3 Easy Ways to Lose Weight

If you ask 10 different people for weight loss tips, you just may receive 10 different answers. One person may tell you to simply eat less and exercise, while others will push some extreme dietary lifestyle. Weight gain, however, is caused by virtually countless factors, and therefore can be tackled with various strategies. While it would require certain dietary principles to attain a higher level of overall health, here are 3 easy ways to lose weight – both simple and effective.

Eat Off of a Smaller Plate

This may be one of the most important and simplest among  the many easy ways to lose weight. Portion control is one aspect of eating which many people need to practice, especially when dining out. As simple as it is, simply using a smaller plate for meals is a fantastic and extremely simple way to consume proper amounts of food. In fact, the easy switch can result in as much as 22% less calories for any given meal while satisfaction from eating remains the same.

One study demonstrated how simply putting less food in front of you results in less food consumption, even if the portion is well enough to fill you up. In the experiment, cinema audience members were given two different sized tubs of popcorn, with both of them containing an amount well above what the person would eat. Even though all audience members had a great amount of popcorn, those with the smaller containers ate less than those with the larger containers.

Why does this work? While using a smaller plate, there is the obvious chance that less food ends up on the plate, but this weight loss tip also works on a subconscious level. When you see a large plate with unused space around the food, your brain is subconsciously triggered into thinking there is less food on the plate. This results in a reasonable action of sweeping the plate clean with your fork. Simply switch to an 8 or 10 inch plate instead of using a 12 inch. This is one of the easy ways to lose weight that works on a subconscious level.

Record Everything in a Food Diary

While using a smaller plate could easily cut some calories, there is still a good chance you’re overeating throughout the day. Nearly all experts recommend keeping a food diary, but most people skip this strategy. What’s more, those who attempt the food diary often don’t record everything eaten throughout the day.

In one experiment, a woman named Debby agreed to keep a food diary and record all food consumed over a 9 day period. During the first 4 days, she recorded what she ate using a video camera at the end of the day. For the following 5 days, she wrote down what she ate immediately after eating any food. For the experiment, both Debby’s calorie consumption and calorie expenditure was monitored with special water known as “doubly labeled water” and urine samples.

Using the video diaries, Debby recorded consuming 1,100 calories when she actually consumed 3,000 calories – that’s 66% of her meals which she either forgot about or didn’t realize. Using the written diary, she forgot to record 43% of the calories consumed. Since people often forget about snacks, beverages, calorie-rich sources on foods such as sauces — and how even healthy foods contain calories — this under-reporting is not uncommon throughout the population. Essentially, one of the easy ways to lose weight is to know that everything count.

Protein Halts Hunger Pangs

Eating breakfast itself is a great tip for weight loss, but adding protein to that meal will will help even more. Research shows that a breakfast rich in protein can boost metabolism for hours after consumption. In addition, studies have shown that those who consume a breakfast rich in protein experience more appetite control and less hunger pangs. Simply eating a protein-rich breakfast reduces the desire to eat more throughout the day.

One experiment found that only 10% more protein in breakfast is enough to feel full for longer. Using 3 men, researchers gave each participant a breakfast containing the same amount of calories, but each meal contained 10% more of one macro-nutrient: carbohydrates, fats, or protein. Without focusing on weight changes based on the overall meal, the researchers found that the person consuming 10% more protein stayed full for much longer than the other two participants. What’s more, the addition of protein results in less food consumed at the next meal.

When food travels through the digestive system, it triggers the release of a hormone called PYY. When PYY reaches the brain, hunger signals are suppressed. What has been found, though, is that protein triggers a greater release of PYY, and therefore hunger pangs are suppressed for a greater period of time.

There are countless easy ways to lose weight weight, but implementing these extremely simple changes will undoubtedly have a positive impact on your quest for effective and long-lasting fat loss.

Additional Sources:

BBC’s 10 Things You Need to Know About Losing Weight