12 Weight Loss Tricks You Can Start Doing Today

Losing weight can be a very difficult task to overcome especially for those who are highly motivated. In addition, as a person ages the more difficult it gets to maintain an appropriate weight.

One thing many people wonder is if there are any ways to "reverse engineer" life moments (just my fancy way of saying tricks) to help with weight loss.

Here are 12 weight loss tricks you can start using today:

Pay Attention to Portion Sizes

Studies have shown that eating food off smaller sized plates lead to eating less.

For example, studies were conducted in a controlled laboratory setting where they focused on food and eating habits of participants. They found that many participants had no clue of the changes in the portions offered and how it affected the amount they had eaten (1).

This leads to overeating! Don't overeat!

Related: 3 Principles to Eat More and Still Lose Weight

Unfortunately overeating happens more often than we think. So to solve that problem, pay real close attention to your bowls and dishes. Or better yet, ask for a smaller portions if you're trying to to lose weight. Save leftovers in a to-go box. If you've been constantly on the lookout for weight loss tricks, mark that down!

Don't Get Distracted

The study also explains that the more people get distracted (eating out for example), the more they become unaware of the portion sizes handed to them. People who were served 50% more pasta ended up eating 43% more than those with normal portions. Yikes!

Related: 9 Best Morning Habits to Lose Weight

Restrict Your Electronics

An average American adult spends approximately 5 hours a day watching television. Now, it's safe to assume that the time could be spent planning meals for the rest of the week or getting more exercise throughout their day!

If you're one of them (Don't worry, I won't tell anyone) here are a couple of ways to make use of those extra hours:

• Yoga: Doing yoga regularly offers many benefits, including making you feel better about your body as you become stronger and more flexible, toning your muscles, reducing stress, and improving your mental and physical well-being. It also helps with weight loss and you can do it practically anywhere inside your home.
• Have a cup of red or green tea and read a book (For the women: Here is currently a 5-star #1 best selling book on amazon, published just recently this year) :).
• Dancing
• Collect bugs
• Wash or walk the dog
• Wash the car
• Water your garden
• Write an autobiography or a short story
• Meditation
• Read a newspaper
• Browse the internet
• Make a weight loss smoothie
• Read: 15 easy ways to live a healthier lifestyle

Related: 15 Easy Ways to Live a Healthier Lifestyle

Eat More Fruit

Many people often associate fruit with sugar--specifically the health conscious eaters. While it is a source of natural sugar, some fruits are rich in fiber and will work wonders for kickstarting your metabolism.

Here are some examples of fruits with plenty of fiber content:

• Raspberries
• Blackberries
• Apples
• Oranges
• Flaxseeds
• Grapefruit
• Watermelons

Don't miss: Here are 15 Super Foods You Should Be Eating For The Summer

Go to Bed Earlier

It's commonly known that the longer your body stays up the more time your hunger signals will kick in, signaling that it's time to eat again--leading into a snacking trap. Curb your cravings by going to bed before those evil cravings get the chance to cry over more food!

Related: 7 Reasons Spring Is The Best Time Of The Year To Lose Weight

You can set the alarm clock at an earlier time instead and enjoy the remaining left over time for some exercise, meditation or meal prepping.

Take a Multivitamin

A study in 2010 gave participants either a placebo pill, a multivitamin, or a calcium supplement for 6 months. The group taking the vitamins ended up with a large reduction of body fat than the other 2 groups. Researchers theorized that our bodies send us signals to eat more when we're lacking certain nutrients. It's also assumed that taking a multivitamin regularly fulfills these deficiencies.

Read: Everyday Solutions For Weight Loss Challenges

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Swap Your Meal Sizes

For a lot of us, dinner meals are still the largest of them all in the day although nutritions have been telling us that they shouldn't be.

Make breakfast your largest meal to kickstart your metabolism, as well as giving you fuel for the day. For optimal calorie burn, eat a light, medium sized lunch and a small dinner.

Read: 18 Keys to Healthy Weight Loss

Team Up With Your Family

You can hold yourself accountable by telling a family member or friend about your goals to losing weight. Then simply keep them regularly updated with your progresses. You might benefit from their help by asking them to prompt you, constantly checking in on your efforts or how well you're doing with sticking to your weight loss goals.

Related: 10 Healthy Habits To Live A Healthier Life

Practice the 20-Minute Rule

Basically any time you eat make sure to give yourself the right portion sizes. Once you finish one portion and are craving for more, put yourself on timeout for at least 20 minutes to see if you're still feeling hungry.

Why 20 minutes?

It takes our bodies around 20 minutes to recognize that we're physically full. And if your stomach still isn't happy, feel free to help yourself to more food. This little trick actually works quite effectively. Here are 14 Mental Tricks to Deal With Food Temptations.

Sleep in Colder Temperature

As humans, our bodies can react in interesting ways to temperature changes. The warmer the temperature is, the less energy/calories your body needs to keep you warm.

What does this mean?

When our bodies are in the thermoneutral zone, this is where our body does not have to regulate our body temperature, so we feel less inclined to eat because we already feel relaxed and the need for satisfaction is less likely to be strongly desired.

However, when our bodies are above or below this zone, we increase the amount of energy we spend, which "decreases energy stores", such as fat (2).

Check Your Medications

Take a second look at any of the medications you're currently taking. Some common allergy pills (anti-histamines) can block the body's natural histamines, impacting your bodys' ability to break down fat. Birth control pills can also cause a fluid retention which leads to weight gain.

Make Use Of The Glycemic Index

If your head is spinning by all the tracking of your health-conscious diet, try eating according to the Glycemic Index. The Glycemic Index measures your body's glucose responses to certain foods. Try sticking to foods that are ranked lower than 50 or between 50 and 70 on the scale, and try practicing proper portion control. For more information, visit the Glycemic Index Foundation to see how certain foods rank.

Read: 5 Teas You Should Drink To Boost Weight Loss