Are you ready to drop those extra pounds once and for all? Would you like to learn some extremely simple and easy to use tricks to help you along the way?
#1 – Eat on smaller plates
This is more of a mind trick than anything, but it really does help. Generally when you’re trying to lose weight, you cut down on portion sizes, right?
Well, it’s pretty daunting to look at a huge plate that is only half full. It leaves you feeling deprived and restricted – two things that can send any emotional eater on a binge.
However, if you use a smaller plate you can put the same amount of food on it and instead of looking sparse, it appears to be overflowing. Your mind processes that as overabundance (which is a good thing) versus deprivation (which is negative and can lead to abandoning weight loss altogether).
#2 – Eat slowly
Research has shown time and time again that fast eaters generally weigh more than slow eaters. Why? It takes time for your mind and body to register when you are full. So, if you eat faster than that satiation trigger, you’re going to be over-full by the time you realize you’ve had enough.
You’ll find it much easier to lose weight then if you eat slowly and intentionally. Put your utensils down between bites to prolong the experience and chew your food thoroughly so that your body has more time to process it. Take your time and savor the experience.
#3 – If you’re eating out, order first
Have you ever went out to a restaurant with family or friends and had the intention of ordering a healthy meal but been sidelined when others in your party chose higher fat fare? It’s pretty easy to do when you want nothing more than to be able to enjoy yourself, just like everyone else.
However, you need to remember that enjoying yourself now means that you’re not going to enjoy yourself later if you’re at a higher weight than you want to be. So, one way to avoid giving in to ordering food you swore you wouldn’t is to be the first to order.
Who knows? Maybe you’ll inspire others to make healthier choices too!
#4 – Choose foods that you don’t tempt you
If you know that you chicken wings are your weakness, for instance, don’t even put them in front of you. Sure, you may tell yourself that you’ll only eat half of them, but what is the reality that you’ll stick to that? If you’re like most people, you’re not going to.
While you certainly want to like the food that you eat, that doesn’t mean that you have to eat foods that are major problems for you. If there is a certain dish or snack that you can’t stop yourself with, then stay away from it. Not forever – just until you are stronger and better able to deal with it appropriately.
#5 – Stay off the scale
Although most people use the scale as their sole source of weight loss measurement, weighing yourself obsessively is one of the most damaging things you can do to yourself mentally.
You let that little square box dictate whether you’re “good” or “bad” and when it isn’t positive news, you may just trigger an eating binge that sends you even further from your goal.
I have always lost more weight when I avoided the scale than when I used it religiously. I pay more attention to my body and how foods made me feel instead of fighting the numbers on the dial. As a result, I make better choices for the right reasons.
#6 – Get your beauty sleep
If you’re the woman who burns the candle at both ends, you’re not doing your weight loss any favors. When you’re tired and worn down, your immune system suffers as does your ability to cope with life. Both of these things can contribute to taking in more calories than you need.
Aim for 7-9 hours of shut-eye a night. Ultimately, you want to let your body go through four REM (Rapid Eye Movement) cycles in order to rejuvenate your body and your mind. Get less than that and you’ll find it more difficult to make healthy choices and reach those weight loss goals.
There you have it: Ten simple and effortless weight loss tricks that anyone can use. Start doing them today and you’ll begin to feel better tomorrow. And lighter too.
