1. Drink a ton of water—it seems easy enough, but if you’ve been gulping down soda or coffee all day, getting the recommended 6-8 glasses of water in can be a challenge. Be prepared for lots of bathroom breaks the first few days as your stomach gets used to all the liquid. The good news? Water fills you up. Drink a glass before your meal and you’ll eat less every time.
2. Nix the soda—even if it’s diet. Studies have shown a link between diet soda and obesity. Apparently, drinking diet soda can actually increase hunger, leaving you more likely to nibble here and there throughout the day. Drinking regular soda is a definite diet no-no. There’s a ton of sugar in regular soda, and the calories are much better spent on food. If you’re a die-hard soda addict, reduce the amount you drink. You don’t have to quit cold-turkey, just limit yourself to one soda per day.
3. Wear tighter clothes—I know, I know, this one sounds ridiculous. But think about it. If you’re wearing loose clothing; you know the kind, those outfits that you pull out of your drawer and put on, even though you’d never ever want anyone to see you in them. Try ditching the sweats, the baggy t’s, and the “grubby” clothes that leave you feeling safely covered, and try putting on something that actually fits. Trust me, you won’t want to indulge quite so quickly on that leftover cake. And you’ll likely start getting compliments right away. When I did this, people thought I’d lost weight even when I hadn’t—go figure. Who couldn’t handle THAT!? Give it a try.
4. Cut your portions in half—if you’re not ready to dive headfirst into fruits and veggies, why not consider cutting your portions in half. That way, you’ll still be eating the foods you crave, but you’ll eat less? Then add in the fruits and veggies slowly.
5. Don’t fad diet—this is a big one. Seriously, have you ever cut out the carbs only to find yourself devouring a loaf of bread hours later? Have you started a low-fat diet only to gobble up a week’s worth of cheese in one sitting? And what about liquid diets? Have you, like me, tried liquid diets only to end up using the meal “replacements” as a beverage BEFORE the meal? Fad diets don’t work. They leave you wanting, craving, and eventually, binging. Moderation is key. Give up the fad diets and you may actually start losing weight.