5 Crazy (and Harmless) Tricks that May Actually Help You Lose Weight
Angela Jenkins
| 2 min read
Do this, don’t do that. There are billions of different messages out there offering easy ways to lose weight, and it can be difficult to know which ones are phony. Here are some odd tips I’ve heard over the years that may just help you eat more mindfully, or trick your brain into thinking you’ve eaten more than you actually have.
Crazy Is, Crazy Does
- Sniffing food: The more you sniff food, the less hungry you are and the less you eat, resulting in weigh loss, a new study found. Smelling food tricks the brain that you are actually eating.
- Look in the mirror while you eat: This can be a “friendly” reminder of why you want to lose weight. Eating and catching glimpses of you can be a friendly reminder of your personal weight loss goals and can also stir motivation to stay on track.
- Make it blue: Research shows that when people eat in the surroundings of the color blue, they eat less. This is because blue is considered to be an appetite suppressant, so making over your table setting, dinnerware, clothes or even dining-room lighting can help you eat less.
- Take photos of your food: This is the same idea as journaling your food, just the new-era way to do so (nothing fancy, use your cell phone). Taking pictures that you can look back on throughout the day can be a nice reminder of what you have eaten already and deflect indulgences. It can also show you if you didn’t make the healthiest choices so you can do better next time.
- Use a ribbon: Following a trend that French women adapted to their culture, tying a ribbon around the waist (under clothes) is a great physical reminder of when enough food has been consumed. The ribbon will get tighter when more food and drink is consumed. This one was the most bizarre to me, but I definitely see how and why it works.
People that I have coached in their weight loss efforts are always looking for different tactics to help them in their weight-loss journey. I think these ideas are definitely worth trying, and what’s the harm if they keep you motivated and moving in the right direction?
Do you have any crazy tricks for staying on-track with your diet plan? Let me know if any of these ideas work for you!
Resource: Reader’s Digest
Photo credit: cm.durham
