Reboot your body with these diet hacks.
Weight loss is a challenge—but it doesn’t need to be a complex challenge. You can make small adjustments to your lifestyle that, over time, will make a difference in everything from your energy level to your clothing size. Put these easy, brilliant food hacks for weight loss on your to-do list today.
There is no quick fix for losing and keeping weight off, but a few methods can help you choose healthier foods, eat fewer calories, and teach your brain to resist temptation. However, the truth is that you can burn fat without exercising. The more honest reality is that fat loss occurs in the kitchen and muscle gain occurs in the gym.
Of course, working out burns calories. However, in the grand scheme of things, the calories burned when exercising are only a minor part of the bigger picture. You need to include sleep, stress management, and hormones come into play when it comes to staving off weight and keeping slim and trim. Weight loss food hacks will simplify building better habits and help you work smart and not hard for a slim tummy!
Weight Loss Food Hacks
Weight loss food hacks are a smart way to reboot a diet that’s been struggling or start a new journey toward a slimmer, healthier you. The most important thing to remember when you’re using these diet hacks is to be persistent. Estimates vary, but many experts believe it takes 21-66 days to form new habits [1]. If you commit to one or more of the food hacks below—and then backtrack—be kind to yourself. Acknowledge the misstep, and then jump right back into those healthy habits.
1. Drink a full glass of plain water before every meal and snack.
Water takes the edge off hunger and makes you less likely to overeat during meals or snacks. Put water to work for you with 12 Easy Ways to Increase Your Water Intake or try Healthy Lemon-Ginger Sparkling Water.
2. Eat vegetables first.
Fill up on fiberlicious nutrient-packed veggies before touching any other part of your meal. Veggie up with Hearty Kale Salad or Mango and Arugula Salad with Cilantro Crema.
3. Ask for dressings and sauces on the side.
When you eat at a restaurant while losing weight, always ask the server to bring the salad dressing or sandwich sauce on the side. This gives you better control over calorie intake. Bonus diet hack: When you’re digging into a salad at home, ditch the processed dressings and whip up one of your own easy DIY Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes.
4. Always carry a to-go snack.
Healthy snack foods are an important weight loss tool. Be ready on-the-go by packing your own nutritious munchies like 15 Grab-N-Go Snacks or Top 10 On-the-Go Snacks.
5. Chew your food more.
Chewing food thoroughly slows the eating process, which gives your body extra time to send “stop eating, I’m full” signals to your brain. Curry Turkey Burgers and Southwestern Pizza are delicious ways to put this diet hack into practice.
6. Put down your utensil between each bite.
This is another of those hacks for weight loss that forces you to slow down so you consume less food. Discover more painless hacks in 15 Tips for Lasting Weight Loss.
7. Eat a healthy snack before grocery shopping.
Feeling hunger at the grocery store can tempt you into making unhealthy food purchases. Stave off the temptation by snacking on healthy foods before your trip. Try 15 Snacks That Are Unexpectedly Under 100 Calories or 25 Best Flat Belly Snacks.
8. Eat from a dish—not a package.
Rather than snacking endlessly from a bag, sleeve, or container, portion out food onto a plate or into a bowl. 21 Clean-Eating, Pre-Portioned Snacks will give you tasty ideas for healthy options.
9. Eat from a small plate.
People who eat from smaller plates consume fewer calories than those who eat from larger dinnerware. Why? Researchers believe larger plates skew our sense of portion size [2]. Recipes like Skinny Lasagna Rolls and Individual Shepherd’s Pie are also smart ways to control serving sizes.
10. Squash candy cravings with frozen grapes.
If a sweet tooth is sabotaging your weight loss, keep frozen grapes on hand. These sweet little gems will satisfy cravings and deliver a heaping helping of antioxidants and anti-inflammatories—and not a smidgen of high fructose corn syrup or artificial flavors.
Enjoyed reading this post? More below:
- Five Simple Snack Hacks
- The Best Workout for a Smaller Waist
- The Ultimate Flat Stomach 7-Day Weight Loss Meal Plan
- 12 Great Quinoa Recipes for Weight Loss
Resources:
[1] Science Alert
Ditch diet complexity with the Skinny Ms. 3-Step Weight Loss Program, an ebook that shares the basic tools you need to make noticeable changes to your body and well-being. Discover healthy, delicious recipes in your inbox—subscribe to the Skinny Ms. newsletter today. Follow us on our Instagram, Pinterest and subscribe to our YouTube channel!
Have more health tips to share with the SkinnyMs. community? Let us know! Leave a comment in the section below.