Instant weight loss tips
By Christina Stiehl
Lose weight fast without even thinking about it.
By the time you finish this sentence, you could have burned 100 calories. How? By discovering these 35 essential secrets, revealed by Eat This, Not That!
We know that shedding unwanted pounds used to mean giving up your favorite foods, logging hours at the gym, and being hungry (and hangry) all the time. Fortunately, dropping a dress size (or two) doesn’t have to be that complicated or torturous. Sure, losing any significant amount of weight requires lifestyle changes and some hard work, but it all boils down to simple choices.
By making these 35 Instant Weight Loss tweaks, you can kick-start your fat-burn efforts in no time. And for more no-sacrifice ways to melt fat, check out these amazing 30 No-Diet Diet Tricks.
Rise and shine - literally! Researchers from Northwest University found that people who were exposed to bright daylight earlier in the day tended to weigh less than those who didn’t get sunlight until later. So right after you wake up, open the blinds and let the sunshine in. Or better yet, step outside and enjoy your morning cup of coffee on the front porch
Skip the cream and sugar in your cup of joe, and opt for it black. Black coffee has zero calories, and it can help you burn calories faster. According to a study published in the journal Physiology & Behavior, the average metabolic rate of people who drank caffeinated coffee was 16 percent higher than that of those who drank decaf.
Drinking plenty of water is essential for overall health, and is a great way to boost your weight-loss efforts. But if you’re getting your H2O from cheap bottled water, the bottle itself could pose a problem; Bisphenol A, commonly referred to as BPA, has been linked to obesity, and it’s still found in many cheap plastics. A 2011 Harvard study found that adults with the highest concentration of BPA in their urine had significantly larger waists and a chance of being obese than those without as much of the chemical in their systems. So if you must drink store-bought bottled water, check to see if the bottle is BPA-free. And whatever you do, don’t reuse the same bottle; constantly refilling the same plastic bottle can cause BPA to leak into the water.
Instead of constantly refilling the same throw-away bottle over and over, grab a BPA-free bottle, preferably one made of glass or aluminum. Not only is this better for your waistline, but carrying a bottle around with you will prompt you to drink more H2O throughout the day. Drinking more water means you’ll be less hungry, and you’ll give your metabolism a boost. For more hydrating health benefits, check out What Happens to Your Body When You Drink Water.
Squeezing in some refreshing lemon will not only help you drink more water; it also has detox benefits. Lemons are rich in polyphenols, which are compounds that contain antioxidants. A study in the Journal of Clinical Biochemistry found that mice who were fed lemon polyphenols were less likely to gain weight and accumulate body fat.
Sugary sodas are terrible for you and are likely to pack on the pounds. One can of Coke contains 140 calories, and 39 grams of sugar - more than your total daily amount! Swap instead for unsweetened tea, hot or iced. Tea has no calories and has its own fat-melting properties. Opt for green or oolong, which are some of our Best Teas for Weight Loss.
Trade your large dinner plate for a smaller salad plate, and eat your meals off of it. By eating off a smaller plate, you’re more likely to eyeball more accurate portions. You’re also likely to trick your brain into thinking you’re eating more, thereby feeling fuller, quicker.
Refined white breads are simple carbohydrates that your body processes as sugar, and can really hinder your weight-loss efforts. Whole grain bread, on the other hand, is chock-full of slimming fiber and can help you feel fuller, longer. Just be sure to read your labels. “If the ingredients at the top of the ingredient list read sugar, sucrose, fructose, corn syrup, white or wheat flour, these foods contain mostly simple carbs and should be limited, ” Rebecca Lewis, RD, told Eat This, Not That! in our article for 20 Secrets for Eating Bread Without Getting Fat. “A food is only considered a whole grain if the first ingredient on the packaging says, ‘whole grain’ or ‘whole wheat.’”
Another way to trim carbs and calories is by making your sandwich open-faced. Opting for one slice of bread instead of two will save you 70-90 calories, and leaves you more room to pile it high with healthy toppings like lettuce, tomato, sprouts, and avocado. Still hungry? Pair your sandwich with a side of baby carrots or bell pepper strips. The water and fiber in the veggies will fill you up and help with your weight-loss efforts.
You don’t need to bust out the measuring cups to properly portion out your food: A serving size of meat is roughly the size of a deck of cards or the size of the palm of your hand. Your entire fist should be the size of a serving of veggies (although the more, the better!). A serving of fat, such as butter or coconut oil, should be the size of your thumb. Your carb serving should be no bigger than what can fit in your cupped hand.
If you’re eating a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, odds are you are getting the necessary vitamins and minerals you need to help boost weight-loss. But it’s also a good idea to take vitamins that can supplement your diet; B vitamins (especially B2 and B12) can boost energy, vitamin D can regulate appetite and aid in weight loss, and magnesium can trigger lipolysis, a process where your body releases fat from where it’s stored.
