Diet Tricks
To help you stick with your diet and meet your weight loss goals, WebMD asked several nutrition and fitness experts to share their secrets of success. The diet tips that follow can help you get on the fast track to safe weight loss, no matter what kind of diet you’re on.
Structure meal and snack times
Long stretches without food makes people crave energy-dense carbs and can make it difficult for people to make healthy choices and watch portion sizes when they do eat. Lippert advises planning meals and snacks in advance, allowing your body to settle into a predictable routine and helping you avoid desperate energy crashes.
Quirky Weight-Loss Strategies That Really Work
Drinking Oil
Critics of olive oil, who usually promote untested alternatives, suggest its lower burning temperature make make it more likely to produce potential carcinogens in cooking. The Shangri-La Diet says you can lose weight by drinking 1-3 tablespoons of sugar water and/or 1-2 tablespoons of extra-light olive oil twice daily between meals. But if you consume foods with little or unfamiliar taste, the brain thinks the body must be starving, thus lowering the set point and causing weight loss.
Spice Up Your Life
A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, berry, bud or other vegetable substance primarily used for flavoring, coloring or preserving food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are parts of leafy green plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Many spices have antimicrobial properties. Adding a wide variety of flavorful spices to your foods can help you control portion sizes and lose weight. The crazier the blends of spices, the more novel the food will taste and the more benefits you’ll reap, so don’t be afraid to mix spices and go out of your comfort zone.
No Snacking
I guess it is not the worst thing to do, especially if you are not overweight. But according to scientists who study the hunger hormones leptin and gherlin, eating too often can mess with your body’s natural signals. A popular method is called the “No S Diet” for no snacks, no sweets, and no seconds, except for on days that start with ‘S’.
Eating Sweets While Cooking
When it comes to eating healthfully, most people wonder where sweets fit in, especially if they are overweight or on a diet. Desserts, chips, junk food, and most sweets are usually the first to go when slashing calories. To quell the tasting urge, some experts recommend sucking on a highly flavored hard candy while you cook.
One Meal a Day
Eating one meal a day can really help you achieve your weight loss goals and maintain your ideal weight. A way to ease into IF is to try to eat just one meal a day. People often find that once they get past the habit of eating all the time, they really don’t miss the extra meals.
Cake for Breakfast
But the experts agreed, a large, balanced breakfast can help maintain weight loss. A substantial breakfast can suppress your hunger cravings and make you less likely to gorge the rest of the day. If you typically have trouble stopping after just one sweet treat, you’re better off skipping this slim-down strategy to avoid undoing any progress you’ve already made.
So create weight loss reminders to help jolt your mind out of old habits and into new ones. Try posting a note on your fridge, reminding you to eat fruits and veggies or drink more water.
