Dec.17: COVER STORY
20 unusual ways to shed weight
Tired of dieting and exercise? Want to try something different? Here are some tips that will help you lose weight. A few may sound bizarre, but they may work!
1. Keep a food diary: Studies have found that people who keep food diaries eat 15% less food than those who don’t. Watch out for weekends though. A University of North Carolina study found people tend to consume an extra 115 calories on each weekend day.
2. Take pictures of your food: In addition to writing down what you eat, take a picture of it. According to the book Nutrition & You, snapping photos and looking at them can make people stop and think before indulging themselves.
3. Think positive: Keep telling yourself things like – “I can lose weightâ€, “I will go out for a walk today†and “I will resist eating dessertâ€. Repeat these phrases and soon they will come true. Auto-suggestion does work.
4. Cut down on TV time: A study of 76 undergraduate students found that the more they watched television, the more often and the more quantity they ate. Give up one or two shows and go for a walk instead.
5. Eat in front of mirrors: One study found that eating in front of mirrors reduced the amount people ate by nearly one-third. The reason: It makes you conscious of the quantity of food you are eating. Also, having to look yourself in the eye makes you remember your goals.
6. Get rid of your loose clothes: Once you’ve started losing weight, give away clothes that don’t fit. The thought of having to buy a whole new wardrobe if you regain the weight will act as a strong incentive to stay fit.
7. Eating with your less-favoured hand: A study released by the Journal of Personality & Social Psychology indicated that people who ate popcorn while watching movies consumed less when they ate with their non-dominant hand. As this does not feel natural, you are less likely to eat mindlessly.
8. Surround yourself with blue: Believe it or not, the colour blue acts as an appetite suppressant. Researchers have found that people eat 33% less in a blue room. Bluish light evidently makes food look less appealing. So eat on blue plates and use a blue tablecloth. Avoid red, yellow, and orange as studies find that they encourage eating.
9. Never eat in your pyjamas: Loose clothing gives you illusions of being slimmer and makes you complacent. So, you may eat more and consume high-calorie treats.
10. Sleep in a cold room: A chilly bedroom can help improve your metabolism, according to an article in Obesity Reviews. This is because the body will be forced to burn calories to keep itself warm.
11. Put your spoon down between every bite: This practice will slow down your eating and your brain will tell you that you are full.
12. Sit at the end of the table: According to experts, if you sit at the centre spots it will make it easy for you to help yourself to the food.
13. Keep your surroundings tidy: The neater your environment, the healthier the foods you will choose. Junk food is usually linked to messy spaces.
14. Brush your teeth often: Brush your teeth gently with a mint-flavoured toothpaste two to three times a day to control snacking. Your brain will tell you that it prefers the clean feeling than getting your mouth smelly again.
15. Tie a ribbon round your waist: A number of French women wear a ribbon around their waist underneath their clothes when they go out for dinner. It keeps them conscious of their tummy, particularly if the ribbon starts to feel tighter, and makes them eat less.
16. Turn the lights up and the tunes down: Dim lighting lowers eating inhibitions. Soft background music encourages leisurely chewing and prevents stress-related, mindless eating patterns.
17. Eat chocolate for breakfast: Add a few chocolate chips to oats or sip on a chocolate protein smoothie. Tasting something sweet in the morning in a healthy way will prevent you from going on a binge later in the day.
18. Go for big chunks: Cutting your vegetables into big chunks can help you shed weight. Eating large pieces requires more chewing and more effort to eat. That will slow down the pace of eating and help you feel full sooner.
19. Close the kitchen for 12 hours: After dinner, turn out the light in the kitchen, and, if necessary, close the snack cupboard and refrigerator with tape. This may sound a bit extreme but late-night snacking is a major culprit in weight gain.
20. Pay for food with cash: Buying food with cash instead of a credit or debit card makes you more conscious about how much you’re spending. So, you are less likely to buy junk food and items you don’t really need.
Weight-loss habits from around the world
Eat spicy food. Thai food is among the spiciest in the world. Spicy food boosts the metabolism and slows your eating.
Eat at home more often. Poles typically spend only 5% of their family budget on eating out. People who eat out a lot tend to eat less-healthy food and gain weight.
Have rice and beans. Brazilians stay slim by enjoying this traditional dish with every meal. A study in the journal Obesity Research found that a diet consisting primarily of rice and beans lowers the risk of becoming overweight by about 14% when compared to typical western fare.
Ride your bicycle. Bicycles outnumber people in the Netherlands! Experts say that casual riding for errands and commuting can burn around 500 calories an hour.
Try a bowl of muesli. The ingredients – oats, fruit and nuts – have all been linked to weight control. Muesli was developed by a Swiss physician.
Eat more pickles. Hungarians pickle cucumbers, bell peppers, cabbage and tomatoes in brine and vinegar. Growing evidence suggests that acetic acid, the main component of vinegar, helps reduce fat formation.
Sources: www.rd.com, vkool.com, www.womenshealthmag.com, www.besthealthmag.ca
