Simple Eating Hacks to Manage Weight Effectively

The most common reason for weight fluctuations lies in the energy equation – if we eat more food or higher energy-density foods than we need to maintain our weight – we gain weight. If we eat less than what we need – we lose weight. There are other reasons for that as well, including underlying medical conditions like hypothyroid (underactive thyroid function leading to slowed metabolism) causing weight gain, or hyperthyroidism – the opposite of the latter – overactive thyroid leading to accelerated metabolism and weight loss. Water retention leads to rapid weight gain and is often reported by women of childbearing age right before their period.

In order to lose weight, we need to be mindful of the amount of energy, or calories, we consume. Calorie-counting is one way to keep track of everything we eat, but could be tedious and not always accurate. Many people dread counting calories. But there are other hacks to help keeping calories in check:

1. Eat your greens! Just what your grandmother used to say, and, my, was she right! Green leafy vegetables along with other veggies and fruits, are high in filling fiber. A bowl of salad made with spring mix or spinach or arugula with added cherry tomatoes, diced bell peppers, cucumbers, sweet corn with some lemon juice and a teaspoon of olive oil will fill up your stomach at only 100-200 calories. Not only your body is getting the fiber it needs for so many functions (like keeping you regular and feeding the gut microbiota), your body will sense the rainbow of healthy micronutrients and phytochemicals, boosting your immune system and protecting you from oxidative stress. When your body gets what it needs, your hunger levels decrease. If you want to permanently reduce your calorie intake, focus on consuming more nutrient-dense foods like whole fruits, veggies, legumes, whole grains and lean proteins. They are high-bulk low-calorie foods, as opposed to energy-dense foods – packing a lot more calories for the same amount, leading to higher intake. Start every meal with a salad and you’ll notice that you eat less of the subsequent meal, resulting in lower calorie intake. This research brief by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outlines helpful strategies to reduce caloric intake by consuming less energy-dense foods.
2. Drink more water. Water has no calories. It fills you up, hydrates the body, boosts your metabolism, detoxifies your organs and speeds up the movement of your intestine contents down the digestive tract. Every cell in our body needs water. Even though the filling sensation is short-lived, you can still use this hack to delay eating, especially if there is no healthy food available at the moment. We often confuse thirst for hunger, and if you remember to drink before you eat – that might just do the trick. One study found that pre-meal water consumption led to a significant reduction in meal energy intake which may be a useful tool in the attempts of weight loss.¹
3. Remove all distractions. When we eat in front of a TV, tablet, computer or smart phone, our brain loses focus on the food and does not register timely fullness cues. We often end up overeating. Mindful eating, in which all distractions are removed and we focus on the food we eat, the way the food makes our body feel, and notice when we are satiated, helps reduce calorie intake, lose weight, and normalize our relationships with food. That is – we eat when we are hungry and stop when we are full, we don’t eat for reasons other than hunger and use coping strategies, not involving food, to deal with daily stress and emotional instabilities. As you eat, check-in with yourself – are you still hungry? Is the food satisfying? Should you save some for later and avoid overstuffing yourself?
4. Use less condiments. A seemingly healthy salad at a restaurant may pack as much as 1000 calories when drenched in a creamy dressing, topped with cheese, bacon and croutons. Those dressings – ranch, Cesar, blue cheese, French, etc. – are based on oils, cream and cheese that are high in fat and calories. When eating out – ask for dressing on a side, and better yet – instead of the dressing the dish comes with, ask for a side of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Drizzle a little bit of both and save yourself a ton of calories. At home use mustard, lemon juice or vinegar in place of rich condiments. Substitute low-fat Greek yogurt for mayonnaise and other creamy dressings.
5. Pack your lunch. Home-made dishes are always lower in calories than restaurant-prepared food. At home you are in control of what and how much of it goes into the pot. Restaurants are in business of making their profits by selling prepared food. They need to make sure the food they make appeals to every taste, and they do so by manipulating ingredients – usually by using more salt, sugar and fat than is optimal for our nutritional needs. Make a habit of meal-prepping on Sundays. Invest in a 5-pack glass of BPA-free plastic lunch containers, portion out your lunches and save time, money and calories. Chicken-veggie stir-fry, veggie chili, whole grain pasta with turkey and veggie sauce, buddha bowls, salads – all are great options for healthy, low calorie lunch meals. Home-made foods have lower calorie-density leading to reduced calorie intake.²
6. Mind your snacks. Some healthy snack options include nuts, dried fruits, cheese and crackers. While all are healthy options, the quantity matters. These are calorie-dense foods – they pack a lot of calories per relatively small amounts. For the reference – 3 ounces of almonds have 550 calories! It’s very easy to eat that much without realizing it. Dry fruits are high in sugar since all the water is removed, leading to lower volume and higher concentration of sugar in them. It is best to portion out nuts, dry fruits and cheese to avoid overeating them. You can buy 100-calorie packs of nuts and dry fruits or pack them yourself in small zip-lock bags for on-the-go snacking.
7. Out of sight, out of mind. It is hard to stick to a reduced-calorie regimen if your fridge and cupboards are still packed with calorie-dense foods. If you are trying to lose weight, maintain it or simply stick to a healthier, whole-food diet, it is best to create an environment that is void of sabotaging foods. Give your kitchen a clean-eating make-over by removing all the packaged processed cookies, cereals, chips, candy, muffins, pastries, sweetened yogurts, sweetened beverages, donuts, high-sodium canned soups and pastas and ready-to-eat meals. Instead, stash up on fresh fruits and veggies, nuts, seeds, nut butters, low fat Greek yogurt and cottage cheese, whole grain pasta and bread, whole grain rice, quinoa, corn-meal, buckwheat, bulgur, millet, old-fashioned oats. The more you practice eating healthy whole foods, the easier it will be to turn to them when you are hungry. New habits may take some time get instilled since by practicing them we are creating new neural pathways in our brains. However, once these pathways are established, that’s all you need to ensure the new habit sticks.

The eating hacks above may help you shred a lot of calories from your usual foods, while keeping you full and nourished. It is a matter of remembering to implement them. At the beginning you may want to write them down on a cheat-sheet or your smart phone Notes app and pull them up frequently to remind yourself of the healthy eating tricks you are implementing.

Stay nourished, my friends! 

References:

1. Jeong J. N. (2018). Effect of Pre-meal Water Consumption on Energy Intake and Satiety in Non-obese Young Adults. Clinical nutrition research, 7(4), 291–296. doi:10.7762/cnr.2018.7.4.291
2. Vadiveloo, M., Parker, H., & Raynor, H. (2018). Increasing low-energy-dense foods and decreasing high-energy-dense foods differently influence weight loss trial outcomes. International journal of obesity (2005), 42(3), 479–486. doi:10.1038/ijo.2017.303