I don’t count every single calorie I eat or burn, but when I really need an extra push of motivation to get back on track, it helps. Recently I tried a bunch of sites that help you do just that and I really fell in love with The Daily Plate.

It’s super easy to use. You search for the foods you eat and you’ll find all of their nutritional information (calories, sugar, carbs, fiber, etc.) ready to load into your personal “plate” for the day. I had no trouble finding everything I needed from the Goya canned chickpeas I put in salads to the slice of Domino’s pizza that accidentally found it’s way into my belly. I also love that the site makes a pie chart of your calorie breakdown between protein, carbs and fat.

In the same way that you can input what you eat, you can input your fitness activities to see how many calories you’ve burned. The list is comprehensive with counts for everything from rearranging furniture to rock climbing. If you like, you can also log the glasses of water you drink, your weight and more. The site will even determine a daily caloric intake goal based on your activity level, current weight, how much you want to lose and how fast you want to lose it. If you’re looking for a way to track everything easily, give The Daily Plate a try.

I’m jetting off to the Dominican Republic later this week and since it’s a last minute trip, I haven’t had a whole lot of time to get ready for my bathing suit. But here are three ways that I’ve been trying to get ready fast. Try these tips for quick results before your next beach escape.

1. Give your workouts extra oomph: If you run 3 miles, run another mile of interval sprints. If you like to take a sculpt session, hit the stair climber for 15 minutes after class. If you have a strength training routine, add plyometric bursts in between sets instead of resting.

2. Eat whole foods: Choose veggies, legumes and proteins like chicken or fish, to avoid extra sugar, fat and sodium. Processed, frozen, canned and restaurant meals can harbor a lot of hidden diet downfalls. Cutting back on salt can help you look and feel thinner quickly because sodium makes your body retain fluids. Get super serious a couple of days before you bare your bikini. Pay close attention to sodium levels on nutrition labels–you may be surprised how much you’ll find even in condiments like ketchup. Try to keep your sodium level under 500 mg a day.

3. Get a bronzed bod: I don’t know about you, but I feel more toned with a bronze glow than when I’m pastey white. I’m not telling you to visit your tanning salon for a fake bake, but I do advocate swapping out your normal body lotion for a tan-building variety like Dove Energy Glow.

Since we’re having a sudden burst of summer-like weather, this weekend I’ll be hosting the first BBQ dinner party of the season. And even though I love indulging in a big juicy cheeseburger, I know there must be a healthier option.

I found this yummy recipe for California Burgers from Cooking Light. Instead of beef, the patties are made from ground turkey mixed with shallots, garlic and Worcestershire sauce. And they’re topped with alfalfa sprouts, avocado slices, pickles, red onion, red leaf lettuce and a special sauce. The added fiber and nutrients combined with the reduction in saturated fat make this 384 calorie burger a more diet-friendly choice.

Get the full recipe here.

No matter how healthy and fit you strive to be, I think we all have our weaknesses. Mine is cupcakes. And the big problem is that NYC has no shortage of amazing bakeries that specialize in just that. So I’ve declared April a cupcake free month. Who’s with me?

So far, so good. I can only imagine the pounds of sugar and butter that goes into one of these delicious treats. And I know that they have a way of sending me into a sugar shock (slash euphoria) that quickly makes me sick! But oh how I love them anyway. What’s your major weakness?