Losing weight can be extremely difficult, especially when summer is coming and all you want to do is stuff your face with burgers and as much cold beer as possible.
But if I can stay strong, so can you.
Just like I told you in the previous article titled ‘Lose Weight Quick with These Tips: Part I,’ losing weight is primarily talked about as consuming less calories and burning more calories. That doesn’t always get the job done thoroughly, though.
Instead, look at my second half of the list below. Try to abide by as many ‘rules’ as you can, listed below. Here goes!
Close the kitchen for 12 hours.
Ugh. I know. Closing the kitchen for even four hours is difficult for me (unless I’m sleeping). But, people really claim that this little handy dandy trick does work wonders.
After you eat dinner, close your kitchen from the time you end your meal until the time you wake up the next morning. That means no midnight snacks, no late night drinks (unless it’s water), and no cheating! If this is too hard for you, try closing the kitchen for a full 12 hours a few days a week to start. Eventually, the kitchen should be closed Monday through Friday, to get your diet into check.
Go for a walk right before dinner.
Don’t go for an extreme walk; Just a nice, leisurely walk right before dinner. I recommend 20 minutes. What this does is it cuts your calories right before eating a meal and it cuts the amount of food you want to eat at dinner almost in half.
Put less food out on the table or simply make less food while cooking.
Think about it this way: The more food you see in front of your eyes, the more food you’ll want to eat. Get rid of your temptation and set out less food when it’s dinnertime.
An easy way to do this would be instead of eating on a huge plate, take out a small salad bowl and fill it with food. That should be the allotted amount of food you’re able to eat in one sitting. Also, instead of taking a grand 10 or 12 ounce cup out to drink at mealtime, use a smaller glass. For instance, a 6 or 8 ounce glass will do. However, if you’re drinking water, go ahead and drink as much as you’d like (no calories are in it and it’s the healthiest drink you can consume).
Eat a good chunk of your food at home.
Instead of going out to dinner almost every night, save the restaurant for a weekend outing. Yes, you can still have food prepared by a restaurant, but you should still aim to eat 90% or so of your food at home. Why is this? This is because every time you go out to eat any meal, you’re more tempted to eat more. Not only that, but you’re also more tempted to eat foods high in fat and calories, too. And the portions of those kinds of food don’t get you anywhere in your diet.
Put the food directly on your plate instead of on a platter.
Believe it or not, this drastically affects a diet. If you put food out on a platter and leave it in the middle of the table for people to choose what they’d like, they’ll tend to take more than need (that includes you). But, if you put the food directly on the plate and don’t give the option to place more on the plate or to go back for seconds, your diet will be kept in better check.
It doesn’t seem like this option would work, but trust me, it does.
Add a bunch of veggies to your meals.
For foods like pasta salad, stir-fry, and omelets, add a bunch of veggies. Instead of loading up on sauces and dairy products, putting a bunch of vegetables in there like broccoli, onions, peppers, and mushrooms will make a world of difference for your health and your weight. Plus, high fiber vegetables will help you get fuller, quicker, so you won’t have to load up on all that pasta.
Avoid white foods.
When I say white foods, I mean foods with large amounts of carbohydrates, like white flour. Foods that contain white flour consist of white bread and white rice. Instead, substitute them for wheat bread and wheat rice. Whole grains are better at helping you maintain your healthy weight, anyways.
Start drinking regular coffee.
Start drinking regular coffee.Get away from those fancy drinks. That doesn’t pertain to only women, though. When I say fancy drinks, I mean those syrup flavors that everyone adds to their coffee, like French vanilla, mocha, and caramel. Instead, try to drink regular coffee with no syrup additives along with skim or almond milk. Avoid sugar if you can.
Eat cereal for breakfast at least five times a week.
Now, when I say cereal, I don’t mean Fruit Loops and Cocoa Puffs; I mean oatmeal or cereals like Total or Grape Nuts. This leaves you feeling full, but at the same time gives the body the calcium and fiber it needs to carry out bodily activities throughout the week.
Add hot sauce, salsa, or Cajun seasonings to your meals.
Adding such spicy sauces or seasonings to meals can benefit you in more ways than one. Not only do these additives spice up a meal and make it taste better, but they also are fat-free, contain few calories, and temporarily burn off more calories due to the digestive juices in your body speeding up.
Brush your teeth after every meal.
Believe it or not, brushing your teeth after every meal sends a signal to your brain that mealtime is over. Plus, the ‘minty’ freshness present in your mouth will make you want to hold off eating for a while.
By Jenny Lyn
