[You know it's Chanukah in Israel when Jerusalem is lit up by Menorahs and every store is selling freshly baked jelly-donuts. It's definitely not an easy time to start a diet!]

It's true that when it comes to losing weight, there is no substitute to exercising and cutting your calorie in take. That being said, there are a few tricks that can make your path to weight loss easier. Here are 5 tricks to help you lose weight:

Make lunch or breakfast your biggest meal. If you're main meal is at night before you go to sleep, then all the calories you took in are most likely going to be turned into fat while you sleep. Instead of having a big dinner, try eating a big lunch or breakfast. That way you still have time to walk off and make use of the calories you took in, instead of letting them go to fat.

Skip on soft drinks. This is a simple one, but also a huge one. You may not think drinking a soft drink is a big deal, but aside from the unhealthiness, the sheer amount of calories adds up. Skip totally on soft drinks, and watch the pounds start to go.

Exercise with weights and body weight. Exercising with weights and body weight won't necessarily shed the calories like a good cardio workout will, but it will start turning some fat into muscle. That means that potentially, if you workout while simultaneously shedding the fat and eating a low calorie, high protein diet, you'll soon chip away at the marble and reveal a toned and hardened body.

Document your progress and goals. Writing down and documenting your goals and progress in terms of weight loss is a great way to keep you on the straight and narrow when it comes to losing fat, and help boost your morivation once you start to see progress.

Eat vegetables. Vegetables like tomatoes and carrots are relatively low calorie while supplying a ton of nutrients. Instead of snacking on a piece of candy, try eating half a tomato or a slice of a carrot when you feel your appetite pike up.

If you liked this article, subscribe for free to the Passionate Fitness RSS Feed.

Rafi Bar-Lev is a former combat medic and the founder of Passionate Fitness.

Follow him on twitter.