Trying to lose weight? Here’s some advice on dealing with temptation 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:

“I have a standing order with a Belgian chocolate shop on Robson Street in Vancouver. Whenever I receive it in the mail every six months, guilt overcomes me as though I’m opening porn. I don’t care that it puts on the pounds — OK, I do care — but I’ll eat it anyway. Life’s too fleeting not to give in to your aching passions every now and then.”

—Edgar Poma, San Francisco, Calif., lost 30 pounds

“I exercise willpower at the store; this way I don’t have to be strong at home. I simply don’t buy things like cookies, candy, and chips.”

—Deanna Macungie, Pennsylvania

“I’m a taco bell freak; that’s how I put on my weight. When I got out of the Navy, I weighed 175 pounds. Then I met my girlfriend, and she worked at the mall, and I would pick her up. We would always stop to eat at Taco Bell. I was eating double-stuffed burritos at 10:30 p.m. A year later I was up to 195 pounds. Taco Bell is a guilty pleasure I’ll probably never give up.”

—Joe, Milwaukee, lost 25 pounds

“If I had a taste for some chocolate at work I would not simply walk to the nearest vending machine and buy a Kit-Kat bar. I would walk down the seven flights of stairs and three blocks to the little store, and buy the candy there. Then I’d walk back up the stairs to my desk. At least I got some exercise in the process.”

—Michelle Watson, Churchill, Ohio, lost 20 pounds

“Pasta: I come from an Italian family where pasta and wine were on the table for just about every meal we had. And I guess old habits die hard. It’s hard to give it up because it feels like my body really needs it. To make matters worse I like to top the pasta with parmesan cheese whenever it’s available. And in my house it’s always available.”

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.