Think Yourself Thin

Are you convinced that your normal-weight frame is...well, fat? By thinking so, you could be packing on the pounds.

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New research published in the Journal of Obesity found that normal weight women who perceive themselves as fat are more likely to become fat. In the 10-year study of 1,196 normal-weight teenagers, nearly 6 in 10 women who perceived themselves as fat became overweight (measured by body mass index) within the decade, while only 3 in 10 of those with an accurate body image became overweight.

While a distorted body image might motivate some to hit the gym, the study found that exercise didn't compensate for the effects of a negative self-image. Previous research done on normal-weight adults found similar results: an increase in weight over time in those who perceive themselves as overweight.

One explanation for the weight gain is psychological stress, which has been linked to putting pounds on—especially around the middle. What’s more, we behave according to how we view ourselves. So if we think we are overweight couch potatoes, we are more likely eat unhealthily and generally act like said couch potatoes.

Ready to think yourself thin? Here are five mental tricks for a slimmer self-fulfilling prophecy:

See Your Vision It might seem a little silly, but the results are anything but: "Create a vision board in which you display pictures showing what you want to achieve," says Steve Siebold, motivation expert and author ofDie Fat or Get Tough: 101 Differences in Thinking Between Fat People and Fit People. Seeing a bunch of strong, healthy women on your wall will give you a real goal to work toward. So get clipping on the latest issue of Women's Health (after reading it, of course). Not feeling crafty? Check out our FITspiration Pinterest board.

Write It Down Do you want to lose five pounds? Fit—not squeeze—into your bridesmaid dress by next month? Write out your weight loss goal and how you are going to make it happen, Siebold advises, because a goal without a plan is never a reality. (Follow this personalized fitness plan to lose five pounds fast.)

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Do the Dishes Apart from holding less food, smaller dishes make you think you're eating more than you really are. A recent Cornell University study found that people who eat off 6-inch-wide plates think they are eating about 18 percent more than they really are. Meanwhile, people who eat of 12-inch-wide dishes know exactly how much they are putting away (that is, a lot).

Make Fit Friends Ask yourself: Are your friends a fat influence? If they don’t live a healthy lifestyle, they probably are affecting your waistline, Siebold says. In fact, having a pound-packing buddy makes you 57 percent more likely to join them, according to research from the University of California at San Diego and Harvard. You don’t have to break up with your less-fit friends, though. Just make a point of only eating out or setting a gym date with your fit ones.

Be Messy The easiest way to not grab a Snickers? Look at all the other candy wrappers on your desk. By reminding you how much you’ve already eaten, piling up your opened snack wrappers can cut how many calories you wolf down by more than 40 percent, according to a 2010 study published in Appetite.

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