Jillian Michaels shares tips for avoiding diet pitfalls

>>> "today's" health. biggest loser fitness expert jillian michaels has spent more than 20 years helping people reach their target weight. she started when she was 5. she's at it again with her new

book, sl"slim for life: my secrets to" what do you want people to come away with?

>> it's no nonsense, cut to the chase . lose the weight and keep it off.

>> the book is interactive. at the end of each chapter you have a points system?

>> the idea is that nothi g everything is going to work for everybody mentally and physically. there's all these different strategies. you check the ones that you feel you can apply in your life and then i'll say, look, this one has more impact than that one. you kind of add it up. at the end i tell you where you're at and what you can do to make improvements or accelerate your results.

>> so you can tailor it to yourself?

>> exactly.

>> the chapter titled "evading pitfalls" how to evade hunger. you have four tips in each section. let's start off. think it through.

>> right. so, think it through. now, when you're going to eat something bad for you, stop and go from an impulsive state of i want this now, i need the comfort to how am i going to feel after i've eaten it? how am i going to feel when i get on the scale next monday? how am i going to feel a month from now when i'm five pounds up? it shifts you to a place of logic and better understanding.

>> cravings, so difficult. you say play a zero sum game . what do you mean by that?

>> again, stop and think these fries are 500 calories. that's an hour on the treadmill. my favorite cravings trick, have three bites. go do something to make yourself busy, if it doesn't pass in 15 minutes , have another three bites.

>> after the first three it plateaus.

>> you get mindless about it. walk away . tell yourself if i want more, i'll have more. engage in something else. it usually will pass.

>> get busy.

>> occupy yourself. put the kids to bed, get ready for work the next day and ultimately you'll forget about it. it will pass.

>> managing stress, probably one of the most underrated aspects of weight loss , which is a little hard for us doing this business, this show, is getting enough sleep.

>> sleep is so critical from a biochemical perspective, with regard to your metabolism. sleep is the number one thing you can do that is not fitness or diet related for weight management.

>> what foods help you manage stress?

>> foods with a lot of b vitamins . that's going to be fantastic. you're thinking chicken breast , some grass-fed steak or take a b supplement, b complex that's going to help you stay mellow.

>> get horizontal.

>> okay. i hate talking about this publicly, but get busy with your significant other.

>> ahh.

>> and it's great for your state of mind and your biochemistry.

>> your biochemistry?

>> yeah, and an average effort.

>> i don't think i've ever seen you --

>> i hate talking about it.

>> this is great.

>> i hate talking about this. but it's really good.

>> are you having --

>> get your groove on. it's valentine's day. average effort burns a couple hundred calories.

>> why did you look at me when you say average effort?

>> no! you're an animal! i'm dying. get me out of this, please.

>> parents. you know, the kids -- look, they're everything to you. but you say one of the ways to make your workouts work is to fit in working out with your kids.

>> exactly. if you have little ones , put them in a bike seat and go for a bike ride. put them in a carrier, go for a hi hike. walk the dogs with your kids f they're older, shoot hoops with them. take skiing lessons with them. play with them. get active.

>> which helps them.

>> tremendously, showing them that fitness is fun.

>> mommy's a little sleepy right now.

>> mommy woke up at 5:00. so mommy as you know raveling a little. thanks for pointing that out.

>> i know you got a little proclemt there.

>> thanks, al.

>>> speaker boehner and next. first this is "today" on nbc.

>>> back now at 8:44 and mover our exclusive interview with speaker john boehner . he can invite anyone he wants to,