Diet tips you've never heard: weight-loss pros have been holding out on you ... till now. Here, we uncover top secret--and slightly unconventional--slimming tricks that really work. (The Eat Beat).(Brief Article)

* Now that the gluttonous holiday feasts are over, you no doubt want to whittle yourself down to your prewinter weight. But how can you lose that loathsome poundage pronto? Cosmo's found a way: Believe it or not, the diet gurus have been tightlipped about certain weight-loss tips because they're a tad controversial ... but can be supereffective. Lucky for you, we got the experts to spill their secrets. Keep in mind, these sneaky strategies are only short-term solutions for a head start on shedding excess weight so you can get back to your normal healthy habits.

don't forgo all fads

For all the flack the Zone diet has received for making us feel bad about bread, it does have some merit, says Jeff Volek, Ph.D., assistant research professor in the department of kinesiology at the University of Connecticut. White starches such as bread, potatoes, and pasta increase your levels of insulin, the hormone that helps your body regulate the storage of excess energy as fat. "The more insulin you have, the easier it is for your body to store fat," says Volek. Instead of unrealistically eliminating these foods from your diet, simply try cutting back.

skip a meal--sometimes

To lose weight, you have to follow a simple formula: Expend more calories than you consume. Sacrificing a meal once or twice a week can help you do just that, says Elizabeth Somer, author of The Origin Diet. Somer suggests passing on lunch or dinner, since studies show that skipping breakfast leads to fatigue and food cravings later in the day.

work out pre-breakfast

For the most effective fat burning, try exercising first thing in the A.M. on an empty stomach. After a night of sleeping, your carb stores are ...