1. Eat Slowly
Learn how to choose foods they like, really taste each morsel going into their mouths, and chew deliberately. I advise them to chew slowly, swallow only when the food is all chewed up, and repeat. It takes time to know we're full. Eating slowly allows us to not only enjoy our food more, but gives us better cues of satiety.
2. You Bite It, You Write It!
That’s my rule, and numerous studies have shown the effectiveness of food journaling for weight loss. One of my friend went out of town for one week. She stopped journaling and gained 13 pounds. I promise that keeping a food journal helps!
3. Exercise Anything That Moves
Do it in bed, while seated, standing, or walking. Just move. People have a misconception that five minutes doesn’t make a difference, but every minute makes a difference. (And research published in January 2014 in the journal Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases showed that physical activity is critical when it comes to actually keeping lost weight off.)
4. Keep a Daily Gratitude Journal
Our eating habits are usually connected to our emotions — whether we realize it or not. When we're stressed, we tend to reach for sweets. I tell my friends that by keeping a daily journal of things you're grateful for, you’re better able to cope with the stress by acknowledging it rather than reaching for dessert.
5. Batch Cook and Prep
Every Sunday I batch cook enough chicken for the week. I cut off the fat, bake it with seasoning, measure 3.5 ounces (oz), and put that much into a container with some mustard and frozen veggies, so I can grab one a day to bring to work. I also take the time to divvy up ¼ cup of rolled oats, 1 tablespoon (tbsp) natural peanut butter, 1 tbsp ground flax, and a pinch each of protein powder and cinnamon to sweeten in individual containers. So when I’m a zombie in the morning, all I need to do is add water and microwave!
6. Get Enough Sleep
A lack of sleep increases your hunger hormone — ghrelin — and decreases your ‘satisfaction’ hormone, leptin, which can contribute to weight gain. When we are sleep-deprived, we crave more salty and sweet foods. Why? Because anytime you feel more intense hunger, your cravings for higher energy — aka higher calorie — foods intensify. We also know that the way we think and process our emotions is affected by inadequate sleep, so it’s easy to connect this with an impaired ability to make sound choices in many areas of life, including with food. If we flip the coin, we can safely assume that when we are well rested, we will make better choices. When it comes to eating, that would mean that we would eat when we are truly hungry, and eat just until satisfied. Our hormones are also going to be better balanced because our bodies got the time needed to sleep, repair, and refresh.
7. Don’t Skip Meals
Remember, our body's ultimate goal is to stay alive. As soon as we are being kept from calories — which are literally the life energy for our bodies — it will do things to survive. Our body knows what foods are higher in energy density, and we will crave those more. Honor your hunger and don’t allow your body to think it's being starved. This goes against many of the dieting tactics, but those tactics truly don't work well for people in the long term. I generally recommend eating every four hours.
8. Eat Breakfast
To combat the urge to overindulge in the evening, make sure to eat a protein- and fiber-filled breakfast in the morning. Healthy choices for protein include eggs, yogurt, and nuts or nut butters. Pair protein with a high-fiber food like a high-fiber cereal or fruit.
9. Salt Craving? Skip the Chips
When you need a salty fix, reach for popcorn, not chips. According to one study, those who munch on a cup of the air-popped treat are significantly more satisfied than their chip-loving friends. Popcorn is a whole grain, fiber-filled snack. A single serving of potato chips (for a typical 1-oz small bag) is a dense 149 calories, while the same amount of popcorn (air-popped) is only 108, meaning you can feel full and slim down with every delicious bite.
10. Skip the Liquid Calories
There’s a strong relationship between sugar-sweetened beverages and weight gain in adults. If you regularly have a sip of something sweet, consider this: Research has shown that reducing intake of sugar-sweetened beverages can result in meaningful weight loss, even if it's the only change you make. Replacing a 20-ounce soda with sparkling water every day would save more than 20,000 calories over a few months, which could translate into more than five pounds of weight loss!
11. Stay Hydrated
Research has found that people who drank two glasses of water before a meal lost more weight than people who didn’t drink water before meals — and they kept it off. This simple tip works in two ways. Thirst can mask itself as hunger, causing you to eat more. And water makes you feel fuller, causing you to eat less during a meal.
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