Trying to lose weight? Here’s some advice on sticking with it and keeping it off from the book “How to Lose 9,000 lbs. (or Less)” (Hundreds of Heads Books, www.hundredsofheads.com, $13.95), straight from people who’ve done it:

“If you go off your diet for a day or two, don’t think, ‘Well, I might as well give up.’ You can –– and will –– bounce back. But if you use a little weakness as an excuse to totally go off your program, you’re in for trouble. Everyone fails from time to time.”

—Anne Smalley, Woodbury, N.J., lost 10 pounds

“I have a ‘dieter’s group’ of four women. We log our calories every day and send them to each other via e-mail. This way, we’re more accountable. Instead of putting those Oreo cookies in your mouth before bedtime, you think, ‘I’ll have to report it.’”

—Cecilia Carson, Columbia, Mo., lost 11 pounds

“To motivate myself to work out and eat healthier I tell myself the following: ‘You like to have sex. The better shape you are in, the better off you are in that department.’ Therefore, sex is my driving point!”

—J.S., Iowa City, Iowa, lost 25 pounds

“No fluctuation is OK. If you start saying stuff like, ‘Oh, it’s only one pound,’ then suddenly that one pound becomes two, then three, then four. I immediately nip any weight gain in the bud. I’m a lifetime member of Weight Watchers, and in the maintenance stage they only allow a two-pound fluctuation before they start charging you money. What a great incentive to stay on track.”

—S. Bilby, Arvada, Colo., lost 20 pounds

“I think I’ll be writing down what I eat for a very long time. Even on the days where I’m keeping mental track, I end up jotting it down later. You can’t fall into the old, ‘Well, I screwed up the whole day already so why not finish it off with a bang.’ Each meal is a choice, and chance to start over.”

Hundreds of Heads Books’ survival guides offer the wisdom of the masses by assembling the experiences and advice of hundreds of people who have gone through life’s biggest challenges and have insight to share.