Forget about dieting and try these 6 simple weight loss tips instead!
What if I told you that you could lose weight simply by making a few changes to your eating environment? Would you be game to try?
With the help of Brian Wansink’s book, Slim by Design: Mindless Eating Solutions for Everyday Life, I’ve got 6 simple weight loss tips to share with you today. No dieting required!
6 Simple Weight Loss Tips {Without Dieting!}
ONE: TREAT YOURSELF!
What: Go shopping and buy some pretty new dinner plates! Just make sure they’re 9 to 10 inches or less.
Why: 1 cup of pasta looks small on a normal-sized 12-inch dinner plate, so you’re likely to add another spoonful, which also provides more calories {about 60}.
In comparison, that same cup of pasta looks more than enough on a 10-inch plate. If you eat off of smaller plates for 3 meals a day, the calorie savings quickly adds up leading to effortless weight loss, with the bonus of getting pretty new plates!
Personal Note: My family and I have been eating off of smaller plates for as long as I can remember. This REALLY does work if you want to eat less!
TWO: GET A MAKEOVER
What: Do a 15-minute fridge/freezer/pantry makeover, making healthy foods front and center, and more indulgent foods out of sight.
Why: Dr. Wansink and his associates have found time-after-time, that “the most visible foods are the ones you eat first and eat most,” so it makes sense that if you want to eat more of the good stuff {without craving the less nutritious stuff}, you have to make it the first thing you see when you open your fridge.
Personal Note: I love this tip and am definitely going to rearrange the contents of my fridge, freezer, and pantry to put the most nutritious foods front and center, even if that means taking the veggies out of the crisper. I also can be better about washing and cutting up veggies ahead of time so my family and I will be more likely to eat them!
THREE: CLEAR YOUR COUNTERS
What: Clear your countertops off of all food except for a big bowl of fruit {with at least 2 different varieties}.
Why: Just like tip #2, seeing a bowl of fruit makes it more likely you’ll eat it, and conversely, you’ll be less likely to eat cookies/cake/treats if they’re not in your plain sight!
Personal Note: Unlike my sometimes uneaten crisper veggies, I almost always have a big bowl of fruit on the counter, and you know what? It ALWAYS gets eaten. Yay!!!
FOUR: FILL YOUR CART WITH PRODUCE
What: Go to the grocery store and divide your cart into 2 sections {use a coat, a briefcase, or a sleeping child-just kidding!} and stock 1/2 of your cart with fruit and vegetables before you shop for other items on your grocery list.
Why: If you want to fill half of your plate with vegetables and fruit at home {which I highly suggest!}, you need to first fill your cart with all these delicious fruits and veggies before you can eat them at home.
Personal Note: Although I don’t put a divider down the middle of my grocery cart, I do hit the produce section right away when I go grocery shopping, and usually manage to make 1/2 my cart filled with produce. I find that by getting my produce first, if I get tired of shopping later on, at least I have my fruit and veggies!
FIVE: TAKE A BREAK
What: Take a “walking lunch meeting” at work, or if you work from home, get out and walk at lunchtime, even if it’s only for a ten-minute break. Also, tell yourself you’re taking a scenic walk to clear your mind instead of a walk for exercise.
Why: Multitasking isn’t usually recommended, but if you can get a walk in at work, AND get some work done, more power to you! Also, if you are someone who thinks that “exercising” means you can eat more {not uncommon}, by telling yourself that you’re taking a walk just to enjoy yourself, or for a mental break, you’ll be less likely to eat extra food at your next meal.
Personal Note: I try to take #fivein45 minute breaks throughout the day. During this time I’ll do a quick workout with weights, run around my house {my dogs like to chase me!}, or simply put in a load of laundry. I find this really clears my mind, so I can focus better on work, plus all these mini-workouts can really add up!
SIX: KEEP THINGS BRIGHT
What: Ask to sit by the window, or in a well-lit area the next time you go to your favorite restaurant.
Why: Dr. Wansink and his associates have discovered that what people eat at restaurants, correlates with where they eat, and people who eat by windows or in well-lit areas tend to eat more side salads and are less likely to order dessert, than people who eat in dimly lit areas or in booths.
Personal Note: I’ve never tried it, but it makes sense that seeing the sunlight, people, or trees outside might make you more conscious of being healthy and more likely to order healthier items on the menu, as Dr. Wansink has suggested. I’m definitely going to give this a try!
Highlights of Slim by Design by Brian Wansink
+ Makes you feel like your hanging out at lunch, chatting with Dr. Wansink, over a healthy {delicious} meal and a glass of wine! If you’ve ever read Dr. Wansink’s book, Mindless Eating, {if you haven’t you should!} you know what a great storyteller he is, and what a passion he has for making healthy eating enjoyable for everyone. Slim by Design follows the same tone, and after I finished reading the book, all I wanted to do was call up Dr. Wansink and invite him over for dinner!
+ Provides solutions to mindless eating traps that will work for everyone. Not only do you get simple weight loss tips to use in your home, you also get tips for grocery shopping, dining out at restaurants, working at the office, and eating at school, plus you get action plan ideas based on your lifestyle. Are you a working single? A homebody? An entertainer? A workaholic? Or an overstressed parent? {Raising my hand!} There are lots of tips for everyone!
+ Gives you a step-by-step action plan you can start implementing today. When you first read the book, there is a lot of information provided, which may seem a little overwhelming at first, but fear not, because the last part of the book is filled with step-by-step action plan lists that you can start checking off today. Note: Not all of the information may apply to your personal lifestyle, so take away what works best for you. It’s also important, and Dr. Wansink suggests, that you not change too many things at once, and instead focus on a couple of changes you can make each month. I’m personally very passionate about the adage that “small changes lead to lasting results.” #truth
+ Empowers you to make simple changes that can lead to significant {long-term} weight loss results WITHOUT making you give up your favorite foods. As a food-loving dietitian, who follows the 80/20 rule, I think the most powerful impact you can have on your health {both physical AND mental} is to NEVER say never {unless you have a health condition that requires you to stop eating certain foods}, as in “I will never eat cookies again,
or “I will never eat ______ {fill in the blank} again.” In my opinion, that kind of thinking makes you crave the exact foods you vow to give up, and when you do eat them {and you most likely will} you will eat way more than what’s considered a healthy portion. If I can leave you with any tidbit of nutrition wisdom, it’s most definitely NEVER say never!
How to get your own copy of Slim By Design
I’ve only shared a few Slim by Design tips, but the book has MANY more solutions you can implement if you want to eat healthier or lose {or maintain} your weight without dieting and giving up your favorite foods. If you’d love to learn more, you can buy your own copy of Slim By Design at Amazon