We’re more than halfway through January. You’ve finally packed away all the Christmas decorations. But there’s still one final reminder of the holidays hanging around: those extra holiday pounds.
It’s just too bad you can’t store them away in a box with all your other Christmas decorations.
Simple weight loss tips that REALLY work
But don’t panic, we can help. You can meet, and exceed, your goals with these five easy and effective weight loss tips.
1. Serve from the kitchen:
Family style meals, with a table loaded with dishes, were the perfect way to celebrate the holidays last month. But now it’s time to switch gears and serve plates in the kitchen once again.
And the reason why is simple. Having food on the table where it’s tempting to look at, smells delicious and is so easy to reach causes us to eat more than we intend to. In fact, research has found that simply setting up a buffet at least six feet away from the table—or leaving it in another room—results in folks eating up to 20 percent less.
2. Take control of restaurant portions:
Restaurant portions are massive. After all, people want to get their money’s worth. But having such huge a huge pile of food sitting in front of you can easily lead to overeating. Which can keep those holiday pounds hanging around for far longer than you’d like.
But refusing to go out to eat ever again isn’t realistic, either. And let’s be honest, ordering just a side salad while everyone else is eating rich, delicious foods is just asking to fall off the wagon.
Instead of skipping nights out, or torturing yourself with unsatisfying meals, simply ask the waiter to bring you a to-go box WITH your meal. Before you dig in transfer half of your order to the box so you’re not tempted to eat it.
Now, you can go ahead and eat every delicious bite of your remaining entree. Not only will you still lose those extra pounds, you’ll also get an extra meal using this simple trick.
3. Keep a food diary:
Most of us underestimate just how much we eat every day. And not by a little bit either. In fact, a study out of Cornell University found that most folks underestimate their calorie intake by as much as 30 percent.
Take the time to write down whatever you eat. And yes, we do mean every single bite. It’s far easier to have a realistic view of your eating habits when you keep a record of them. And far easier to make changes too.
Several studies, including one which tracked more than 1500 people, found that folks who recorded their eating habits with a diary lost significantly more weight than people who didn’t bother.
4. Add MORE veggies to lunch and dinner:
Statistically speaking most of us don’t eat nearly enough veggies. Experts say a measly nine percent of Americans do. So when it comes to weight loss tips, this one does double duty. It helps you develop healthier eating habits as well as shed that spare tire at the same time.
Whatever you’re having for lunch, add snack-sized veggies to the side. Cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, sliced bell peppers, it all counts. The fiber helps fill you up, and keeps you fuller longer. But just as importantly, the extra food gives you the emotional satisfaction of having eaten a big meal. So overeating and snacking are far less likely, and you lose the weight.
5. Drink some water:
As far as weight loss tips go, this one may seem very vanilla. But experts say it’s quite common for thirst to masquerade as hunger. So the next time you’re tempted to reach for a snack, or feel famished when sitting down for a meal, stop and drink a full glass of water.
While the water can temporarily fill your tummy, that’s not the main reason it works for most folks. There’s a good chance you’re not actually very hungry to begin with. You see, your body’s response to dehydration is very similar to its response to hunger. So a tall drink of water could completely reverse what you’re interpreting as a need for a snack or a big meal.
It’s time to pack away those extra holiday pounds with the rest of the Christmas trappings. And these easy weight loss tips will help you get the scale moving in the right direction.
Healthier Talk
We believe that everyone has good ideas about how best to care for our loved ones and ourselves. Many of our contributors are doctors that have spent their life’s work invested in the health and well being of the human body and mind. Some have spent their lives tirelessly researching health and the human body, developing new vitamins and products dedicated to making people healthier.
Others are ordinary people that have natural family cures passed down from generations, or discovered an inexpensive home remedy out of necessity or even by accident.
So Healthier Talk not only offers professional advice and solutions, but also provides much sought after natural family cures and at-home remedies, right at your fingertips!
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