7 weird weight loss secrets that actually work

  • comments
  • print
  • email
Nov 12, 2015 06:00 AM EST

If you're already exercising and dieting, here are some additional tips that may help you achieve your goal weight and get you to the finish line of weight loss.

1. Drop your bedroom temperature. Allure reports that according to Louis J. Aronne, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City, "Sleeping in a chillier room is a great way to force your body to heat itself up for hours. You will burn calories keeping yourself warm."

2. Eat using smaller plates and bowls. The smaller the plate, the less you eat. In fact, researchers at Cornell University say that the Delboeuf illusion, in which people misjudge the size of identical circles when surrounded by larger circles of different sizes, is the culprit. Using bigger plates on same servings makes the food appear too little while smaller plates make food significantly larger.

3. Read health-related newsletters. According to Allure, a Kaiser Permanente study reveals how people who read newsletters on wellness consumed more fresh produce and fewer trans fats, and even exercised more.

4. Stay away from the food, literally. Psychologist Stephen Gullo, author of The Thin Commandments Diet told Allure that it's best to sit at the end of the table when dining out with groups because "the center seats are where the bread, chips, and other sharing plates usually wind up." Situating one's self far away makes it a little bit harder to keep reaching out for more pieces of bread and appetizers.

5. Keep junk food hidden at the back of the cabinet and place fruits and other healthy food on the table, where it is easily accessible. About Health reports that according to a study, people who eat healthy manage to do so because nutritious foods are more visible and accessible to them. You would rather pick up an apple that's already on the table than rummage through the back of a kitchen cabinet for a bag of chips, right?

6. Consume half the serving when eating out. That way, you only consume half of the serving size and have more food to take home and eat for another meal. Most restaurants have hefty servings anyway, so you can save them the effort of throwing away leftovers.

7. Drink your vitamins. A study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that obese women who consumed vitamins over a period of time had less body fat than the other participants. Aronne explained, "It's possible that some people eat more because they're seeking out certain nutrients."

Join the Conversation
Real Time Analytics