BOSTON -- Chances are that if you've ever been to the doctor, you've heard the advice: exercise, lose weight and don't smoke.

New Weight-Loss Guidelines Menu Maker: Plan A Healthy Meal American Heart Association Advice Heart Risk Test Diet & Fitness Section Dieting Basics

Experts now realize patients need more help, so the American Heart Association is giving doctors some more specific guidelines to help patients battle obesity and its complications, reported WCVB-TV in Boston.

"About 20 years ago, we just said lose weight, exercise, stop smoking, and give that message to every single patient that walked in the door," said Nancy O'Hare, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. "What we've learned is that people are at different stages of change and for different behaviors."

The guidelines suggest that cutting calories should be the top priority for patients who want to lose weight.

A 200-pound person would have to walk briskly for four to five hours a day to get the equal effects of cutting 750 to 1,000 calories from their diet a day.

Try cutting out regular soda, fruit drinks, junk food, and desserts, watching nutrition labels and consider weighing and measuring your food.

"We might think we eat a few meals a day, a couple of snacks, and we're doing OK, but you get really surprised when you see a portion size is a half a cup and you had a cup and a half," said Melissa Booth, of Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton, Mass.

But the American Heart Association guidelines emphasize that regular physical activity is still important for preventing weight regain and reducing the risk of heart disease.

Cutting 1,000 calories a day means you'll lose 2 pounds per week. That's not enough for some people, but experts say you can't get discouraged.

"The patient needs to be saying, 'Gee, what am I ready to do? What am I truly ready to do? What are the limiting factors that I have? What are the things that are going to prevent me from getting to my goal?' And making a list of those," O'Hare said.

O'Hare suggests bringing that list to your doctor and addressing obstacles one by one.

If you need more individualized attention, ask for a referral to a nutritionist.