Munch With the “Wrong” Hand

10 Weight Loss Tips for the Willpower-Challenged

It’s hard to stick to a healthy diet when cookies, chips and other tasty treats seem to crop up at every gathering. Instead of avoiding social events, try using your non-dominant hand to nibble. In a study at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, simply switching hands to eat unhealthy snacks helped women cut their calorie intake by one-third without leaving them feeling hungry or deprived. Eating with your clumsier hand forces you to slow down, so you notice the first twinges of fullness and stop noshing before you overshoot your body’s needs, study authors say.

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Have an Afternoo...

Women who have a snack in the afternoon lose 57 percent more weight compared to women who snack in the morning, according to a study at Washington’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. “There’s often a big gap -- five hours or more -- between lunch and supper, so afternoon snacks are a great way to steady blood sugar and prevent overeating in the evening,” explains lead researcher Anne McTiernan, M.D. “The gap between breakfast and lunch tends to be smaller -- so morning snacks often just add calories, without dampening your appetite later in the day.”

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Be Realistic Abo...

In a University of Pennsylvania study, women who admitted to weak willpower and a fear of slipups (overeating at parties, skipping workouts due to laziness) lost 26 more pounds compared to women who felt confident that they could shun temptations. But admitting to those fear actually proves beneficial: When you picture the occasional slipup, you’re actually being honest with yourself about how hard it is to fight temptations, says Michelle May, M.D., author of "Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat." “And that makes it possible to prepare for setbacks, and to bounce back quickly when they do happen.”

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Head Outside

Women with the highest blood levels of vitamin D lose nearly twice as much weight -- and lose it twice as quickly -- compared to women who are deficient, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. When vitamin D latches onto fat cells, it forces them to release their stored fatty acids so they can be burned for energy, the study authors say.

And the best way to get that Vitamin D is to simply step outside! Spend at least 20 minutes outdoors (without sunscreen) each day. And if the weather tends to be dreary in your area -- or you’re the indoorsy type -- take 2,000 IUs of vitamin D in supplement form daily instead.

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Munch With the “...

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Pile on the Flav...

Try seasoning your meals with bold flavors, like pepper, hot sauce, spicy mustard, flavored vinegars, cinnamon or nutmeg. According to research at Chicago’s Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, when meals are packed with flavor, people feel genuinely full on 200 fewer calories daily -- and they can effortlessly shed up to 18 pounds per year. “When a rich aroma reaches the hypothalamus -- your brain’s satiety center -- it shuts down the urge to eat in as little as five minutes,” explains study author Alan Hirsch, M.D.

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Buy It, but Hide...

In a Cornell study, women who stored their favorite treats in the refrigerator crisper, on higher shelves in the cupboards or in opaque containers snacked 41 percent less but felt just as satisfied. “People are naturally food suggestible, which means that seeing a particular food makes them feel genuinely hungry for it,” says Tom Kersting, Ph.D., author of "Losing Weight When Diets Fail." “Some people fight cravings for years, not realizing that simply placing the 'bad' stuff out of sight will often make those feelings go away in as little as one week.”

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Post Pictures of...

Sticking magazine photos of delicious, healthy foods where you’ll see them often -- on the fridge, in your wallet and near the TV, for example -- acts like positive, subliminal advertising, reprogramming your brain so you crave those foods instead of unhealthy fare, says Kersting. Turns out if you see a certain food repeatedly in a photo or on a plate, your brain starts releasing dopamine, making you crave what you keep seeing, say researchers at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

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Put a Bigger Gla...

Drinking 12 ounces of water first thing in the morning helps prevent overeating for the next three hours. The reason? Up to 70 percent of the time, morning munchies are actually triggered by dehydration, not an empty belly, say Stanford University researchers. Rehydrate first thing in the morning, and that misguided urge to eat a donut (or five) won’t flare.

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Move the Crudite...

When women keep raw veggies within arm’s reach, they munch 67 percent more of them daily -- without even realizing it -- and that’s all it takes to shed 12 pounds yearly without dieting, say University of Illinois researchers. So keep a bag of baby carrots nearby when you’re watching TV, decorate your dinner plate with some pretty bell pepper strips, and leave a bowl of cucumber slices and low-cal dip on the counter when you’re preparing meals.

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Pay for Grocerie...

In a surprising Cornell University study, when subjects paid for their groceries with cash they bought (and ate) healthier, less-fattening food without even realizing they were doing it! Paying with cash makes people feel more in control of both their purchases and their health, and less likely to be enticed by sneaky store advertising, according to the study. Make sure you hit the ATM before you hit the store.

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