Weight Loss Tips You’ve Probably Never Neard Of

There are plenty of great weight loss programs and diets out there for those that want to shed a few pounds, but it can be hard to stay the course when you aren’t seeing immediate results. Here are a few simple tips that you can use in conjunction with your existing programs, diets or routines that can help along the way.

Setting a goal

Positive reinforcement for good behaviour is a must if you want to keep it up. According to the psychologist B.F. Skinner, positive reinforcement (rewards) is a much better stimulus for changing behaviour than negative reinforcement (punishment).

When you make slip-ups, you are likely to punish yourself with guilt. This isn’t an effective way of stimulating behaviour and can lead to comfort eating, breaking your diet or program completely.

Instead, seeing a reward in front of you acts as a goal and will help keep you moving in the right direction. Try treating yourself to new clothes in the size you want to reach. You can even reward yourself in steps and purchase a new item every time you reach an important milestone. Soon you’ll have a pretty sizable wardrobe waiting for you when you reach your goal.

Burning the bridge back

A new wardrobe is a great way of spurring you onto your goal – and preventing backsliding. By getting rid of your old, larger clothes you cut off any way back. This will help you to maintain your new weight.

You can even use your old clothes to fund your new wardrobe by going online and selling your second hand clothes for cash, giving you a little extra money for your new wardrobe.

Drink enough water

This might seem like a strange one, but many of us mistake feeling thirsty for being hungry. Drink a glass of water and you might realise you were never hungry in the first place.

The body is 75 per cent water and ideally we should be consuming around 1.2 litres each day. By not drinking enough, we can actually see ourselves putting on phantom pounds. When we don’t get enough water, our bodies tend to retain as much fluid as possible and this can be mistaken for weight gain.

Try to avoid sugary drinks, as these can actually increase thirst in the long run, as can caffeinated drinks like tea and coffee. By sticking to water or squash, we can ensure our bodies get the fluid it needs and avoid phantom weight gain.

Miracle foods

You’ve probably heard of foods that burn off more calories in digestion than they contain, but what you probably haven’t heard is the number of foods that do this. It is actually quite a substantial list that goes way beyond just celery. By choosing one of these as a snack, you can promote healthy weight loss.

  • Apples
  • Apricots
  • Carrots
  • Cauliflower
  • Celery
  • Courgette
  • Chilli Peppers
  • Cucumber
  • Grapefruit
  • Lettuce
  • Oranges
  • Strawberries
  • Tomatoes
  • Watermelon

Naturally, the only effective way to lose weight healthily is through a balanced diet, so sticking to just these foods is not recommended.