The key to lasting weight loss?
Losing the weight fast. Here’s why: It may give you a psychological boost that helps you stick to your new habits; in studies, quick weight loss led to more pounds off overall plus longer-term success in keeping it off. However, โanyone can do a cleanse or an extreme plan,โ says Lisa Lillien, founder of HungryGirl.com and author of the book The Hungry Girl Diet. โBut the minute you stop, you gain the weight back and havenโt learned anything.โ We interviewed top nutrition and fitness experts to get their best advice for quick and safe weight loss. Here are 40 more fast, easy tips to lose weight.
Close your kitchen for 12 hours
That should be the time between your last bite at night and first in the morning, says Lauren Slayton, RD, author of The Little Book of Thin. If you finish dinner at 7:30, that means no eating until 7:30 the next morning. Need motivation? โTell yourself, โGo to sleep now, wake up wow,โโ says Slayton. To stay full for the entire night, use these tricks to eat more healthy protein.
Pour a glass of water
If itโs a clichรฉ diet trick, itโs for good reason. โPeople confuse hunger with thirst, especially when theyโre trying to stick to a weight-loss plan and may expect to feel hungry,โ notes Lillien. When you find yourself walking toward the kitchen, get a glass of water instead of food. Check out these other quickย weight loss tricks that don’t require diet or exercise.
Any time you reach for something to eat, ask two questions
โOne, am I hungry? And two, what am I hungry for?” says Jennipher Walters, a certified personal trainer, co-founder of Fit Bottomed Girls LLC, and author of The Fit Bottomed Girls Anti-Diet. “You could be procrastinating, or bored, or stressed. Or maybe you just really need a hug. Distract yourself for five to 10 minutes, a buffer time to decide if youโre really hungry.โ That can have a big impact on quick weight loss. (By the way, these are the worst weight loss tips doctors wish you’d stop following.)
Shrink your portions, except…
Supersize your veggies, pleads Tosca Reno, author of The Eat-Clean Diet series. โTwo sprigs of asparagus is not enough,โ she says. One of the biggest mistakes Reno sees clients make is eating too much of everything else. Eating proper portions of just two food groupsโcarbs and meatโimprove your health and lead to quick weight loss. Tip: Pasta should be the size of your fist; meat should be about 3 ounces, about the size of a deck of cards or bar of soap.ย Better yet, make sure to add these fat-burning foods to your plate.
Track your food.
Often after working out, notes Lillien, people tend to overcompensate (โI just did Spinning, I can order the French toast at brunch!โ) and eat more calories than they burn. That’s less likely to happen if you write down what you eat. “Itโs just about being more aware so you make better food choices,โ she says.
Balance your breakfast.
โA lot of people think that a low-fat yogurt and fruit is a healthy breakfast, but itโs not that satiating, so you will be hungry again soon,โ says Walters.ย She recommends a morning meal that includes a balance of protein, fat, fiber, and veggies, such as a veggie egg scramble with avocado or cheese, or oatmeal with fruit and nuts. Try one of these healthy breakfast ideas.
Toss your trigger foods.
โEveryone has foods that make them want to keep eating more,โ says Lillien. When craving starchy picks like chips and pasta, she continues, โinstead, I use tofu shirataki noodles made from tofu and yam flourโthe whole bag has 40 calories.โ Reno advises clients to get โhidden foodsโ out of the house so you don’t have that crutch when you feel a need to binge. โChances are youโre eating too much of them,โ she says. These healthy snacks can curb any craving.
Watch for added sugars.
โSugar is an addictive ingredient,โ says Reno. โThe more you eat it, the more you want. When you decrease your intake, your body will keep asking for it, but after two or three days, youโll be amazed by how your body responds.โ If you donโt feel like reading food labels, just try switching from processed choices (say, an energy bar) to whole ones (like an apple).
Stop drinking your calories already.
Itโs not just soda. Healthy-sounding juice, iced tea, and other beverages can be big calorie bombs. For quick weight loss, cut them out;ย you’ll watch the number on the scale start to drop instead. โSometimes a bottle of iced tea or juice has 2.5 servings,โ says Lillien. โRead labels and youโll see itโs just not worth it.โย Don’t miss these secrets experts won’t tell you about weight loss.
Switch up your exercise.
If youโre stuck in an elliptical rut, ditch the low-key cardio for some circuit training or interval training, says Walters. โIn circuit training, youโre doing strength training and cardio at the same time, which gets your metabolism up and burns fat,โ she says. A good interval workoutโwhere you alternate short bursts of all-out effort with less-strenuous recovery zonesโโis super effective and challengingโit will shake you and your body out of your comfort zone,โ says Walters. Here are more things your doctor wishes you knew about weight loss.