Naming the "most effortless" way to lose weight is a tricky proposition. On one hand, no weight-loss method is truly effortless. They all require dedication to a course of action over a long period. On the other hand, what one person finds effortless another might find daunting. On the third hand, there are a handful of weight-loss techniques that can help you eat fewer calories and shed pounds without needless effort or complexity.
The Small Plate Diet
According to food researcher Brian Wansink in his eating guide "Mindless Eating," the main determiner of how much food we eat at a sitting is how much we are given. Wansink's research found that eating off a smaller plate causes people to eat less, even if they have access to additional helpings. To simply and painlessly reduce your daily calorie intake, switch from dinner plates to lunch plates, or even tea saucers.
Drinking Water
Drinking water before each meal fills your stomach with a zero-calorie liquid, leading you to feel full faster when you sit down to eat. According to CNN health correspondent Dr. Melina Jampolis, this practice alone can help you lose more than 14 lbs. in a single year. You can use this same method to curb between-meal snacking by drinking a glass of water as your first response to hunger or cravings.
Eat More Meals
The traditional three-meal schedule results in a drop in your blood sugar between two and three hours after you eat. That drop means craving more food, which in turn means between-meal snacking. Those extra calories can pack on pounds quickly, especially when you consider how unhealthy many between-meal choices are. Instead eat six small meals, one every two to three hours throughout the day. This keeps your blood sugar levels even and helps you make sure everything you put in your mouth is part of your weight-loss plan.
Calorie Shifting
Losing weight is all about the calories: the less you eat, the more weight you lose. You can spend time and energy calculated your calories to the decimal point. However, you can also get strong results simply by shifting the kinds of food you eat. Try eliminating high-calorie, low-value foods such as sugary drinks, baked potatoes, fast food and white breads. Replace them with lean meats and vegetables to fill up. These low-calorie foods will fill your stomach with a fraction of the calorie load, meaning you eat fewer calories overall each day.
References
- "Mindless Eating": Brian Wnsink; 2006
- "Body for Life"; Bill Phillips; 1999
- CNN Health: Can Drinking Lots of Water Help You Lose Weight?
- "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy"; Walter Willett; 2004
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