Some of these may not suit every one here so left some of the 50 out of those listed on the website below; but you can find them on the MSN net!
Get messy; With these insider tricks, weight loss can be simple, easy-to-understand, and cheap or even free.
Candy wrappers, fruit peels, nut shells, chicken bones: When it comes to eating messy food, it may be better to let the garbage pile up on the table rather than demurely throwing it away as you go. Seeing the debris left from your food is a visual reminder of exactly how much you’ve eaten and can provide a reminder to stop when you’re full, according to research done by the Cornell Food and Brand Lab. Don’t miss these.
Hang out with friends of all sizes
Forget opposites attract. Researchers have long noted that people tend to gravitate toward those who are the most like them. We prefer people who share our political and religious views, who are of a similar heritage or geographic location and, it turns out, who have similar weights as we do. But if you’re overweight and trying to drop a few pounds this could work against you, according to a study published in Obesity. Researchers found that dieters lost more weight when they hung out with thinner friends, possibly because of social pressure and because they followed their friends’ examples. This doesn’t mean you should only hang out with people skinnier than you; just make sure your friend group includes plenty of people who are different than you and can challenge you to improve—in all areas of your life. And don’t forget to be a good friend;
Change one single word
If you think of eating veggies and hitting the gym as unbearable hardships, then they will always feel that way and you’ll never do them. But if you can change your mind set to a more positive one, you can increase your chances of success. How? It’s as easy as swapping out one little word, according to Susan David, PhD, a psychologist at Harvard Medical School, co-founder of the Institute of Coaching at McLean Hospital, and CEO of Evidence Based Psychology. All it takes is reframing your thoughts from ‘I have to’ to ‘I want to,’ she told Business Insider. That expression puts you in the driver’s seat. It makes being healthy your choice, not your burden.
Turn up the lights
Dim, sultry lighting may be ideal for a romantic dinner—there’s nothing more flattering than candlelight!—but if you’re watching your waistline you’re going to want to brighten the place up, according to a study published in the Journal of Marketing Research. Diners who ate in well-lit dining areas were 16 to 24 percent more likely to order healthy fare, the researchers found. Natural pessimist?
Ditch the diet drinks
Ordering a diet soda may seem like a good compromise between sticking to your diet and still having a beverage you love. But the artificial sweeteners used in most calorie-free drinks don’t lead to weight loss and can even cause weight gain, according to research published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism. The artificial chemicals interfere with important enzymes and hormones in your body, leading to increased waist size, they report.
Outsource portion control
Portion control is the unsexy basis of weight loss. But while that makes sense in theory, when you’re faced with the reality of a gallon of ice cream and a bowl, how exactly are you supposed to know how much a half-cup serving really is? Fortunately, taking the guesswork out of portion control is as easy as buying a set of dishes or containers that are calibrated to measure out a single serving of different types of foods. Another option is to buy food prepackaged into single-servings, like frozen entrees. People who used outside measures of portion control lost considerably more weight than those who tried to figure it out on their own in a study published in Obesity. These are the best portion control tricks for weight loss.
Dine in your dining room
Eat-in kitchens are great for convenience but may be not so great for your waistline, according to a study published in Environment and Behavior. Researchers found that people who ate in open concept areas—like the kitchen/great room in most new homes today—ate more food than those who ate in a separate room. Being able to see the extra food and having such easy access to it encourages people to eat more, even if they’d already eaten until they were full.
Dab a little vanilla on your wrists
Vanilla, one of the key smells in homemade cookies, may be a key to effortless weight loss, according to a study done by St. George’s hospital in London. Participants who wore a vanilla-scented patch reported fewer cravings, especially those for desserts and sweets.
Clean your kitchen
Cluttered, messy kitchens take a toll on your sanity and your waistline, according to a study published in Environment and Behavior. People who ate in a cluttered kitchen ate twice as many snacks as those who had cleaned up their space. And the effect was even worse for people who reported being under a lot of stress. When you’re having a hard day, doing chores may be last on your list, but if you’re trying to lose weight, it may be worth it to suck it up and do it. Bonus: Clean spoons for breakfast tomorrow!
Eat lunch with your boss
Women who ate with someone they considered ‘high status,’ ate significantly less than people who dined with those they saw as equals, according to research done by Vanderbilt University. ‘Arguably people with higher status are more weight-conscious, they’re more concerned about their own body image, and they’re more likely to practice weight-related lifestyle such as dietary habits and physical activities and control their weight,’ says Lijun Song, PhD, lead author and professor of sociology. ‘And if you are surrounded by people like that, you’re exposed to a stronger network norm of weight control. You’re more likely to become more conscious of your body weight, more likely to receive assistance with weight management, and are more likely to observe and imitate weight-control behaviors.’
Vacation in the mountains
There’s a reason that Colorado is the both the slimmest and the steepest state in the nation. The higher up you live, the lower your weight, according to a study done by the U.S. Air Force. But don’t sell your beach-front property and head for the hills just yet—the altitude effect can be balanced out by cultivating other good weight-related habits that can taken up anywhere, like walking outdoors and managing your stress. Case in point: Hawaii is the third thinnest state, and they’re the definition of sea level. They’re also pretty zen, thanks to the Hawaiian language itself.
Avoid pollution as much as possible
People who live close to roadways with a high level of air pollution are also more likely to gain weight, according to a study from the University of Southern California. Unfortunately air pollution is likely not under your direct control, but you can make an effort to avoid hanging out in areas with very polluted air, like smoke-filled bars. And consider buying a filter to increase the air quality in your home. Here are 15 more ways to make your indoor air cleaner and safer.
Turn down the thermostat
Our climate-controlled homes may be one factor in the obesity epidemic, according to a study published in the journal Cell. The scientists found that regular exposure to mildly cold weather—as would have been normal in the days before programmable thermostats—helps the human body regulate a healthy weight. Chilly air may increase your metabolism by forcing your body to work harder to cope with the changing conditions. And you don’t have to do a polar plunge or sleep in a snow cave to see results, say the researchers. Just lowering your thermostat by a few degrees or turning the shower briefly to cold can help. Here are other
Water, on the rocks
Drinking more water can help you feel full and eat less food, but if you’re really trying to lose weight, make sure yours is on ice. People who drank six cups of chilled water a day raised their resting metabolism by 12 percent, burning an extra 50 calories, according to a study published in the Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism. The body has to work harder to bring the water to a warmer temperature before digesting it, therefore burning more calories. Fifty calories may not seem like much but over time it can help you lose about five pounds a year, the researchers say.
Take a good multivitamin
Vitamins have come under fire recently for being a waste of money but if you’re trying to lose weight, they might be worth your cash. In a Chinese study of obese women, researchers found that those who took a daily multivitamin lost significantly more body fat than those who took a placebo pill. Why? It’s possible to be overweight yet undernourished, a state that could cause the body to crave more food as a way to get necessary nutrients, the authors note.
Buy blackout curtains
If you fall asleep to the gentle glow of your phone’s screen, the television, or even a nightlight, it’s time to find a new bedtime routine, as an Ohio State University study found that blue light during slumber can cause you to gain weight. The light can alter your circadian rhythm, causing you to get less deep sleep and to eat more during the daytime. In the study, mice who slept with a light on gained 50 percent more weight than their furry friends who slept in pitch black. And even though this study was done on mice, the researchers say the results still apply to humans. People who sleep with the light on experience hormonal disruptions just like the mice, and previous studies on shift workers have found those whose schedules require them to sleep when it’s light out tend to gain weight.
Skip the antibiotics unless you really need them
The more antibiotics a person takes during their lifetime, particularly as a child, the higher their risk of obesity, according to an NYU study. Researchers speculate that the antibiotics wipe out good bacteria along with the bad bacteria, leading to weight gain, as good bacteria have been shown to help prevent weight gain. If you have to take an antibiotic, just be sure to take care of your microbiome, that community of gut bugs, by taking a probiotic and eating plenty of fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi.
Eat a serving of beans every day
Beans, beans the magical fruit. The more you eat the more you… lose weight? It’s true, according to research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In the study, people who ate just 3/4 cup of beans, peas, chickpeas, or lentils a day lost half a pound a week without changing their diet or exercise habits. Legumes are full of fiber and protein, a combo that can keep you satisfied for hours. Check out the surprising health benefits (and a few risks) of beans.
Swap dinner plates for salad plates
A quick fix to the portion problem is to simply use smaller dishes. Eating off of salad plates instead of dinner plates or using children’s bowls instead of large soup bowls can help you feel like you’re still getting a full plate’s worth of food but with less actual food on the plate, says Cornell’s Food Lab. And don’t forget to also leave the serving bowls in the kitchen to make mindless refills less convenient.
Get a good night’s sleep
In our busy world, sleep is often the first thing to go, but skimping on even an hour of sleep can take a serious toll on your waistline. Getting less than seven hours of sleep made people eat an average of 500 extra calories the next day, according to research done by the National Institutes of Health. Plus exhaustion messes with your hormones, which can also lead to weight gain. Hit the sack early and make consistent sleep your top weight-loss priority. These are the secrets sleep doctors use to get quality shut-eye.
Watch food additives
Junk food isn’t great for your weight or your health, but it turns out it’s not just the empty calories and trans fats doing the damage. Some of the most popular food additives are linked with weight gain and obesity, according to a study done by Georgia State University. Emulsifiers, which are added to most processed foods for texture and to extend shelf life, are one of the worst offenders as they interfere with good gut bacteria. And some artificial flavorings, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and even food packaging have also been linked in research to obesity. No one is saying you can’t indulge in your favorite treat but try to pick one without extra additives—it’ll taste just as great. Not convinced? These are the signs you’re eating too many preservatives.
Look before you eat
Do you eat healthfully at home but get distracted from your weight-loss goal by delicious food at parties? Try this simple trick from the Cornell Food and Brand Lab the next time you go out: Browse all the available food first before taking a bite. Just the act of looking at the food will help you slow down and allow you to prioritize which ones you enjoy the most and which ones you don’t like as much. Planning out your meal will help you eat more mindfully.
Talk about your favorite meal
Sharing your favorite dinner recipe on Gupshup :), chatting with a friend about what you had for dinner, or even snapping pics of your meals and posting them to Instagram can help you shed weight. Why? It isn’t the act of sharing what you ate that makes this so effective—so no worries if you’re one of those who hates food pictures on social media—but rather it is the act of remembering what you ate, according to a study from Oxford. The researchers found that recalling the details of recent meals caused people to eat less at their next meal. So feel free to rhapsodize about that amazing brunch you made; your waistline will thank you.
An apple a day keeps the tummy pooch away
The next time you’re staring into the fridge waiting for the perfect snack to jump out at you, try going for an apple first. Fruits in general are high in fiber and nutrients, and eating a few servings every day can help you lose weight, according to a study done by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. Researchers found that people who ate at least one apple a day lost more weight than those who skipped fruit. Not an apple fan? Try one of these healthy smoothies that use fruit combined with other tasty ingredients.
Don’t get sucked in by ‘health halos’
When given snacks labeled as ‘low fat’ or ‘all natural,’ people ate far more than when the snacks weren’t touted as healthy, according to a study done by the Cornell Food and Brand Lab. Overeating is brought on by the ‘health halo’ effect, by which people assume that because something is labeled as healthy, they can eat as much of it as they like. Unfortunately many of these so-called health foods aren’t any better for you than the regular varieties (and often cost more!)
Eat breakfast
Eating a hearty breakfast high in protein has been linked in numerous studies to weight loss and a lower BMI, yet so many dieters try to cut out the ‘most important meal of the day’ to save calories. This strategy can backfire later in the day when extreme hunger prompts you to eat everything in sight. It’s no accident that nearly 100 percent of people on the National Weight Loss Registry—a database of people who’ve lost at least 40 pounds and kept it off for a year or more—report eating breakfast every day.
Cook at home
Food prepared at home is not only likely to be cheaper and more nutritious, but it may also be more likely to help you lose weight, even if you’re not cooking ‘diet’ recipes, according to a study done by Cornell University. Home cooks have more control over portion sizes and ingredients, and don’t feel compelled to finish everything on their plate because they paid someone else to make it and serve it to them. Plus leftovers make healthy eating a cinch the next day as well. Here’s how to reheat leftovers to get the best taste.
Water, water, water
‘It’s easy to confuse thirst with hunger, leading to mindless snacking that never satiates,’ says Ashley Pettit, certified holistic nutritionist, fitness chef, and personal trainer. To make sure you’re not confusing hydration for hunger, try to drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day. So if you weight 140 pounds, aim for 70 ounces of water over the course of the day, she advises. These flavor tricks make it easier to drink your fill.
Jot down what you eat
Keeping a food journal doubled the amount of weight people lost in a study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine. ‘The more food records people kept, the more weight they lost,’ said lead author Jack Hollis PhD, a researcher at Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore. ‘It seems that the simple act of writing down what you eat encourages people to consume fewer calories.’
Take a probiotic supplement
Your microbiome, the balance of bacteria in your gut, affects everything from your mood to how many colds you get. And now you can add your weight to that list, says a study published in International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. People who took a daily probiotic supplement had lower weights and BMIs than people who didn’t. They lost even more weight when they took more than one type of probiotic and took the supplements for longer than eight weeks. Don’t love popping pills? Eat these 7 foods guaranteed to boost your good gut bacteria.
Practice mindfulness
‘I(not the OP) lost over 200 pounds and have kept it off for over a decade, so I can tell you from experience that of everything I’ve ever tried, there is nothing as powerful as using your mind to change your body,’ says Jon Gabriel, the author of The Gabriel Method, a book in which he shares his weight-loss journey and the mindfulness strategies he used along the way. ‘I don’t care how well you eat, how much you exercise, or how many books you read; if you’re not dealing with the mental and emotional stresses in your life and integrating your mind into your healing process, you’ll never achieve your weight-loss goals long term.’ At the very least, it can’t hurt to try being more mindful. What’s the worst that can happen—you’ll spend 10 minutes of your day in quiet reflection?