6 Simple Changes to Start Losing Weight Today

Having extra pounds is a huge problem for many modern-day men and women. That’s why most of them think about strict diets. However, what if we tell you that certain simple changes in your lifestyle can make a huge difference when it comes to losing weight?

According to physician Brian Wansink who works at the Cornell University, many people notice that they don’t eat too much, but they still gain weight fast. But, this is only a subjective view on this situation because once a thorough analysis is made; we can conclude that the main reason for gaining weight is – the food we consume. Of course, we are talking about excessive food consumption that we sometimes consume unconsciously.

Thanks to the many conversations that he had with his patients, Wansink has managed to determine several traps that prevent losing weight or keeping the optimal body weight. The following is a shortlist of these things mentioned in his book and few others recommended by other nutrition experts.

Serving food

You have probably never think about this, but most families are serving meals on a table. This means that the food is available on the table and no one needs to get up in order to take more food. It is probably a better idea to serve the meals in dishes and serve the meals like that because in this way they will all (including you) eat less.

Setting the right amount and type of ingredients

People who are trying to lose weight usually choose some strict measures and decide to stay away from most foods and that’s why they get bored so easily. Instead of eating fruits or steamed vegetables or meat without any oil, try to determine the right amount and type of ingredients in classic meals you love. Reduce the intake of carbohydrates and fats and double the intake of veggies. In other words, this means that you can still prepare chicken meat in the oven, but with fewer potatoes and more broccoli and other vegetables.

Don’t keep bad food close to you

The best idea is to completely eliminate candies, chocolates, chips and other bad foods from your menu, but we all know that this is not possible especially if you have children. The good news is that according to one study conducted in New York City women who kept a box of snacks on their countertop or in the fridge have about 3 pounds more compared to those who don’t have this kind of habit. So, try to store these foods in some remote place in your kitchen.

Serving salad

Vegetables and fruits should be a priority for adults and children that care about healthy nutrition. However, in many cases we eat significantly less salad when we are having a main meal especially if there is some tasty meat on the menu. Experienced nutritionists recommend eating the salad first and serving the rest of the meal after that.

Portion size

Doctor Wansink has concluded that people usually eat about 92% of the food placed in our dish. Kids eat significantly less – about 56% of the served food. While adults eat almost everything on the dish even if they feel sated before that, kids usually eat less because they are not sure what kind of food they like or dislike and they often play with the food. This means that you should reduce the portion size for you and tell your children that you are satisfied if they eat at least half of the food.

Dish size

This is something that you have probably heard, but Wansink has confirmed that it really works. You will eat less food if you serve it in small dishes or bowls. He performed a simple test in which people ate about 20% more cereals when they were served in bigger bowls.