Recently, Kaiser Permanente conducted a study that made headlines: Keeping a food journal doubles weight loss. Those of the 1,700 who kept track lost an average of 13 pounds in six months.

That's an easy tip for those of us who are so busy we can't even schedule time for dieting on our BlackBerries. However, there was another kernel buried within the study literature that didn't make it to the headlines, but is also welcome news for busy bodies.

More than two-thirds lost at least 9 pounds. This was deemed enough to make significant dents in health risks. It prompted study co-author Victor Stevens, Ph.D., to recommend, "If we all lost just nine pounds — our nation would see vast decreases in hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and stroke."

In fact, previously Stevens found that losing 5 pounds can reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure by 20 percent.

Pull out your cell phone and text yourself a shorthand version of what you just ate, or jot it down on a Post-it note (even brief scribbling was shown to work). Watch 5 pounds melt away, and know that you've made major strides without the time commitment.

Quick-cook guides help. Try "speed-read dieting" by following recipes condensed to a paragraph or less. The new excellent "Cooking Light Complete Cookbook" (Oxmoor House, $34.95) is full of them. For example, the recipe for Italian Broccoli: "Steam 1 pound broccoli spears, covered, 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Toss with 3 tablespoons fat-free Italian dressing; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese for a yield of 4 servings."

David Zinczenko's blog on Yahoo! Health (http://health.yahoo.com/experts/eatthis), based on "Eat This, Not That" (Rodale, $19.95) — his bestseller about easily swapping foods for weight loss — is also a wealth of such praiseworthy paragraph-length recipes and tips; you can even click through them speedily between phone calls and e-mails at work.

Harley Pasternak, nutritionist/physical trainer to the stars as well as creator of the best-selling "Five Factor Diet" (Meredith, $24.95), also has losing 5 pounds down to an easy science thanks to his five meal-a-day plan. The meals feature five ingredients per recipe with just five minute prep times, which has helped tone ultra-busy workaholics like Halle Berry and Kanye West. For a quick start, give his Pink Pizza a try:

PINK PIZZA

4 large whole-grain or whole-wheat tortillas

1 cup tomato sauce

3/4 cup nonfat ricotta cheese

1 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

3/4 cup shredded nonfat mozzarella cheese

Yields 2 servings.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Place tortillas on baking sheet; bake for 2 minutes. Carefully remove from oven.

Ladle half of tomato sauce over tortillas; spread with ricotta cheese. Ladle on remaining tomato sauce; sprinkle with sun-dried tomatoes and shredded mozzarella. Bake until cheese is melted.

—"The 5 Factor Diet: 5 Meals a Day, 5 Ingredients Per Recipe, 5 Minute Prep Time" by Harley Pasternak with Myatt Murphy (Meredith, $24.95).

LAMB AND TEMPEH KEBABS

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup packed coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/2 cup packed coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

4 garlic cloves, peeled

2 1/2 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt

2 teaspoons ground cumin, preferably toasted and freshly ground

1 teaspoon ground coriander, preferably toasted and freshly ground

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

12 ounces boneless lamb, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

2/3 cup water

8 ounces tempeh, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes (see Note)

Assorted vegetables for skewering, such as summer squash, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes and onions

Yields 2 servings of lamb kebabs and 2 servings of tempeh kebabs.

In food processor, combine lemon juice, parsley, cilantro, garlic, salt, cumin, coriander, paprika and cayenne pepper; process to a smooth paste. Add olive oil and process until thoroughly combined.

To prepare lamb: Place cubed lamb in bowl, add half lemon juice mixture; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Soak 4 (10- to 12-inch) or 8 (4- to 6-inch) wooden skewers in cold water for at least 1 hour, or use metal skewers.

Light a grill fire.

To prepare tempeh: Whisk remaining lemon juice mixture with 2/3 cup of water. Arrange tempeh cubes in one layer in large skillet; pour lemon juice-water mixture over them. Bring to simmer over high heat, cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook until most of liquid is absorbed and white streaks in tempeh have disappeared. Needs to be uniform in color all the way through, about 15 minutes. If pan looks dry before tempeh is cooked through, add a little more water.

Thread lamb onto half the skewers and tempeh onto half the skewers, alternating with vegetables. Grill kebabs, turning occasionally, until well charred on all sides, 8 to 12 minutes. Serve immediately.

Note: Tempeh is a high-protein, no-cholesterol, low-fat soybean cake found alongside tofu in many supermarkets and health food stores.

—"The Flexitarian Table: Inspired, Flexible Meals for Vegetarians, Meat Lovers, and Everyone In Between" by Peter Berley with Zoe Singer (Houghton Mifflin, $30).

Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the author of seven food books, including "Mrs. Cubbison's Best Stuffing Cookbook" and "The Sourdough Bread Bowl Cookbook." She also writes the Creators News Service "Cooks' Books" column.. To find out more about Lisa Messinger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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