10 Weight Loss Hacks

1. Drink water first.  You think you are hungry so you are about to grab a snack.  Try drinking 16 ounces of water first, if you are still hungry then have a snack or a meal but you will often find that the water satisfies the need, especially if you had a meal (with 25+ grams of protein) less than two hours ago.
2. Substitute water for sodas and juices.  Just giving up the extra sugar and calories from these drinks will give you immediate results.  Need help getting used to plain old water, add orange slices, melons, strawberries, limes and/or lemons to add flavor.  Just make sure you drop in fresh fruit and not frozen as it often has sugar added to the juices.
3. Don’t eat out!  Okay this seems more like torture than a hack, right?  Just read the menu and select your meal before you get to the restaurant. It is hard to say no to friends especially since we celebrate over food and drinks but this doesn’t have to be your down fall.  Just visit the restaurant’s menu ahead of time and pick the most protein rich meal with fewest calories like grilled chicken breast or fish.  Also, in advance or when you are at the restaurant, ask the waiter how many ounces are being served.  Typically a serving is 4 to 6 oz so if they tell you it is 8 or 10 ounces, just cut it in half when it hits the plate and bag up the reminder for the next day’s lunch.
4. Forgo dessert.  Sounds like the same as above and it’s a joke too.  But avoid the key lime pie or chocolate lava cake and ask instead for a bowl of fresh fruit and cream.  It will satisfy most any sweet tooth, keep you on track and add fiber to boot.
5. Become monotonous.  They say variety is the spice of life but not when you are trying to lose weight.  Thinking about what to eat every day gives way too much focus to the food.  Just having a few staples for every meal so that it is easy to decide what to eat and you already know that it provides the right nutrients to get to your goals.
6. Increase your protein.  If you are not eating 25+ grams of protein with every meal (morning, lunch and dinner), you will find that this increase will keep you feeling fuller longer and help you get to your overall goals.
7. Pack snacks.  Okay, so you are going to have eaten 25+ grams of protein, drank the 16 ounce of water and then decide, yes, I am still hungry.  But you are out and the only options are chips and candy bars from the snack stand.  But before you sabotage your eating, rummage around in your bag for those preplanned snacks like natural almonds, protein bar and fresh fruit.
8. Eat before you go.  Whether it is a birthday party, concert, or bowling, have a meal rich in protein.  Being full with healthy food before you get there limits your likelihood to partake in all of the other bad food.  But if you really love birthday cake, save some room so that you can have one piece.
9. Eat off of a smaller plate.  For some reason we think our dinner plates have to be full of food; this can sabotage your weight loss by causing you to overeat.  Choose to eat your meals instead on a salad plate and you’ll find yourself eating less and still feeling full.
10. Buy a food scale.  You check how much you weight but do you know how much your food actually weighs?  We often then we are eating the recommended serving size but without weighting, counting or measuring; how do we really know?  Take a minute to make sure you are only eating that 4 to 6 oz of chicken by weighing it.

Share your hacks for losing weight and maintaining a healthy diet in the comments below.