If fad diets and extreme exercise routines are taking a toll on you, don't despair. There are plenty of other things you can do to lose weight besides changing your dietary habits and staying on your toes. In fact, sometimes it's the little unusual tricks that make a world of difference, especially if you find yourself stuck or lacking motivation.
Mirror Trick
This is somewhat similar to the idea of posting pictures of slim, beautiful people on your fridge: Every time you're tempted to eat, you'll see your goal look right in front of you and (hopefully) will be dissuaded from snacking on the wrong food. Instead of looking for photos and magazine pages, though, try a mirror. Hang a medium or large mirror right across from where you sit to eat, so you can see yourself at all times. This makes you aware of your eating habits and less likely to overeat, according to Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein, authors of the book "Nudge." Experiments performed in the book and also by the television show "Good Morning America" showed that when a mirror was placed in the office break room, people were more likely to eat fruits rather than donuts. The opposite was true when the mirror wasn't there.
Aromatherapy
According to Alan R. Hirsch, M.D., of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, certain smells can help you control hunger. Apple and peppermint smells reduce appetite and trick your brain into feeling full. The same is true of other odors. Hirsch recommends choosing and cooking foods with strong aromas. Use chili powder on your meals and eat hot foods, since they tend to smell stronger.
Weight Loss Buddy
A study performed by five experts at the University of Vermont showed that people who pair up with an online weight-loss buddy lose more weight than those who join a face-to-face group or go it alone. Online support allows you to be anonymous, so you don't have to hide your real weight or your shortcomings if you feel embarrassed about them. Also, websites that match you with online buddies usually also offer a variety of weight loss tools that you might have missed otherwise. For example, WeightLossBuddy.com has a diet planning tool, message boards and live chat, a diet tracker, blogs and an Ask Our Experts section. BuddySlim.com, another popular site, offers a calorie counter, a food journal, recipes, a forum and a place to track calories burned during exercise. Both are free and have extensive databases of people looking to buddy up.
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