Keep your staple foods in the kitchen, place a carrot next to you while cooking, and use small plates when eating... You probably don't know these everyday weight loss tips. Here are 14 of the most effective winter weight loss tricks for you.
1: Staple foods should be kept in the kitchen.
Keep appetizers, starchy foods, and high-fat foods in the kitchen. Having them off the table helps you focus on the present and resist temptations.
Place regular vegetables, salads, or fruit as dessert on the table—few of us get enough nutrition from these foods. This can reduce your calorie intake at main meals by 15-20%.
2: Do not clean the dishes immediately.
A study showed that people who ate chicken wings while constantly cleaning the table ate 30% more chicken wings than those who ate chicken bones piled up like a mountain.
If you're eating cupcakes in paper cups, boxed cookies, ice cream, or any other high-calorie food that generates junk food, be sure to keep the scraps and remnants so you know how much you've eaten.
3: Use small saucers and tall, slender cups.
Boycott those pre-made tableware sets designed for giants.
A normal portion of food looks more substantial when served on a smaller plate.
Several studies have shown that both children and experienced bartenders pour less liquid when using tall, narrow glasses than when using short, wide glasses.
4: Save the wine for dessert and share.
Alcohol always makes meals last longer. If you like to accompany your meal with red wine or beer, it's better to save it for dessert, and you can choose fruit as a dessert to offset the calories.
A glass of berries with a glass of Merlot, a Chardonnay with plums or peaches, or a white sparkling wine with a few small citrus fruits or strawberries are all good choices.
5. When eating, stop from time to time, look around, and listen.
Don't start talking with your mouth full of food.
By putting down your cutlery and focusing on casual conversation during meals, you can cultivate the art of conversation and extend mealtimes.
Some couples or families agree to share their happy moments of the day during the meal. (The television is turned off during the meal.)
6: Separate the food on the plate.
Sometimes, restaurants suggest taking a takeout container and packing up half of the food before eating. This traditional suggestion doesn't seem to work very well, especially when you're facing a long-awaited dinner or a meal with new friends.
To avoid overeating, simply mark which foods you'll eat soon and which you'll eat later—that is, cut the meat you'll eat later in advance, and then slowly cut it into palatable sizes as you eat. Divide your rice into two portions, one for now and one to take home. Don't overdo it; it should be something you can do with just a few spoonfuls and a fork.
After you finish your portion, fold your napkin, put your cutlery on your plate, and then stop eating.
7: Chew a piece of gum while baking.
Generally, there's no need to taste cookie dough or cake batter while cooking, so chewing a piece of minty gum keeps your taste buds from appreciating any other flavors.
Note: Choose sugar-free xylitol gum, as it can also help fight oral bacteria.
8. Keep small carrots nearby while cooking.
When you've just tried making a new dish, just a tiny bit is enough.
When you really want to chew something, baby carrots come in handy.
Alternatively, you can place a glass of ice water next to it.
9. Don't always think about food.
If you don't consume the food your body needs during the day, you'll feel extremely hungry at night, and your ability to resist hunger will be greatly reduced when you're tired.
If you don't have time for breakfast, prepare one or two snacks that you can eat while working in the morning. Of course, you can also prepare them the night before.
If you miss lunchtime, bring some food from home so you don't keep worrying about not having eaten.
10: Take good care of yourself and reduce your stress.
When you're angry, instead of binge-eating ice cream, try doing some yoga poses that can calm your mind and body:
Breathe slowly, focusing on one part of your body at a time. As you exhale, the tension in that area will dissipate. You can start with your feet, then move on to your neck, shoulders, head, and face (relax your eyes and even your tongue—you'll be surprised how much tension you can release). Twenty minutes of relaxation can lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, reducing food cravings.
Alternatively, you can call a friend, write an email, read a good book, go for a walk, look up at the moon and stars in the night sky, play with your pet, or give your spouse a hug.
11: Close the kitchen door two hours before going to bed.
We guarantee you'll get used to it in a day or two.
If you have a small workspace in your kitchen (which is common in many new homes and apartments these days), just keep your cookbook there—make sure your workspace is somewhere else in the room so you don't eat too much food in the kitchen except for mealtimes.
12: Put all the snacks away.
Wrap up the snacks, put them away, and place them in a cupboard, refrigerator, or freezer.
A well-known study showed that office workers eat 23% less sweets when they are packaged in opaque packaging compared to when they are packaged in transparent packaging.
13: Don't eat snacks while watching TV.
Many television programs are interspersed with commercials for junk food and fast food. These foods are characterized by large portions, high sugar content, gelatinous textures, and the presence of cheese and chocolate. This bombardment of advertised foods can make you lose your senses and trigger your appetite: you'll want to eat them just by looking at them. Therefore, a better solution is to avoid snacking while watching television.
14: Brush your teeth after meals
After brushing your teeth, your brain will automatically receive the powerful message that "meal time is over."
Friendly reminder: Daily weight loss starts with small steps. If you follow the tips above, you'll definitely lose weight easily.
