Weird Weight-Loss Tips That Work

Weird Weight-Loss Tips That Work
By The Lifescript Editorial Staff
Published September 30, 2010

Can’t stick to your diet? Here are 10 tips to keep you on the path to slim. They may seem nutty, but they’ve been road-tested. Plus, how calorie savvy are you? Find out with our quiz…

Tip # 1: Try the Toothpaste Diet
You don’t have to suck down tubes of toothpaste, but that minty fresh taste can help you stick to your diet.

If portion control is your dieting downfall and you can’t resist your favorite goodies, brush your teeth with mint-flavored toothpaste.

It’ll tell your brain the meal’s over. If you’re tempted to take another bite, you’ll quickly find out that most food doesn't taste good with a mouth full of cool mint flavor. Plus, the slick feeling of clean teeth is enough to keep most people from wanting to chow down more.

Your dentist will thank you, too, because brushing your teeth after meals is good dental hygiene.

If you don't have a toothbrush and toothpaste on hand every time you eat, or if you feel a snack attack coming on, chew sugarless mint gum instead.

Tip #2: Get Grossed Out
Can’t put your fork down, even when you’re full? Get grossed out! Make the food left on your plate look unappetizing. Some the following tricks may seem silly, but they’ve worked for lots of successful losers:

1. Put silverware handles into the food on your plate. You won’t want to pick up grimy utensils to take another bite.

2. Wad up your used napkin, and toss it on top of the food.

3. Buy a fake 5-pound glob of fat, and put it on the top shelf of the refrigerator or cupboard. You’ll take one look at it, glance at your thighs and think: “I definitely don’t want that cheesecake now.”

4. Put a picture of yourself at your heaviest on the refrigerator as a reminder of why you’re watching calories.

Tip #3: Purge to Avoid the Binge
This is one time purging is good for you. If you really want to stick to a diet, clear your cupboards, fridge, freezer and pantry of foods too tempting to ignore.

Once you’ve purged your home of naughty nibbles, stock up on healthy items you can turn to when the urge to munch hits.

Buy fresh fruit and vegetables each week, and fill your pantry every month with dried fruit, nuts, no-sugar-added applesauce, turkey jerky and other healthy snacks.

Having the right foods on hand and the wrong ones out of reach is the perfect formula for long-term dieting success.

Tip # 4: Eat Cake
If you love to bake, you probably have a hard time saying no to the goodies you make.

But you don’t have give up baking; just do it smarter. Most recipes can be made healthier with low-cal substitutes. For example, use egg whites instead of whole eggs or whole-wheat flour instead of bleached.

Another tasty way to slim down recipes for muffins, cakes, cupcakes and cookies is to substitute equal parts applesauce for the oil or butter.

For every tablespoon of applesauce, you’ll save almost 100 calories and 14 grams of fat. You won’t even taste the difference. Just make sure to use a smooth no-sugar-added applesauce to reduce calories and avoid mysterious chunks in your cupcakes.

Tip #5: Squeeze into Skinny Jeans
What’s the first thing you do when your clothes feel too tight? You put on a big baggy sweatshirt and pants. They’re comfortable... actually, a little too comfy.

Next time you gain a few pounds, squeeze into your skinny clothes instead. Wearing too-tight clothes to dinner will remind you which foods to eat and how much. Try these clothing tips:

* Instead of unbuttoning your pants at the end of a large meal, buckle your belt one notch tighter before you start eating. It may stop you from overindulging.

* Squeeze into your favorite skinny jeans, and let your tummy bulge over the top when you’re lounging at home and tempted to snack through a Saturday night movie.

* If you’re uncomfortable wearing tight clothing in public, cover up with a loose jacket. That way you alone will know why you’re eating a salad instead of a cheeseburger.


Tip #6: Tell a Joke for Better Abs
Knock, knock. Even if the punch line isn’t funny, laugh anyway. It’s great for your heart and abs. Laughing contracts abdominal muscles, builds them up and shapes your six-pack.
Researchers also say happy people make healthier diet and lifestyle choices and avoid bad habits like smoking.

Laughter also prolongs your life. It increases blood circulation by more than 20% and prevents hardening of the arteries, say University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers. They recommend a minimum of 15 minutes of laughter daily.

So go ahead and ask your friends or co-workers if they’ve heard the one about the lawyer and the pit bull.

Tip #7: Fidget Yourself Thin
Ever wonder why some people don’t gain weight, even though they never watch what they eat? It may because they can’t sit still. Fidgeting increases daily calorie expenditure and prevents weight gain.

Sound too good to be true?

Not according to Mayo Clinic researchers. They placed motion-sensing devices in the underwear of 10 normal-weight and 10 obese adults to monitor their daily movements and to see if the amount of calories fidgety people burn each day account for their ability to stay slim.

The results? The obese group spent an average of two more hours sitting still than the normal-weight people, who burned an extra 350 calories per person per day.

So what are you waiting for? If you’re sitting still, get moving and fidget yourself thin!

Tip #8: Buy New Dishware
Are you a chronic overeater? Then buy new dishware. Downsize your plate, and you’ll downsize your waist.
As our waistlines have grown in the last 20 years, so have plate sizes. Dinner plates once were about 10 inches across; now they’re 12 inches or more. So what? Those two inches increase your portions.

If you eyeball portions, they seem a lot smaller on a larger plate because your perception is distorted. If you served pasta on a 12-inch plate, you’d serve a lot more than on a 10-inch plate.

What looks like a hearty amount of pasta on a small plate will look measly on a larger one.

So take your tape measure shopping, and buy smaller-sized plates.

If you’re not ready to ditch your dishes, serve meals on salad or bread plates or in a small bowl, especially when you’re eating treats like ice cream.

Tip #9: The Couch Potato Workout
TV can easily get in the way of your weight-loss goals. You didn’t go for a run Monday night because "Dancing With the Stars" was on? You missed out on a hike with your friends because you watched the big game instead?

If watching TV is an addiction, exercise some self-discipline and cut down. How much is too much? A healthy adult watches no more than 1-2 hours of TV a day.

For shows you just can’t miss, make TV time work for you. Use TV downtime to your advantage. Complete 10 push-ups and 20 sit-ups during every commercial break, or try jump roping.
With five, 5-minute breaks during a one-hour TV show, you can get a 25-minute workout in without driving to the gym. Watch two hours and you’ll have almost an hour of exercise!

Tip #10: Drink Cheap
Water’s one of the healthiest drinks, but here’s another reason you should have more of it: It’s free!

Have you ever been shocked at the restaurant bill? It’s not the food that’s sinking your budget. It’s the iced tea, soda or alcoholic drinks. You can easily trim at least $5 off your check by choosing water.

You’ll save on liquid calories too. A 12-ounce soda has around 150 calories; alcoholic drinks run 170 calories for a glass of wine to more than 300 calories for some mixed drinks. Water? Zero.

If you don’t like plain water, add some zest. Squeeze lemon or lime wedges into it for a refreshing twist.

You can also experiment with other flavors; try adding peppermint extract or fresh mint leaves to cool water, or drink hot water with honey and lemon.

How Calorie-Conscious Are You?
Calorie-counting can be tedious, but gaining a basic knowledge of which foods will send you into a diet trap is easy. Find out how savvy you are with this calorie quiz.

Check out Health Bistro for more healthy food for thought. See what Lifescript editors are talking about and get the skinny on latest news. Share it with your friends (it’s free to sign up!), and bookmark it so you don’t miss a single juicy post!

MY THOUGHTS

that's what i did last weekend. i attacked my kitchen cabinets and purged out food that i binge on. and i'm forcing myself not to have that trip to the grocery store. not yet. i think i have to though. to get myself that super mint tooth paste. one other weird trick (weird for shopaholics) is to NOT buy clothes when you've put on weight. because you'll get comfy in your loose clothing and forget that you need to fit once again into your sexy clothes. btw, the new smaller dishware did not work for me. if you want it to work, put away the cooking pot.