Beat the bulge

15 SKIP BREAKFAST

If you want to lose weight, it’s largely a myth that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, according to scientist David R Hack, author of The Back to Basics Diet (Matador, US$16.99). “Eating first thing in the morning, especially carbohydrate-rich breakfast cereal, floods the bloodstream with insulin, which switches the body into fatstorage mode for several hours.” Instead, try to wait until lunchtime so that your body has to rely on fat stores and glycogen (energy stored in the liver) for fuel.

16 STAY COOL

Stripping off a layer so you feel slightly chilly (but not freezing) activates your stores of a metabolically active type of fat called brown fat, burning off calories to raise your core body temperature, says sports nutritionist Peta Bee, author of The

Ice Diet (Penguin, US$12). If you can bear it, turn the temperature down in the shower as well. “Exposure to cold water is known to activate the sympathetic nervous system and to increase blood supplies of endorphins to the brain,” Bee says. Try a five-minute warm shower followed by two to three minutes of cool water.

17 PHOTOGRAPH YOUR FOOD

Convinced you’re a healthy eater but can’t lose weight? Send pics of a typical week’s eating to your personal coach via the Hapi Coach app for an expert analysis of your food choices and portion sizes. Your coach will help you to set goals and advise on better options. The app works with a tracker to gauge your usual activity levels and work out your daily calorie needs. US$29.90 per month for tracker and 12-month subscription; hapi.com/hapicoach