One thing many people wonder is if there are any ways to "reverse engineer" life moments (just my fancy way of saying tricks) to help with weight loss.
Here are 9 weight loss tricks you can start using today:
PAY ATTENTION TO PORTION SIZES
Studies have shown that eating food off smaller sized plates lead to eating less.
For example, studies were conducted in a controlled laboratory setting where they focused on food and eating habits of participants. They found that many participants had no clue of the changes in the portions offered and how it affected the amount they had eaten (1).
This leads to overeating! Don't overeat!
Unfortunately overeating happens more often than we think. So to solve that problem, pay real close attention to your bowls and dishes. Or better yet, ask for a smaller portions if you're trying to to lose weight. Save leftovers in a to-go box. If you've been constantly on the lookout for weight loss tricks, mark that down!
DON'T GET DISTRACTED
The study also explains that the more people get distracted (eating out for example), the more they become unaware of the portion sizes handed to them. People who were served 50% more pasta ended up eating 43% more than those with normal portions. Yikes!
RESTRICT YOUR ELECTRONICS
An average American adult spends approximately 5 hours a day watching television. Now, it's safe to assume that the time could be spent planning meals for the rest of the week or getting more exercise throughout their day!
If you're one of them (Don't worry, I won't tell anyone) here are a couple of ways to make use of those extra hours:
- Yoga: Doing yoga regularly offers many benefits, including making you feel better about your body as you become stronger and more flexible, toning your muscles, reducing stress, and improving your mental and physical well-being. It also helps with weight loss and you can do it practically anywhere inside your home.
- Dancing
- Collect bugs
- Wash or walk the dog
- Wash the car
- Water your garden
- Write an autobiography or a short story
- Meditation
- Read a newspaper
- Browse the internet
- Make a weight loss smoothie
EAT MORE FRUIT
Many people often associate fruit with sugar--specifically the health conscious eaters. While it is a source of natural sugar, some fruits are rich in fiber and will work wonders for kickstarting your metabolism.
Here are some examples of fruits with plenty of fiber content:
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
- Apples
- Oranges
- Flaxseeds
- Grapefruit
- Watermelons
GO TO BED EARLIER
It's commonly known that the longer your body stays up the more time your hunger signals will kick in, signaling that it's time to eat again--leading into a snacking trap. Curb your cravings by going to bed before those evil cravings get the chance to cry over more food!
You can set the alarm clock at an earlier time instead and enjoy the remaining left over time for some exercise, meditation or meal prepping.
PRACTICE THE 20-MINUTE RULE
Basically any time you eat make sure to give yourself the right portion sizes. Once you finish one portion and are craving for more, put yourself on timeout for at least 20 minutes to see if you're still feeling hungry.
Why 20 minutes?
It takes our bodies around 20 minutes to recognize that we're physically full. And if your stomach still isn't happy, feel free to help yourself to more food. This little trick actually works quite effectively.
SLEEP IN COLDER TEMPERATURE
As humans, our bodies can react in interesting ways to temperature changes. The warmer the temperature is, the less energy/calories your body needs to keep you warm.
What does this mean?
When our bodies are in the thermoneutral zone, this is where our body does not have to regulate our body temperature, so we feel less inclined to eat because we already feel relaxed and the need for satisfaction is less likely to be strongly desired.
However, when our bodies are above or below this zone, we increase the amount of energy we spend, which "decreases energy stores", such as fat (2).
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