Weight-loss experts and nutritionists are
always preaching that there's no easy way to lose belly fat. Of course, weight loss is a
lifestyle change that involves hard work and dedication. But there are also
tiny tricks that you can weave into your everyday routine to shed the pounds
that much faster. Combined with a healthy lifestyle, these 10 tips on how to
lose belly fat fast will make losing weight feel more like a walk in the park
than a jog on the treadmill.
10 Daily-Life Hacks That Blast Belly Fat
Wake Up
Earlier
Hitting the snooze button for an extra hour of sleep in the
morning may be just as bad for your weight as it is for your job, according to
research from the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. In
the study, people who were exposed to bright light in the morning had a
significantly lower BMI than participants who got light exposure later in the
day. The shorter wavelengths of the light in the morning have a strong effect
on the circadian system, which affects digestion and energy balance. The study
authors suggest getting most of your rays between 8 AM and noon.
Switch the Size of Your Plate
Want to know how to lose belly fat fast? For your next meal, try
letting your plate determine your portion size. When researchers at Cornell
University's Food and Brand Lab served food on 10-inch plates instead of
12-inch plates, the diners consumed 22 percent fewer calories. This can be
attributed to the Delboeuf Illusion, which makes portions feel larger when they
are on a smaller surface.
Change the Color of Your Dinnerware
According to the same study, not only does the size of our plate
determine how much we serve ourselves, but so does the color. You'll eat less
when the color of your plate contrasts with the color of your food. When party
attendees at a luncheon served themselves food that matched the color of their
plate—like pasta with Alfredo sauce on a white plate or pasta with tomato sauce
on a red plate—they helped themselves to 22 percent more food than diners with
plates that contrasted with the color of their food. Don't forget that this
same tactic will work if you want to trick yourself into eating more healthy
foods—a green plate may be the key to finishing that extra helping of veggies!
Chew Your Food
What you eat is an important part of weight
loss, but so is the speed at which you chew it. In a study published
in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,
when 30 men sat down to eat a meal, those who chewed their food 40 times took
in 12 percent fewer calories than the men who only chewed 15 times. The number
of times you chew correlates directly with hormones that tell the brain when to
stop eating.
Take Your Vitamins
Taking a multivitamin every day may help break down fat into
usable energy, says a study published in the International Journal of Obesity. When
researchers assigned three groups of obese women to take multivitamins,
calcium, or placebo pills, the women taking multivitamins had significantly
lower BMI and body weight. Another study showed that taking vitamin D supplements
can also improve exercise performance.
Prepare Your Own Meals
Don't be tempted by the plethora of
delivery options that technology has allowed us. When the American Heart
Association studied people who ate two homemade meals per day, they found that
homemade meals were associated with less weight gain. If you're worried you
won't have enough time to prepare your meals, Margaret Floyd, NTP, founder of EatNakedNow.com, recommends
"soup-ifying" (adding leftovers to broth to make a soup or stew) or
"salad-ifying" (putting leftovers over a bowl of mixed greens)
leftovers for an easy-to-prepare, healthy lunch or dinner. Either way,
"when you make your own food, you can control the ingredients and portion
size," she says.
Stage Your Kitchen Counter
It's harmless to indulge in a Diet Coke
every now and then, but leaving it out in plain sight may cause you to go
overboard. Women who leave soft drinks in plain view in their kitchens weigh up
to 26 pounds
more than those who don't, according to the Cornell Food & Brand Lab. To
stay on track with your healthy eating, keep a fruit bowl out on the
counter—women with fruit on display weigh 13 pounds less than those
who stash their fruit away.
Sleep at a Reasonable Hour
Researchers at the University of
California, Berkeley, recently concluded that the time we go to sleep is just
as important as getting our recommended eight hours. When they analyzed data
from children and adults over a 15-year period, the researchers found that for
every hour later a person's bedtime was, their BMI increased by 2.1 points.
When we train our bodies to sleep at a later time, it adjusts our circadian
rhythm, which regulates metabolic functions.
Drink Water Before Each Meal
Doctors constantly tell us to drink eight
glasses of water per day to replace the body fluids we lose, but drinking water
also keeps us satiated. In fact, researchers from the University of Binghamton
recently showed that when obese adults drank 500 ml of water half an hour
before every meal, they lost almost 10 pounds over 12 weeks.
Believe That You Can Make a Change
The first step to beginning your
weight-loss journey is truly believing that you can make a difference in your
life. You may think this is corny, but it's true—a study published in Health Education and Behavior showed that individuals who believe
that they can control their weight have healthier BMIs, eat better, and go to
the gym more often. A positive attitude may be the supplement your diet needs.
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