If you’re trying to lose weight, you know you need to eat less and exercise more. But what do you do if your copy needs to lose a few pounds, too?

Here’s how to get rid of those extra words and flabby paragraphs to make your writing leaner and more fit:

		Create a meal plan. People are more likely to stick to their diet if they plan ahead. When you’re writing, make sure you decide on one, clear point to focus on to avoid going off on a tangent.
	Avoid junk food. It’s tasty, but dieters stay away from junk food because it has no nutritional value. Writers should avoid buzzwords that sound impressive, but provide little meaning, such as “paradigm” or “enterprise-wide.”
	Choose smaller portions. People love those 100-calorie snack packs because they satisfy hunger and prevent overeating. When writing an email, limit the message to 50 words to help recipients get the information they need more quickly.
	Exercise daily. Diets work better when you stay active. When you’re writing a headline, make it clear what you want people to do by using active verbs such as “sign up” or “remember.”