'Easy' Tips to Lose Weight Without Dieting
Trimming down is never really 'easy' and if you are a foodie like me it can be challenging. There are so many diets out there and most are pretty worthless as they cut out entire macro-nutrients (food groups like carbs, fats or protein), which lead to limited food choices. Take the Ornish low fat diet for example... so limiting that very few can stay on it for more than a few months. Weight loss happens, sure, but it is short term, you pretty much eat alone, and you can't wait to get off the 'diet' and return to your old eating habits. And weight goes right back on.
So here are some tips to change your eating patterns that will help you lose weight, keep it off and never feel like you are dieting. Much of the following are components of a healthy Anti-Inflammatory diet which is a melding of Mediterranean and Asian eating patterns.
Serve More, Eat More Veggies
Serve three vegetables with dinner tonight, instead of just one, and you'll eat more vegies without really trying. Greater variety prompts people into eating more food -- and eating more fruits and vegetables is a great way to lose weight. The high fiber and water content fills you up with fewer calories. Cook them by steaming or stir fry with a small amount of olive oil. And season with lemon juice and herbs rather than drowning their goodness in high-fat sauces or dressings.
Up the Soup's, AND the Weight Comes Off
Add a broth-based soup to your day and you'll fill up on fewer calories. Think minestrone, tortilla soup, or Chinese won-ton. Soup are especially handy at the beginning of a meal because it slows your eating and curbs your appetite. Start with a low-sodium broth or canned soup, add fresh or frozen vegetables and simmer. Avoid the creamy soups (those made with cream), which can be high in fat and calories. Creamed soups without dairy (see our recipes) are a a better way to go.
Bread is on the menu, but Go for Whole Grains
Whole grains such as brown rice, barley, oats, buckwheat, and whole wheat also belong in your stealthy weight loss strategy. They help fill you up with fewer calories and may improve your cholesterol, too. Whole grains are now in many products including waffles, pizza crust, English muffins, pasta, and soft "white" whole-wheat bread. And keep in mind that bread is not a butter-delivery device. Dab in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, or toast and rub with garlic as an alternative for great flavor.
Skip the Bacon
Pass on those two strips of bacon at breakfast or in your sandwich at lunch time. This simple move saves about 100 calories, which can add up to a 10 pound weight loss over a year. Other sandwich fixings can replace the flavor with fewer calories. Think about tomato slices, banana peppers, roasted red bell peppers, grainy mustard, or a light spread of pesto.
Swap out white potatoes for sweet potatoes
The latter are packed with nutrients (including carotenoids, copper, and fiber) and rank much lower on the glycemic index scale than white potatoes. Pass on any version of "fried" potatoes.
Build a Better Slice of Pizza
Choose vegetable toppings for pizza instead of meat and you will shave 100 calories from your meal. Other skinny pizza tricks: Go light on the cheese or use reduced-fat cheese and choose a thin, bread-like crust made with just a touch of olive oil.
Cut Back on the SUGARY drinks and artificial sweeteners
Replace one sugary drink like regular soda with water or a zero-calorie seltzer and you'll avoid about 10 teaspoons of sugar. Add lemon, mint or frozen strawberries for flavor and fun.
The liquid sugar in soda bypasses the body's normal fullness cues, so you add 150-200 calories without feeling full. Skipping this can help you lose up to 20 lbs over a year.
Cut out the artificial sweeteners. There is no scientific evidence that consuming artificially sweetened foods and beverages leads to weight loss. In fact, the latest investigations on the subject found no positive effects on weight loss, and actually, intake of these sweeteners have been linked with higher risks of gaining weight, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and other health problems.
Use a Tall, Thin Glass
Use a tall, skinny glass instead of a short, wide tumbler to cut liquid calories -- and your weight -- without dieting. You'll drink 25%-30% less juice, soda, wine, or any other beverage. How can this work? Visual cues can trick us into consuming more or less. Studies have shown that people tend to pour more into a short, wide glass -- even experienced bartenders.
Limit Alcohol
When an occasion includes alcohol, follow the first drink with a non-alcoholic, low-calorie beverage like sparkling water instead of moving directly to another cocktail, beer, or glass of wine. Alcohol has more calories per gram than carbohydrates or protein. It can also loosen your resolve, leading you to mindlessly inhale chips, and other foods you'd normally limit.
Go for Green Tea
Drinking green tea may be a good weight loss strategy. Some studies suggest that it can increase the body's calorie-burning engine, possibly through the action of phytochemicals called catechins. Green tea is packed with healthy benefits, learn more here. At the very least, you'll get a refreshing drink without tons of calories.
Eat at Home
Eat home-cooked meals at least five days a week. Sound daunting? Cooking may be easier than you think. Shortcut foods can make for quick meals, such as pre-chopped lean beef for fajitas, washed lettuce, pre-cut veggies, canned beans, cooked chicken strips, or grilled deli salmon.
Catch the 'Eating Pause'
Most people have a natural "eating pause," when they drop the fork for a couple of minutes. Watch for this moment and don't take another bite. Clear your plate and enjoy the conversation. This is the quiet signal that you're full, but not stuffed. Most people miss it.
Get Food Portions Right
The top habit of slim people is to stick with modest food portions at every meal, five days a week or more. After measuring portions a few times, it can become automatic. Make it easier with small "snack" packs and by keeping serving dishes off the table at meal time.
Healthy Snacking - Try Walnuts and Pistachios
Pistachios and Walnuts, like most nuts, are a healthy snack when eaten in moderation, and their fat content can help stave off hunger pangs. If you need more reasons to ditch the potato chips or energy bar, and pick up a bag of pistachios or walnuts, read more about this here.
Eat Out Your Way
Restaurant meals are notoriously fattening, so consider these special orders that keep portions under control:
Split an entrée with a friend.
Order an appetizer as a meal.
Get half the meal in a dogie bag before it's brought to the table.
Complement a smaller entree with extra salad for the right balance: half the plate filled with veggies.
Reach for the Red Sauce
Choose marinara sauce for pasta instead of Alfredo sauce. The tomato-based sauces tend to have fewer calories and much less fat than cream-based sauces. But remember, portion size still counts. A serving of pasta is one cup or roughly the size of a tennis ball.
Go Meatless More Often
Eating vegetarian meals more often is a slimming habit. While there are several reasons for this, legumes may play an important role. Bean burgers, lentil soup, and other tasty legume-based foods are simply packed with fiber. Most Americans get only half of this important nutrient, which fills you up with fewer calories.
Popcorn Can Be A Healthful Snack
Popcorn is a good source of fiber and relatively low in calories. However, if you want to partake in this movie-watching favorite, steer clear of microwave popcorn. Not only are most microwavable varieties loaded with artificial flavors, sodium and unhealthy fat, but they can expose you to chemicals that are added to the artificial butter flavoring and used in the lining of microwavable popcorn bags. Try air popped or our olive oil popped recipes for a great healthy snack.
Burn 100 Calories More
Lose 10 pounds in a year without dieting by burning an extra 100 calories every day. Try one of these activities:
Walk 1 mile, about 20 minutes.
Pull weeds or plant flowers for 20 minutes.
Mow the lawn for 20 minutes.
Clean house for 30 minutes.
Jog for 10 minutes.
Take selected supplements
Two independent studies found that certain supplements – alpha lipoic acid and fish oil – may improve weight loss. The first study, conducted by researchers at Oregon State University and the University of Washington, found that alpha lipoic acid supplements in mice (equivalent to the human dose of about 2 grams daily) were also associated with almost 40 percent less body weight gain. Alpha lipoic acid is a naturally occurring nutrient that can be found in green leafy vegetables, potatoes and meats, but at levels far below what can be obtained through supplementation.
The second study focused on fish oil rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Overweight and obese dieters with cardiovascular problems were studied at the University of South Australia. Researchers found that a combination of supplementing with tuna oil, rich in omega-3s, and moderate exercise helped the participants lose more weight than the other groups (one group took sunflower oil, which contains no omega-3s, and exercised; one took fish oil and did no exercise; and the last took sunflower oil and did not exercise). Those who took the fish oil and exercised lost an average of 4.5 pounds over three months, while those in the other three groups lost no weight. A good way to get more Omega-3s is to eat fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines and anchovies three time per week. If you don't like fish or find it hard to eat enough, then fish oil omega-3 supplements are a good alternative. Read more about Alpha Lipoic Acid and Fish Oil