Lose weight the lazy way
Many of us are looking for shortcuts for our weight loss resolutions. Well, they exist and are pretty simple
FINDING more time to squeeze in exercise, counting every morsel or spending an entire Sunday cooking healthy batches for the week ahead.
Sure, these weight loss tactics work a treat but they require an awful lot of time and effort. Only a few slight changes to your daily routine can make a big difference to your slim-down effort in 2018.
Hide and don’t seek
We eat what we see. This means if you open the fridge or pantry and see leftover cake from Christmas or a half-eaten packet of chips, you will pick at it, hungry or not.
Dr Brian Wansink, professor at Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab, has become famous for his “kitchen hacks”.
His research shows that keeping unhealthy snacks out of sight is the best way to ensure they stay out of mind.
Basic hacks include de-cluttering the kitchen counter tops, storing chopped fruit and vegies in clear plastic containers and rearranging the pantry contents so that biscuits and chips are not at eye level or in arm’s reach.
Think yourself slim
Remember what you had for breakfast this morning? That simple thought just helped keep your weight in check today. It’s something we all have but perhaps don’t use enough: our memory.
Food psychologists have found that individuals who had vivid memories of what they ate were more likely to consume less at their following meal.
Food journalling or taking snappy pics from your phone is a great way to become more aware of what you’re putting in your mouth.
This daily accountability of foods eaten and the ability to review it afterwards may be that extra nudge you need to prevent mindless munching.
Break between bites
It might take some time to get acquainted with this new eating habit but physically putting down your fork or spoon in between each bite slows the eating process and helps you to register fullness quicker.
Likewise with thoroughly chewing your food.
Japanese researchers found chewing each mouthful until no lumps remain increases the number of calories the body burns during digestion.
Not only will extra chewing help slow the pace of eating even more but you may find you’ll stop eating until you’re stuffed.
Hit the hay
The right amount of shut-eye may possibly be the laziest way to whittle the waistline.
While researchers can’t pinpoint the exact link between sleep and obesity, there are several speculations as to how sleep deprivation could increase the chances of becoming overweight.
Firstly, when you’re sleeping, you’re not eating. In other words, people who don’t get enough sleep may take in more calories simply because there are more opportunities to chow down.
Sleep deprivation may also disrupt the balance of hormones, particularly those related to stress, mood and weight, making you more hungrier.
Practise good sleep hygiene and aim for between seven to nine hours each night.
Eat for volume
We tend to eat the same amount of food, regardless of how many calories we take in.
The trick is to eat that same volume of food each day but take in less calories by reconfiguring your plate. Fill half your plate with low-energy, nutrient-rich foods, such as foods with a high water and fibre content – think fruit, vegetables and green leafy veg. The remaining two quarters should be lean protein like chicken or fish and quality carbs such as whole grains, sweet potato or brown rice. This ratio means you end up eating less food without feeling dissatisfied, thus promoting weight loss.