Weight Loss Hacks (part 2)
In the quest for weight loss, humans will try pretty much anything.
How far would we go?
Have you ever heard of the tapeworm diet? Google it. You may want to put your lunch down when reading about it.
I have never been into the quick “lose 10 pounds in 24 hours” gadgets or extreme diet plans. Weight loss takes time, work, and in some cases, sacrifices. Great things can be hard at first before they become easy.
But sometimes you come across science-based hacks that can help you either begin your journey or add to your fitness program.
Here are 5 more Weight Loss Hacks that are worth trying (and less drastic than the tapeworm diet.)
1- Dine by a window or in front of a mirror
Studies conducted at the very prestigious Cornell University have shown that if you dine near a window, you’re likely to eat healthier food.
Another research also from Cornell University's Food and Brand Lab found that eating unhealthy food in front of a mirror can make it seem significantly less delicious.
Why?
Because when you look at yourself in the mirror, it enables you to view yourself objectively and helps you judge yourself and your behaviors in the same way you judge others.
So go ahead and put a decorative mirror in your dining room or kitchen. It could help you watch what you eat.
2- Eat with a bigger fork
Here’s an interesting one.
A study at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City conducted a clever experiment.
The study enlisted help from a local Italian restaurant.
They used 2 types of forks. A large fork and a smaller fork.
They then weighed each plate of food before it went out to a customer and once again when it came back, to calculate how much each person had eaten.
The study showed that the customers who were given the bigger forks ate less, leaving more food on their plates at the end of each meal.
Why?
When you sit down for a meal, you generally have one goal in mind: To satisfy your hunger.
If you use a small fork, the food doesn’t disappear as quickly from your plate so you end up eating more and more.
But when you use a big fork, you can see that you’re making progress toward filling your growling stomach, so you’ll stop eating sooner.
The fork effect was less pronounced when diners were served smaller portions, probably because tiny utensils can still make a dent in a modest serving of food.
3- Eat anything peppermint
Are you a night snacker?
Peppermint and other minty flavors help you to stop eating. Chew gum after dinner or brush your teeth to derail post-meal snacking. Try drinking a cup of mint tea to calm your mind and taste buds.
4- Pack your lunch after dinner
For the same reason you tend to buy more unhealthy foods when going to the grocery store hungry, try to always pack the next day’s lunch after dinner when your belly is full. You’re likely to pack a smaller meal with fewer calories.
5- Keep food away from the table
Far from the eyes, far from the mouth.
You are less likely to go for seconds if the bowl of food is away from the table.
If you need to walk to get food, you will eat less.
My Take
Weight loss should not be a means to an end.
Weight loss, energy levels soaring, looking and feeling younger are only a few of the bi-products of living a healthy life.
Nothing will replace eating healthy and moving your body.
That is what our bodies need. This is how we are built.
Just like lighter fluid helps start a fire, the spark must be there for it to do anything.
These Weight Loss Hacks could create that spark that will make that fire grow bigger.
So go ahead. Try them out and see which, if any, of these work for you
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À bientôt,
Laurent