It’s probably one of the most cliché things to say, but it’s true: maintaining weight loss is hard work.

If it were so easy, you wouldn’t hear about New Year’s Resolutions for weight loss, or you wouldn’t see people doing everything in their power to get thin and fit.

Even though losing weight is hard, there are some ways to make maintaining your weight a little easier, especially when it comes to fighting those hard-to-ignore food cravings.

Here are some tips and tricks you may have never thought of before that can help you stay on track.

Brush Your Teeth

Other than making your teeth pearly white, it is common knowledge that toothpaste makes even the greatest-tasting food taste plain “yucky”.

You may brush your teeth to prevent cavities, and using toothpaste as a roadblock for cravings may seem a little strange—but it works!

Think about it. If you brush your teeth before you go to sleep, it’s because you are done eating for the day. Even if you don’t go to sleep right away, you are less likely to eat anything simply because your teeth have already been cleaned and polished. Why not take this same philosophy, and use it to control those powerful cravings for all things sweet between meals.

Keep a small compact toothbrush handy at home or when you are at the office. Always make sure to brush your teeth after your lunch break. By the time dinner rolls around, the toothpaste taste should be worn off, leaving you room to enjoy a healthy and delicious meal.

Set Aside Some Time to Snooze

One of the biggest triggers of food cravings is fatigue. That’s why most of us reach for the sugar-coated doughnut, or the candy bar for a jolt of energy when 2pm rolls around.

Well, instead of satisfying your sugar itch, reach for the light switch instead.

Power napping has been shown to help boost your memory, cognitive skills, creativity and energy levels. Usually all you need is about 10-20 minutes.

Taking a power nap here and there is also better for your diet. A healthy diet will always prescribe a good dose of rest in order to stay on track. If you don’t get enough rest, you are more likely to reach for things like high-sugar energy drinks or coffee to get you back up to speed.

So, shake off your mid-day sugar habit and hit the snooze button instead.

Chew, Chew, Chew!

Chewing gum has actually been shown to help you maintain a healthy weight by controlling food cravings. In fact, a study conducted in 2007 showed that chewing gum not only helps control your appetite, but dieters usually reduce their calorie intake from snacks by about 25 calories.

Even though chewing gum is helpful, you want to stick with the sugar-free kind if you are going to maintain a healthy weight. Not only to keep your bright smile, but to keep those temptations for sweets out of where they should be—your appetite.