For many people, the thought of a diet is discouraging. It may conjure up images of lettuce and carrots for dinner, or portions so small that you know you'll never be full. But the truth is that the best ways to diet are some of the easiest ways to diet. If it's easy, you're more likely to follow through.
Fidget
Whether you hit the gym or not, find ways to move throughout your day. Any movement counts. In a 1999 Mayo Clinic study, 16 volunteers ate an extra 1,000 calories per day for two months. Researchers were surprised to find that some gained as much as 16 lbs. while others gained only 2 lbs. As it turns out, the reason for this difference was simple little movements during the day--moving around the room more often, as well as shifting positions and fidgeting while seated.
Add Some Spice
Eat spicy foods. Research shows that capsaicin--the chemical that adds heat to spicy foods--increases metabolism. In one Oxford Polytechnic Institute study, volunteers burned an additional 45 calories every time their meals included chili powder.
Build Muscle
Every little bit of weight you lift during the day counts. That's because when it comes to muscle, you use it or lose it. And you need that muscle to burn calories. Not only does using your muscles burn calories in the short term, it increases your metabolism over the long term.
Eat Protein
Protein increases your metabolism. So make sure you get small amounts throughout the day. Good sources are meats, dairy foods, beans, soy foods, seeds and nuts.
Drink Water
Water fills you up so you can eat less and still feel satisfied. There is some evidence that drinking water can speed up your metabolism--which means you'll lose more weight.
Eat at Home
When you make your food at home, you know what's in it. You can easily reduce the amount of oil or sugar in a recipe. When you eat out, it's much harder to have control over what you're eating.
Cook Once, Eat for Days
The drawback to home cooking is that it often takes more time than eating out. So, plan your meals, cook on the weekend, and stock your fridge with healthy, low-calorie foods that you can later grab at a moment's notice.
Consider Raw
Raw foods are, for the most part, healthy and low in calories. If you aim for a third of your diet to be raw, you'll reap benefits and enjoy some of the easiest eating possible. Eat raw vegetables and fruits--grab an apple, carrot, tomato, orange, banana or a bunch of grapes.
Toss it Out
Kitchen clean-up is an important part of dieting, but you don't have to do it all at once. Toss out just one heavily processed staple each week--and don't replace it. By easing into this process, you'll build your awareness of healthy versus unhealthy choices without feeling suddenly deprived of familiar foods.
Get Busy
It's hard to diet when you're focused on nothing else. Make plans for enjoyable activities while you're dieting, and you'll find that it's much more enjoyable.
Refuse to Obsess
Sometimes just being on a diet can lead to an unhealthy obsession. If you find yourself over-thinking your diet, some simple steps will help. Track your calories at every meal, so it's on paper or your computer instead of in your head. Remove your bathroom scale and bring it out to weigh yourself once or twice a week at most. Replace your cookbooks with healthier-food versions. Keep your kitchen stocked with your low-calorie, fresh, healthy favorites, so you don't have to think too much about what to eat.
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