: Hold a plank, with your back straight and tummy pulled in, and sustain the position for 15 seconds if you're a beginner, 30 seconds if you're intermediate, and one minute if you're advanced. Another option is to lie on your back, draw your knees into your chest -- keeping your back flat on the floor -- and squeeze your knees and the insides of your feet touching. Now twist your hips back and forth, from side to side, while keeping your knees and feet squeezed together. Beginners can do 10 to 20 reps; intermediates: 25 to 50; advanced: 50-plus. In both, the key is to shorten your contractions and isolate your lower abs as much as possible.

We've all heard that it's good to be as active as you can with everyday activities -- park far away from the grocery store, take the stairs at work -- but what if you went even further and turned those already-helpful everyday activities into interval training? "Intervals keep your heart rate going for maximum burn, and studies show that it's much more effective than steady state cardio for fat burning," says Kristin McGee, celebrity yoga and fitness expert. Two ideas:

1. When brushing your teeth in the morning and before bed, do 50 squats both times, as quickly as you can without dribbling toothpaste all over your bunny slippers. Though brushing and squatting might take some practice, form here is key. "Sit back in an imaginary chair and be sure your knees don't go past your toes," McGee says. "Stand back up squeezing your glutes."

2. When yapping on the phone, do heel raises. Stand with your feet in ballet first position, heels together and toes turned out, and rise to your toes and then lower down. Do this every time you get a call, or even if you find yourself stuck in a bank or grocery line. "Heel raises are discreet, and you can do them throughout the day, all day long." She suggests 20 reps, five times a day.

Opting for cayenne pepper over ketchup, or a chili powder rub over BBQ sauce, can do wonders for weight loss. "Spices work with the body naturally, whereas sauces can work against it," says Ashley Koff, RD, award winning dietitian and co-author of "Mom Energy." Sauces deliver a bummer triple whammy: They typically have too much sodium, sugar, and artificial ingredients. Spices, on the other hand, help you burn fat from within.

"They warm you on the inside, and they can act as a metabolic aid, fight bad bacteria, and cleanse the body," says Koff. In a recent Purdue study, researchers found that when red cayenne pepper was eaten, rather than taken as a supplement, participants burned more calories.

Add it to egg whites, lamb kabobs, marinara sauce, or chicken tacos. You won't even miss the old stuff, says Koff. "Sauces typically cover the taste of food, but spices enhance it."

Cutting sugary drinks are a simple way to lose a quick 5 pounds, since sugar is hidden in a lot of surprising beverages -- including milks, non-dairy milks (like almond and soy), and juices (fruit and veggie). Fructose, lactose, cane syrup, corn syrups, agave, honey -- in excess, they all contribute to weight gain, especially belly fat. To reduce your sugar load, Koff suggests going from a large to small latte, replace bottled lemonade and sweetened iced tea with green juice with lemon and ginger, and choose flavored waters like Hint Water and Ayala's Herbal Water, which get their taste from herb and fruit essences, over Vitamin Waters full of added flavors and sugars.

Cutting sugar impacts your metabolism's efficiency, since excess sugar gets stored as fat -- especially around your middle, says Koff. It also affects hormone function and impairs digestion. Though you're saving yourself calories by losing the sweet stuff, Koff says this is more about optimizing metabolic function, since the body will use what it's taking in as energy and not store it as fat. The goal is not to replace your sugars with artificial, non-caloric sweeteners, of course, but if you must add oomph to your morning joe or tea, organic Stevia or Xylitol is fine.