16 Ways to Lose Weight Fast

Tweak your lifestyle

It's a familiar story: You pledge to honor a daily elliptical routine and count every last calorie. But soon, you're eating cupcakes at the office and grabbing happy hour mojitos, thinking, Oops, diet over.

There is a better way: Swap the all-or-nothing approach for one or two healthy switch-ups in your daily routine. "Doing this can lead to more weight loss than you ever imagined," says Marissa Lippert, RD, author of The Cheater's Diet.

In fact, we talked to readers who knocked off 10, 25, even 60 pounds with some easy tweaks. Borrow their slim-down secrets to transform your body the real-world way.

Swap your go-to order

"I used to eat out at restaurants up to nine times a week! By cutting back to just once a week and ordering a grilled chicken salad instead of a large bowl of pasta, I've lost 20 pounds in one month." —Kerri Butler, Joplin, MO

Skip the salty aisle

"I reached my goal weight after I stopped routinely buying snacks at the grocery store. If I wanted a bag of chips or a candy bar, I had to walk to the store to get it. That inconvenience usually made me ignore my cravings." —Heather Del Baso, Worcester, MA

Have a 300-calorie breakfast

"I used to skip breakfast, but now I never go without. I always eat about 300 calories of a healthy mix of protein and whole grains. My go-to meal: a sandwich with natural peanut butter and apple butter. It keeps my hunger down so I snack less throughout the day. In a little over a year, I've shed 65 pounds."—Bo Hale, Tulsa, OK

Get fit in five

"I try to fit in small bouts of exercise whenever possible, like doing jumping jacks or crunches during television commercials or dancing while washing dishes. This burns extra calories and keeps me from mindlessly munching in front of the TV. Now my clothes fit way better, and I’m more toned than ever." —Megan Tiscareno, Hammond, IN

Kick the habit

"I quit smoking, and right away joined a gym and started working out with a personal trainer. There was no way I could exercise and feel healthy if I kept lighting up. I've already dropped 37 pounds in three months!" —Leila Fathi, Memphis, TN

Do a purge

"I totally cleaned out my pantry. Once I replaced the foods I used to overindulge in, like ice cream, with lower-cal snacks, such as roasted sunflower seeds or Special K Chocolatey Delight cereal, I began making better choices automatically. Now, I'm slimmer than I was before I had my two kids!" —Lori Feldman, Coconut Creek, FL

Healthy up your happy hour

"After work, my colleagues and I always grabbed dinner—and it was usually deep-fried. Then we changed things up. Instead of nights out, we started walking and running around a local track. A year later, I’m down 40 pounds." —Ellen Setzer, Cleveland, OH

Get fired up

"I loaded my iPod with jams that make me look forward to going to the gym. They energize me, allowing me to pick up speed on the elliptical—and because I want to hear my entire playlist, my workouts are longer now. Two months later, I'm down 13 pounds and have killer legs." —Kara Marshall, York, ME

Pile on the veggies

"By adding vegetables to the foods I love—like eating pizza topped with arugula and green peppers instead of pepperoni—I became so full so quickly that I no longer had room to eat things like chips or super-rich desserts. I said good-bye to four dress sizes!" —Janessa Mondestin, New York City, NY

Run your butt off

"When I wanted to fit into my skinny jeans again, I started running 20 minutes a day during my lunch hour. In two months, I've lost 20 pounds, have tons of energy, and just finished my first 5K. Those jeans? They're too big now!" —Lauren Castor, Anniston, AL

Downward dog it

"Yoga has become the best thing for my relationship with food and my body. From practicing it several times a week, I'm now more in touch with my hunger cues—so I eat intuitively and stop when I'm full. I've gone down a jeans size, and my cellulite has disappeared!"—Jessica Nicklos, Morgantown, WV

Don’t supersize it

"When going out for fast food, I used to get the large-size value meal. Now, I satisfy a craving by ordering just one item: a small order of fries or a six-piece box of chicken nuggets. So far, I've shaved off 16 pounds in seven weeks, and I'm on track to being thinner than my high school self for my 10-year reunion later this year." —Miranda Jarrell, Birmingham, AL

Save room for your dessert

"I budget for the treats I love. By eating healthy snacks like carrots and hummus, I have calories to splurge on a piece of chocolate and glass of wine each night. And I've still managed to lose 20 pounds in three months." —Elaine Higginbotham, Fort Worth, TX

Brave a new class

"Two months ago, I started going to Zumba twice a week. The crazy dance routines really tone your muscles—especially legs and abs—and give you a heart-pounding cardio workout. Eleven pounds later, I've almost reached my goal weight." —Morgan Howe, Rochester, NY

Nix nighttime eating

"Each time I needed to lose the baby weight, I stopped eating after 6:30 p.m. five nights a week. The other two evenings were reserved for nights out. Most of what I'd eat at night was junk food anyway, so it took only two months to get my pre-baby body back." —Deborah Gilboa, Pittsburgh, PA

Walk with Spot

"My dog and I go for a walk every day, even if it's for just 10 minutes around the block. When the weather is horrible, her enthusiasm gives me the incentive to get out when I wouldn't dare lace up my sneakers otherwise. All the walking adds up: I've lost more than 50 pounds this past year." —Jamie Altholz, Denver, CO



Source
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20501331,00.html

10 Sneaky Ways to Eat Less

One of the simplest ways to control your weight is often one of the hardest: Just eat less. A study in the journal Obesity found that 38 percent of people who were obese and actively controlled their portions lost 5 percent or more of their body weight over the course of two years. Meanwhile, 33 percent of the participants who didn’t watch their portions packed on 5 percent or more of their body weight. And it’s not hard to see why: With out-of-control restaurant serving sizes, giant-sized snack bags, and supermarket “buy one, get one free” specials, most people don’t even know what one serving is supposed to look like. But because facing the world armed with a measuring cup and a tiny food scale can take all the joy out of eating, try these strategies to eat less without even noticing.

Use Smaller Plates and Bowls

It turns out, this classic weight-loss tip really works. Cornell University researchers Brian Wansink, PhD, and Koert van Ittersum, PhD, found that when study participants were given identical servings in different-sized bowls, the participants with the smaller bowls ate less. Going a step further, the researchers suggest putting healthy foods such asfruits and vegetables on larger plates to encourage consumption and reserving smaller plates for richer, more fattening choices

Use a Larger Fork

It may sound counterintuitive, but a recent study published in the Journal of Consumer Research found that using a larger utensil actually may trick you into eating smaller portions. Enlisting the help of a local restaurant, a team of researchers looked at whether diners ate more or less depending on the size of their fork. To their amazement, they discovered that those using oversized forks actually ate less. Researchers believe that the larger utensil tricks diners into thinking they are making more progress on their meal and eating more, though in reality they eat less.

Move Healthy Food Up Front

When you walk into your supermarket, you’re likely to snap up the sale items at the front because they’re the first thing you see. It turns out this same behavior happens in your home kitchen. Other research by Wansink shows that we are three times more likely to nab the first food item we see than the fifth. So if you want to eat more healthfully, move those fresh fruits and vegetables front and center in your fridge and hide small portions of goodies in the back.

Eat With Your Nondominant Hand

At one time or another, everyone goes a little overboard on snacks such as popcorn, pretzels, and chips without being aware of the serving sizes. But research shows you can stop yourself simply by switching the hand you normally eat with. When psychologists at the University of Southern California gave moviegoers bags of stale popcorn, those who were challenged to snack with their nondominant hand were more discriminating — and ate far less overall. They found that participants who used their dominate hands were simply eating out of habit, without regard to whether they were hungry or liked the food.

Chew Sugarless Gum While Cooking

Diet lore suggests chewing sugarless gum to curb cravings and eat less, but studies have shown mixed results. A recent 8-week trial published in the journal Obesity had dieters in one group chew gum for 90 minutes a day. At the end of the trial, the chewers had not lost any more weight than the control group, suggesting that chewing gum at regular intervals did nothing to control appetite. But selectively popping a piece or two at certain times may help you eat less. Chew gum while you cook dinner to stop any mindless snacking and sampling of the dishes.

Slow Down Your Eating

From the time we were kids, many of us have been told to slow down when we eat. And for good reason: A study of 3,000 people in the British Medical Journal found that those who reported being fast eaters had triple the risk of being overweight. When you eat, your brain doesn’t know for certain that you’re full until it receives a series of messages from hormones in your gastrointestinal tract. If you continue to shovel in food, you override these hormonal messages, and before long you can no longer recognize the signals. Several studies, including a 2010 analysis at the Athens University Medical School, show that eating more slowly can also help cut calories, and make dieters feel fuller after smaller portions.

Say Nice Things to Yourself

If you are a chronic dieter, you’ve probably been down on your willpower at one time or another. But such negativity can feed the cycle of overeating, says Michelle May, MD, author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat. “To change this pattern, begin to use an encouraging, gentle inner voice and positive self-talk to motivate yourself toward the changes you want and literally think yourself thin,” she says. Praise yourself for portion control, and you’ll want to keep up the habit of healthy eating.

Make Smart Substitutes

If you crave a steak, you probably think a veggie burger just won’t do, no matter how many condiments you pile on top. A steak is a steak, bacon is bacon, and chocolate is chocolate, right? Well, yes and no. “You can trick your mind into thinking you’re satisfied if you know what healthy substitutions to make,” says Melissa Dobbins, RD, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “My whole approach is to eat healthier while not feeling like you’re giving something up.” Substituting lean filet mignon for sirloin strip steak, lean Canadian bacon for regular bacon, and more healthful dark chocolate for milk chocolate are all ways to eat healthier while still indulging.

Practice Mindfulness Eating

Mindful eating is the practice of contemplating what you are eating and concentrating on how you feel about the food. When you practice mindful eating, you become aware of food in all its aspects — not just how it tastes but also how it makes you feel as well as the sensory experiences it evokes, like the smell, the visual cues, and the texture. Eating becomes a meditative process. According to a study published in Bariatric Times, mindful eating can be an effective treatment for obesity.

 Eat Meals With Men

Although not always practical, this approach is certainly interesting. A recent study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology looked at the behavior of college students in a cafeteria and discovered that when women eat with men, they unconsciously eat fewer calories — on average 112 fewer — than when they eat with their female friends. But take heed: This portion control strategy does not work the other way around. It turns out that when men eat with women instead of other men, they actually eat more. Researchers say this for the most part aligns with cultural norms: Many women consciously or subconsciously feel like they have to eat less around men. And as for guys eating less when they’re out with the guys, researchers report that unconscious cues could be at play, but more study needs to be done.

Source
http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-and-nutrition-pictures/sneaky-ways-to-eat-less.aspx