Everyone knows the only real secret to successful weight loss is to make healthier food choices, watch your calorie consumption, and exercise regularly. Still it’s nice to know that there are also some sneaky, lazy ways to bolster your diet plan, without any effort at all. Read on for simple ways to increase your weight loss without breaking a sweat.
1. Step on the scale
Studies repeatedly show that people who weigh themselves every other day tend to weigh less than those who avoid the scale. The reason? Those who are conscious of their weight will be more apt to notice when it shifts up or down a pound, and get a hold of it before it increases any more. Hop on once a week for the best results.
2. Take your vitamins
Try to incorporate more fruits into your daily diet or see your doctor to find out if you need to take some vitamins. It only takes a second to pop open a bottle of multivitamins and swallow one down. And while we are normally opponents of taking pills to lose weight, there’s actually a very good reason to take a multivitamin every day. Restricting calories or eliminating certain foods can cause you to inadvertently become deficient in certain vitamins or minerals. Your body responds to this deficiency by making you crave certain foods, like sweets or salty junk food. Taking a vitamin can help prevent these diet-busting cravings.
3. Start the day with breakfast
There’s a reason it’s called the most important meal of the day. Skipping breakfast may make you think you’re cutting out extra calories, but nutritionists say regular breakfast eaters tend to weigh less and lose weight faster than those who bypass their morning meal. Plus, breakfast is a great place to sneak in protein and fiber-rich foods like oatmeal, flax seed, chia seeds, bran, and Greek yogurt.
More: 5 Reasons to Drink a Green Smoothie for Breakfast
4. Add a soup or a salad
When eating out, adding a soup or salad to your meal is a sneaky and delicious way to actually eat less and feel more satisfied. Broth-based soups and hearty salads contain lots of healthy fiber. That adds up to feeling fuller when your meal arrives, allowing you to fill up with less, and take some leftovers home for tomorrow. Just avoid creamy soups like baked potato or clam chowder, and order your dressing on the side.
5. Reach for a smaller plate
It’s easy to overload your plate with a much larger portion than you actually need. And once you’ve served yourself, it’s even easier to gobble it all down before you know it. Switch out your dinner plate for a salad or bread plate, and set your fork down between bites. This will force you to eat more slowly, giving your stomach time to let your brain know it’s full. You can always go for seconds – just make sure you’re actually still hungry first.
6. Drink water before you eat
Like ordering a soup or a salad with your meal, having a tall glass of ice water before you eat will help you feel fuller before you serve yourself. As an added bonus, drinking water before every meal will help you reach your goal of 8-10 glasses a day.
7. Pick convenient produce
When you’re tired and hungry, you’re much more likely to nab something convenient than something that takes a lot of work. Prewashed herbs, bagged greens, and peeled and diced vegetables may cost a little more, but knowing that they are ready to go makes them a lot more appealing at meal and snack time.
More: 10 Weight-Loss Snacks for the Perfect Body
Sticking to a diet isn’t easy, yet you can shed some pounds without any special efforts. Sure, you won’t become slim by just following these seven tips – you should exercise regularly and get enough sleep as well. What are your lazy ways to lose weight?