If you’re losing weight by the book but change seems to appear slower than you imagined, there are still some things you can try to make the most of your efforts. There’s some surprising weight loss advice out there that you probably never heard before and might also seem a bit weird but the truth is, it really works!
These weight loss tricks are easy to follow, and those kinds of ideas that will make you say “Wow!”. You may not want to try all of them, but I’m sure there will be at least a few you could easily implement into your current regimen.
Surprising weight loss advice you’ve never heard before
Our list of surprising weight loss advice includes various methods – some require you to change the way you eat, others will help you eat more healthy foods, but there’s also a few non-food related. Keep reading to learn them all!
1. Limit food variety
If you’re trying to have a balanced and nutritious diet, you might be tempted to add a lot of variety to your meals. Sadly, it seems that variety can make us overeat.
Research studies have proven that the more options you have during a meal the more likely you are to overeat. Also, scientists have concluded that most people who are successful at holding on to their weight loss have limited variety in their diets.
2. Fill your freezer with veggies
It seems like eating more veggies is as easy as peas (pun intended), but how about those times when you get home tired after a day’s work and you need to wash, peel, slice, and dice? I mean, who would be in the mood for that, right?
Instead of giving up and reaching for an unhealthy snack, stock up your freezer with frozen vegetables. They’re already washed, peeled, and chopped – you need to throw them in a pan or in the microwave.
You could even precook your frozen veggies a day ahead and keep them in the fridge until it’s time to throw them in a pot!
3. Eat barley for breakfast
I’m not horsing around! It seems like barley is more than horse feed. In fact, researchers discovered that eating barley for breakfast can keep blood sugar levels steady since it’s a low-GI food even though it’s technically a carb.
Having blood sugar levels stable after a meal will prevent spikes and drops that usually lead to being hungry too soon. Just make sure you opt for the hulled barley, not pearl barley – the researchers used hulled barley, so we’re not really sure if pearl barley and other similarly processed forms work as well.
4. Make your lunch salads nutritious
Kale, lettuce, and other leafy greens are packed with antioxidants and super healthy, but if you omit lean protein and healthy fats from your lunch salads, you’ll be hungry again a few hours later.
To avoid becoming ravenous by mid-afternoon, add some protein and a bit of fat to your salads – you’ll surely make it to dinner without starving or reaching for snacks.
5. Have a healthy snack tray in the fridge
Make yourself a big plate of healthy and crunchy veggies with a low-fat dip and leave it in the fridge someplace visible. This way, you and other family members will be less tempted to snack on junk foods. There’s already something healthy and ready to eat as soon as you open the fridge!
Using the same logic, even if you occasionally indulge in your favorite and less waist-friendly foods, keep those somewhere hidden in the back of your cupboards or fridge. The more you see them, the more you’ll crave them.
6. Make it chilly
It might seem ridiculous, but keeping your house chilly can actually help with weight loss. When we’re feeling cold, our bodies consume extra calories trying to regulate internal temperature (aka. warm us up).
Apparently, we store two types of fat – brown fat, also known as the good one, and regular or white fat (the one that accumulates and stores calories).
According to research, exposure to chilly temperatures will dramatically boost the metabolism of your brown fat, which means you’ll burn up more calories. Cool, right?
7. Use smaller plates
Using a smaller plate will give you the impression you’re eating more food because it will appear fuller. Conversely, a serving on a larger plate can make you get larger portions and eat more. After all, there’s plenty of room on it!
Nevertheless, you can still use those dinner plates for one thing: when you’re eating a low-calorie salad.
8. Only go out for treats
Think about it. It’s super tempting to chow down an entire box of ice cream if it’s waiting for you in the freezer. However, going out for an ice cream is a hassle and might make you think twice about it. If you do go out, you will at least get one serving so you can still indulge but you won’t overdo it.
The bottom line is, you can occasionally cheat your diet, but don’t keep those tempting foods at home. Make yourself go out for your favorite foods – sometimes it might seem like too much of a hassle, and you’ll change your mind.
