How to lose weight without dieting (and keep it off)

Many people seem to believe they need to go on extreme diets to lose weight. Extreme diets will mean you lose weight, often spectacularly, but then it is is difficult to sustain that weight loss.

Losing weight can be difficult. Don’t go on another diet. Try these 7 simple ways to lose weight without dieting. More importantly if these tips become habits in your life, you are more likely to keep off the weight that you have lost.

1. 1. When you have finished your meal, say an affirmation out loud several times. Here’s some suggestions: “I’ve now finished eating till lunch/dinner/6.00 pm.” (whatever is suitable given the circumstances) or “I have eaten enough food to last me till ….” or “I’m full and do not need to eat till …” Experiment to find the format that’s right for you, and then say it with conviction several times preferably out loud at the end of the meal.
   2. If you comfort eat to suppress emotions and stay cheerful, take the Bach flower remedy Agrimony. These simple, safe remedies based on flowers have been in use for over fifty years. They’re safe to take even if you’re taking medication.
   3. Put your fork or your sandwich down between mouthfuls. This way you are likely to eat less and enjoy your food more – your stomach has time to register that it’s full, which it doesn’t have if you gobble your food down.
   4. If you crave chocolate, try taking a zinc supplement or eating foods that are rich in zinc (e.g. seeds and leafy green vegetables). This is a magical tip for lots of people who thought they would never master their desire to eat chocolate.
   5. Sit at the table to eat, but clear the table of bills, things to do, etc. It doesn’t help you to control what you eat if you’re looking at unpaid bills.
   6. Drink more water – we often misinterpret the body’s thirst request as a food request. When you feel hungry, drink some water and wait a while to see if you really are hungry.
   7. Use a smaller plate, so that it looks as though you have more. We eat with our eyes as well as with our mouths and stomachs.
      Brian Wansink is professor of applied economics and management at Cornell, director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab, and author of books including Slim by Design. He has run 1,200 studies, by his estimate, on eating behaviors. Professor Wansink and his colleagues set up a table in which two out of four bowls of soup continually refilled from an apparatus hidden underneath the table. Participants given the self-refilling bowls ate 73 percent more, but didn’t feel any more sated. “We tend to eat with our eyes and not our stomach, because our stomach is a crude measure of how much we’ve eaten,” Wansink explains.

I also like the blog post from Coral Sirett on How to lose weight and keep it off for good with a wholefood plant-based diet.