6 strange diet tricks that actually work
Following a very strict diet is not always necessary to achieve your weight loss goals. Sometimes, simple tweaks in your eating patterns or a little change in your lifestyle can give you great results that you wouldn’t have even imagined. Some people go over to diet experts and ask for a complete diet overhaul, which in most cases is not even required. Some may want a few shortcuts but the fact remains that if you want something on a long term basis, you need to make some changes that are long-lasting and also don’t make your dieting an overwhelming experience.
While it is true that achieving long term weight loss isn’t all that easy but you would be surprised to know that there are a few easy tricks that will make things a lot easier for you. These little tactics, when incorporated in to your daily life, can help you cut calories, fight food cravings and ultimately help you lose weight. So, what are these little tricks, you may ask. Here they are –
Now, this might sound something too basic but it is true that when you have a glass of water before you eat, you tend to eat fewer calories. Perhaps the easiest way to lose weight, drinking a glass of water before mealtime is a tactic that is also suggested as a weight loss idea by the journal Obesity.
Several independent research studies indicate the effectiveness of drinking a glass of water before eating your meals. The research published in the above journal that established this fact separated obese adults in two groups. One group was advised to drink a glass full of water 30 minutes before eating food while the other group was not. It was found that the first group lost about 9.5 pounds and the second group only lost 1.75 pounds within the same period of time.
Another great thing way to control your calorie intake, have a nice warm soup before your lunch. We all tend to eat a lot during lunch time and having a low calorie soup before eating your lunch can be a great way to control your calorie intake of lunch. Having about 100 to 150 calories in your soup is the acceptable limit. If you thought, summers won’t be the right time to have your soups; you can consider some colder options like gazpacho or borscht.
A research by the University of Birmingham found that people who had a more vivid memory of their previous meal ate fewer snacks. A group of volunteers were asked to be more mindful of the food they eat as regard the aroma, look and physical sensation of chewing and swallowing. The study then found that the volunteers who had more intense memory of the food ate fewer snacks when they were reminded of their previous meal than the others.
A study published in the journal Flavour found that the stronger the smell of food, the smaller is the size of the bite. The volunteers in the study had the option to decide their portion size. It was found that those who were given more aromatic samples ate about 5 to 10% less desserts. The bottom line is that the scent often has a satisfying role to play in your eating habits.
Another weird yet effective strategy is to bring some colors in to your plate. A Cornell study found that people who ate food with contrasting colors ate less. In the study, diners were randomly given red and white plates and were served pasta with red sauce. Those who ate their red sauce pasta in white plates served themselves about 22% less than those who ate their red pasta in red plates. While there is no identified reason for this behavior, having food of contrasting colors is helpful and visually appealing too.