5 Weight Loss Tips That Experts Say Suck!

Contrary to what all of the "diet rules" out there would lead you to believe, losing weight doesn't have to be complicated. And, truth be told, it shouldn't be complicated. 

To help you streamline your efforts, we talked to top weight-loss experts about less-than-stellar weight-loss strategies that are total waste of time.

From the minimally effective to absolute B.S., these common weight-loss tips have got to go.

1.OD'ING ON GREEN TEA

Okay, research shows that drinking green tea (without sugar or artificial sweeteners) could help you lose weight, but the effect is pretty "meh," says Craig Primack, M.D., a diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. In one study, people who drank two to four cups per day increased their metabolism by 50 daily calories. That's a ton of brewing for so little benefit.  

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How To Stop Eating When You Are Bored?

Craving potato chips or chocolate? Your job may be to blame for why you’re not losing weight… seriously. If you’re doing work that you aren’t passionate about and are feeling uninspired and bored at work, there may be a science-backed reason you reach into the candy jar or hit the vending machine for cookies or potato chips mid-afternoon.

One study found that people are more likely to eat fatty, sugary foods if they are bored. One of the study’s authors suggests that we experience low levels of dopamine, a brain chemical, when we’re bored, and this could drive us to compensate by eating fat and sugar.

Chewing Gum Instead of Snacking?

When the midday munchies strike, the battle between a bag of pretzels and a stick of gum begins. And if you want to lose weight, you probably opt for the gum, relegating the pretzels to the snacking corner of shame.

But will keeping your mouth busy with something that has little-to-no calories really help you shed pounds?

It depends. First off, chewing gum can be very helpful when used as a behavioral tool, says Susan Bowerman, R.D., director of worldwide nutrition, education, and training at Herbalife.

Do You Need To Eat More To Lose Weight?

When we want to lose weight, we start cutting things. We cut out soda, cut down on fat, and cut our calorie intake. If slashing 500 daily calories is good, cutting 1,000 has to be twice as good, right?

Nope. When you go too low, you can drastically damage your metabolism—meaning that you’re working in complete and utter opposition to your weight-loss efforts. For instance, when one New England Journal of Medicine study followed men and women who lost weight through intense calorie-cutting, researchers found that the participants’ metabolic rates and hormone levels were whacked out even a year after they hit their weight-loss goals.

Sound familiar? It should. It’s exactly why "The Biggest Loser study," which assessed the weights of 14 people who lost weight on one season of the show, found that all but one contestant regained everything. For example, Amanda Arlauskas, who was on the show, has a daily caloric burn that’s 591.1 calories lower than it is for the average woman her size. That means, to maintain her weight, she has to eat nearly 600 fewer calories than other women.

“What people forget is that we all have a resting metabolic rate—the number of calories our bodies burn breathing, thinking, and keeping out hearts beating,” says Wesley Delbridge, RD, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “If your caloric intake is less than your resting metabolic rate, which is around 1,200 calories for most women, your body is forced to adapt to a lower metabolic rate.” You burn fewer calories during any given activity, making weight loss even harder—and weight gain oh-so easy.

Seriously, that sucks. Luckily, it’s totally avoidable. Start by answering these seven simple questions to find out if you need to be eating more to weigh less.

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10 Reasons Why You Feel Like You're Always Hungry.

10 Reasons Why You Feel Like You’re Always Hungry

Obviously if you haven’t eaten anything in four hours, you can probably guess why your tummy’s rumbling. But if you just finished lunch a few minutes ago and you’re already digging through the snack drawer, here are a few things that might be giving you that bottomless-pit feeling.

1. You’re not sleeping enough

If you regularly skimp on sleep — like one-third of adults do — it could be to blame for your endless snack attacks. Just one night of sleep deprivation can cause your ghrelin levels to spike, and sleep debt has been linked to higher BMIs and obesity-related metabolic disorders.

And when you’re running on fumes, your body will start looking for any fuel source to keep you going — like, say, that bag of corn chips in the pantry. Studies have shown that sleepy people tend to consume hundreds of extra calories in a day — so if you burned the midnight oil last night, don’t be surprised if you’re hungrier than usual today.

How Hunger Works!

 We’ve all had those days where we can’t stop raiding the fridge. Case in point: I just ate about an hour ago, but there’s a slice of leftover pizza calling my name. I know my body doesn’t need food right now — it’s not like I’m torching calories while I’m typing this — so why am I so hungry?

No matter how committed you are to eating healthy, it can be hard when you feel like you’re always hungry. But if you understand how hunger works — and why you sometimes feel ravenous for no apparent reason — you can take control of your cravings and keep your healthy eating habits on track.

How To Tell If You Are Actually Really Hungry? Part 2 of 2

Before You Eat,Try These Four Things

The next time you get the urge to eat, pause for a minute and evaluate your body’s signals. Here’s how:

1. Begin by taking a quick assessment.

Run through a mental checklist to make note of your food triggers. What are the reasons that you’re turning to food? If you become aware and observant of your habits, you take a powerful step toward becoming a mindful eater who knows when he’s really physically hungry.

2. Grab a glass of water.

If you find yourself wanting to eat but you don’t feel a rumble in your tummy, go get a drink of water first! Plain water provides hydration and satiety without added calories. Drinking a glass of water while you contemplate whether or not to eat can also provide the pause you need to complete the first two steps.

How To Tell If You Are Actually Really Hungry? Part 1 of 2

You walk through the door after a long day at the office and make a beeline to the fridge because hunger strikes again… or are you trying to de-stress? Or maybe you’re confusing hunger with thirst? Ah, it’s all so hard to decipher when you’re truly hungry, especially if you’re trying to make healthier choices and lose weight.

Listening to your body and understanding hunger cues is becoming an increasingly popular tactic for those who want to trim down. It sounds super basic, but it’s actually quite complex because somewhere along the way we’ve disconnected from the innate ability to determine hunger. We’ve lost our mojo.

Think about it. When you were a baby, you would eat when you were hungry. If a baby isn’t hungry, she will turn her face from the milk source. Don’t we all wish we could do that?

As we get older, we are tempted to eat by smell, taste, experience, social pressure, emotional connection, time of day, social media, and the list goes on. While that “emptiness” feeling in the pit in the stomach is a good reason to eat, there are other reasons we turn to food. Give it some thought: What are your cues to chow down?

Can You Drink Too Much Water?

Cool video. At least you now know you can continue to drink water for your weight loss and not drink too much. Your thoughts?

Swapping for Egg Whites? Can It Help With Weight Loss?

If you’re trying to lose weight, there’s no doubt you’ve come across the healthy swaps: sweet potatoes instead of potatoes, black coffee instead of lattes, skim instead of whole milk. You know the drill. And while swapping out certain foods for lower calorie and/or healthier options can help you lose weight, it’s worth taking a closer look before clearing out your fridge. Case in point: the egg vs. egg white debate. For years, the egg white omelet has been touted as the ultimate healthy breakfast, but are the yolks all that bad?

6 Reasons Why Losing Weight an Be Scary - Part 2 of 2

3.Fear of Unwanted Attention

Extra weight also can create a protective barrier between the person carrying it and people in the world who can make you feel vulnerable.

“Clearly, the amount of attention women get in our society is significant compared to the attention men get,” Traube says. “And unfortunately, what’s said on the street isn’t always respectful toward women, which can be scary.”

A lot of women might not relish the idea of eliciting attention from strangers on the street, but it’s a more common fear and a greater source of anxiety for women with a history of abuse. After a trauma that made someone feel vulnerable or taken advantage of, extra pounds can be comforting because a person might feel he or she generates less attention at a heavier weight.

And although the possibility of more people expressing sexual interest in you might be a reason to lose weight, the flip side is that it also might raise the risk of having to deal with uncomfortable and unfamiliar experiences in the dating world.

6 Reasons Why Losing Weight an Be Scary - Part 1 of 2

There are a variety of reasons why people gain weight: a lifetime of unhealthy habits, lack of motivation, depression, body-image issues, hormones, injury, or illness.

Those same reasons (and more) can keep you from losing weight as well. One in particular can be harder to overcome than others: fear of losing weight.

Anyone who has tried to lose weight — and failed — knows that mental roadblocks can play as big a role as diet and exercise in your success.

The Psychology of Losing Weight

“If it was only a matter of ‘calories in and calories out,’ everyone would be losing weight,” says Elizabeth Lowden, M.D., a bariatric endocrinologist at the medical weight-loss program of Northwestern Medicine in the Chicago area. “But there’s a psychological component to losing weight for most people.”

Lowden’s assessment of weight-loss patients includes find out how how they gained it, what has tripped them up and kept them from losing in the past, and what about losing weight scares them, “to find out what’s standing in the way that we need to deal with,” she says.

“Weight is intertwined in people’s sense of security and self-confidence,” says Matt Traube, Ph.D., a psychotherapist in Southern California. “So it has a far-reaching emotional impact in a lot of important areas in people’s lives.”

Burying your fears or dismissing them as silly could sabotage your plans to get healthier. The first step: Identifying what could be holding you back. Here are the most common reasons people are afraid to lose weight.

1.Fear of the Unknown

There are a million wild cards related to weight loss, especially if you’ve been on the heavier side most of your life. Some fears concern the physical. People worry about what the “thin version” of themselves might look like: Will my face look too gaunt? Will I be left with extra loose skin if I lose a lot of weight?

But many fears are psychological: “We all have a baseline understanding of what normal is, or our norm,” Traube says. “It’s what we know and what we feel comfortable with. Sometimes even when we know our current behavior or physical characteristics aren’t the healthiest, changing that is scary.”

A big weight loss is a major life change, which can be frightening. “You might wonder, for example, ‘What would life be like if I were skinnier?'” says Traube. “Not knowing the answer can provoke anxiety.”

2.Fear That Your Relationships Might Change

We’ve all seen that rom-com where the overweight girl loses the extra pounds, gets a makeover, then gets mean-girled by “friends” for shedding her role as the less attractive sidekick.

It’s a common trope for a reason: Consciously or subconsciously, people develop expectations of friends and family members, which include elements of people’s appearance and self-esteem. Partners, too, or even co-workers, might feel threatened or resent your weight loss, particularly if they struggle with weight themselves. They might feel abandoned when your progress surpasses theirs.

“People get used to you looking a certain way or being a certain way, so changing that could make others feel betrayed or jealous,” Traube says.

Even if loved ones are genuinely happy about your weight loss, there might still be a fear that people in your life just won’t view or support you the way they did before, adds Lowden.

The possibility of new relationships after a weight loss can inspire fears, too.

“Extra weight can be a great defense mechanism, because it provides an excuse not to have to face uncomfortable new experiences such as dating or establishing new friendships,” Traube says.

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Which Diets Actually Work?

Found this really interesting. What do you think?

How To Lose Weight If You Hate Working Out.

Let’s say you absolutely abhor working out. (We know you’re out there, even if you don’t want to cough up to it.) How much are you screwing yourself over in the weight-loss department?

In truth, probably not that much. While burning calories through exercise can help swing the calories in < calories out equation in your favor, you can certainly drop pounds without ever actually working out.

“Weight loss is generally due to 75 to 80 percent diet, and only 20 to 25 percent exercise,” says exercise physiologist and certified strength and conditioning specialist (C.S.C.S) Todd Parker, founder of Todd Parker Training Systems. That means that you can overhaul your diet to be lower calorie and more nutritious (lean proteins, lots of green veggies, and minimal or no processed foods and sugars) to hit your goal. It will just take a bit—in some cases, a lot—longer to get there.

 

That’s because your ability to lose weight quickly depends on several factors. First and foremost: your metabolism. While some of us are blessed with a genetically fast calorie-zapping engine, some of us need to resort to greater and longer-lasting changes to see a real difference. Your starting weight also plays a role: The heavier you are from the get-go, the faster you will slim down when you make better diet choices, says Parker. 

But that 75/25 breakdown might not be so cut and dry after all. More research is showing that “you can also see results by improving your sleep habits and stress levels,” says Wil Fleming, C.S.C.S., owner of Force Fitness and Performance. You want at least seven to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep each night, as well as effective stress-coping skills to keep your body’s hormones running smoothly.

Okay, so you can reshape your body sans exercise. But the more pressing question is should you?

“An active lifestyle provides so many benefits that a sedentary one doesn’t,” says Fleming. Those include lower blood pressure, which means a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, improved mental health, better bone density, boosted brain function—the list goes on.

Not exercising means you also may lose muscle. If you're losing weight for several months to a year or more (which is likely the case if you’re skipping the gym), your body will start using your muscles for energy after it's done with your fat stores, says Parker. Losing muscle mass means losing strength—a.k.a. you’ll have a harder time lifting your 30-pound laundry hamper or overstuffed carry-on luggage. And, more importantly, less lean muscle means a slower metabolism.

Bottom line: You don’t have to hit SoulCycle three times a week or go HAM at the gym every time you visit to lose weight. “If you really don’t like exercising, think more in terms of movement,” says Fleming. “Instead of spending 150 minutes per week working out, get several five to 15 minute bursts of moderate-intensity movement per day.” Power-walk your dog or take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Of course, finding movement you actually enjoy is key. So experiment until you find something that makes you feel badass, glamorous, or generally positive afterward—boxing, barre, and dance cardio are all worthy options.

And whether you’re looking to lose a small amount of weight (say, five to 10 pounds) or see a major transformation (20, 50, even 100 pounds) but don’t want to spend much time in spandex, the best bang for your buck is high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Make sure you hit the four major movement groups (squatting, pressing, pulling, and hinging) and include a purely metabolic component (anything that gets your heart rate soaring, like battle ropes or high knees). Combine this twice a week with increased movement (walking, jogging, stairs, etc.), clean eating, solid sleep, and stress control and you’ll be well on your way to your goal—much more quickly than with diet alone.

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Which Splurge Is Better - Brownie or Wine?

Weight loss is all about balance, right? Sure, you eat healthy most of the time, pack your lunch, meal prep like a boss, and incorporate fresh fruits and veggies into your diet. But at the end of a long week of workouts and packed lunches, you need to live a little. Can I get an amen?

Now, the only thing left to figure out what you're going to eat. The two contenders: a glass of wine or a chocolatey brownie (though we're not saying you couldn't have both). Here's the rundown of the pros and cons of each to help you make an informed decision if you want to live your best life while also reaching your weight-loss goals. 

Team Brownie

The good news: Chocolate does have health benefits, says Susan Bowerman, R.D. "Cocoa flavanols are considered heart healthy because they help to lower blood pressure and fats in the blood," she says.  

Unfortunately, those pros are outweighed by the high fat and sugar content of most brownies. "An average brownie packs about 14 grams of sugar," says Kelly Johnston, R.D. "Because a brownie is also highly processed, it loses almost all of the nutritional benefits we can typically get from quality dark chocolate with a high cocoa content." A typical two-inch square brownie has approximately 130 calories, 14 grams of sugar, 22 grams of carbohydrates, five grams of fat, and less than two grams of protein, says Johnston. Not many redeeming qualities. 

 

Team Wine

In moderation, a glass of vino has positive health effects. "Red wine contains polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants that can boost immune function and improve flexibility of blood vessels," Johnston says. Plus, research suggests that red wine’s natural compound resveratrol improves blood sugar control, and lowers cholesterol levels and blood pressure, in addition to sharpening memory, and promoting anti-cancer effects. Not bad for a cheat day choice, right? A five-ounce glass of red wine also clocks in surprisingly low, at just 125 calories, less than two grams of sugar, four grams of carbohydrates, and zero fat. And it's worth noting that sipping on a glass of wine will likely last longer than the few bites it takes to get through a brownie. The only catch is that you have to cap it at just one glass, which takes serious willpower.

The Verdict

Based on calories, fat, sugar, and carbs, the clear winner here is a glass of wine. But as Rene Ficek, R.D. points out, if that glass of wine isn't going to satisfy your chocolate craving, you're better off going with the brownie. "As a dietitian, my advice would be to eat whatever item you want more!" she says. "If you are choosing a splurge treat, choose the one you will be most satisfied with." 

Another option? Pair a five-ounce glass of wine with dark chocolate that has at least 70 percent cocoa content, says Andrea Conner, R.D. It's the best of both worlds, unless Duncan Hines is calling your name.  





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Will Saving My Calories For Alcohol Help Me Lose Weight.

Raise your hand if this has happened to you: You've got a big night out with the gals or a hot date who also enjoys a bottle (or three) of wine with dinner. In preparation, you stock up on ibuprofen, drink a gallon of water, and, um, only eat kale all day.

Gulp! More than half of women say they skip meals to save calories for alcohol—not sometimes, not on special occasions, but "all the time," says Caroline Cederquist, M.D., weight management expert and cofounder of bistroMD. Okay so you're not alone, but that doesn't mean this calorie-slashing strategy is actually working for you.

Health hazards aside, "saving" your calories for alcohol is not even smart for weight loss, since missing just one meal slows your metabolism, says Cederquist. Bonus bummer: You're more likely to store any bar food you eat as fat since your bod is working to burn off the booze first, she says.

The takeaway: Eat normally on happy-hour days and opt for a lower-cal drink (like half wine, half seltzer), or order your favorite cocktail and sip it nice and slowly.

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Just Started Working Out - Why Are You Gaining Weight.

When you set out to drop pounds, part of your game plan probably includes working out consistently. (You go, girl.) But it can be really confusing when you notice the number on the scale increasing after your initial effort. What gives?!

“Exercise is a stress on your body, which creates micro tears in your muscles, and the inflammation from those tears will cause you to retain more water,” explains Rachel Cosgrove, C.S.C.S, author of The Female Body Breakthrough. And, as you begin working out, your body might start to store more glycogen in your muscles to make sure you've got lots of stored carbs (i.e. glycogen) to burn during your next workout, which will also tip the scale a bit higher, she says.

Though the scale might make you feel like you’re doing something wrong, that’s not the case. Your body just needs time to adjust, says Cosgrove. “As you stay consistent, you will start to see your body-fat levels drop and your weight come down,” she says.

Follow her tips to keep your progress up and the scale down from day one.

Drink One Ounce Of Water For Every Pound You Weigh

It might sound weird, but in order to retain less water you need to drink more water, says Cosgrove. That's because dehydration causes your body to hold onto its current supply of water. To ensure that you're staying at peak hydration, make sure you're drinking at least one ounce of water per pound of your body weight. So if you're 145 pounds, that's 145 ounces a day. 

Don't Weigh Yourself For At Least 8 Weeks

Since your body is doing its thing to build and repair muscles that haven’t been used in a while, the scale will not give you the whole picture of the healthy changes happening when you first start working out, says Cosgrove.

And that can be discouraging. The key is to not let that little number keep you from getting so frustrated that you stop working out and eating healthy, which might lead to putting more weight on. So instead of weighing yourself, pay attention to how your clothes fit as a gauge of your progress. Once you've been working out consistently for eight weeks, your muscle gains and water weight should stabilize, so you’ll have a more accurate number, she says.

Take At Least Three Rest Days

Hitting the gym every day in an effort to lose weight faster will backfire. “Your body needs time to recover between workouts to let the micro tears repair, keeping inflammation to a minimum,” says Cosgrove. She recommends working out two to four times a week when you’re first starting out, never working out more than two days in a row.

Eat 20 Grams of Protein And 50 Grams Of Carbs

Eat a snack or meal with plenty of protein and carbs (strive for at least 20 grams and 50 grams, respectively) within 30 minutes of your workout to aid your body’s recovery, decrease inflammation, and reduce water retention. For an easy snack, Cosgrove suggests a banana and whey protein smoothie or non-fat Greek yogurt with fruit.

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The Bottled Water Taste Test

Found this really amusing. Guess a lot of people feel the same about their tap water.

8 Scents That May Help You Lose Weight.

When you’re trying to shed a few pounds, your nose is your ally. Research shows that certain smells — whether from scented candles, essential oils, or the real deal — may curb your appetite, boost your energy, and improve your mindset. And while you still have to do your part with healthy eating and regular exercise (there’s no fragrance that’ll make the pounds magically melt off), these scents could help you hit your weight-loss goals.

Green Apples or Bananas
You’d think these sweet smells would kick your sugary cravings into overdrive, but the opposite may actually be true. Alan R. Hirsch, MD, the neurological director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, found that people who sniffed the aroma of green apples or bananas when they were hungry ended up eating less and losing weight. “The hypothesis we came up with is a phenomenon called Sensory Specific Satiety,” Dr. Hirsch. He explains that since the olfactory bulb in the brain is connected to the satiety center, simply smelling these fruits could fool your brain into thinking you’ve eaten them.

Lemon
An Ohio State University study found that the smell of lemon oil significantly improved the mindset of participants. So if you find yourself in a workout funk, a whiff of lemon could give you the mood boost needed to get back on track. Aromatherapy experts also believe the scent can improve digestion, which may help to prevent mindless munching. “Often, when we’re dealing with appetite, it has a lot to do with stress and emotional eating,” says Amy Galper, the Executive Director and founder of the New York Institute of Aromatherapy. “Lemon oil will stimulate the digestive system in a way that’s positive.”

Cucumber
Stress can hinder your weight-loss efforts in several ways, from throwing off your schedule to ramping up your cortisol production. But cucumber may work wonders in calming you down. “The smell of cucumber reduces the degree of anxiety,” Dr. Hirsch explains. “By reducing anxiety, it potentially could help reduce the desire to eat as a stress reliever.”

Peppermint
Really, what can’t peppermint do? The herb is found in everything from toothpaste to tea, and studies have shown it can soothe an upset stomach, increase alertness, and improve athletic performance. So it’s no surprise that it helps with weight loss, too. Research has shown the scent is a natural appetite suppressant, and it may even make your workout more effective — a study in Iran found that participants who inhaled the minty scent before exercising had better respiratory function, lower blood pressure, and more endurance than those who didn’t.

Cypress Oil
Cypress trees have a few potential benefits — Hinoki cypress leaf oil has been shown to improve relaxation, and Kashmir cypress was found to have antioxidant properties. And while your mileage may vary, aromatherapists believe cypress oil could also help you get your head in the game before trying a new skill or tackling a daunting challenge: “It’s very clearing for the mind, so it keeps us sharp and focused and attentive,” Galper says.

Lavender
There’s a reason this is the go-to scent for sleep masks — the gentle, floral aroma is a proven stress reliever that can soothe your body and mind. “When our bodies are feeling really tense due to emotional stress, lavender is great for soothing it,” Galper says. The scent also combats anxiety, which is helpful if you’re trying to psych yourself up to try that Tabata class.

Black Spruce
Aromatherapy experts believe this scent helps you breathe deeper, which has several benefits — not only can it relieve stress and speed up metabolism, but according to a study at the University of New South Wales, when fat is broken down during exercise, most of it leaves your body through your lungs. Of course, you can’t shed fat without diet and exercise — but, like stretching or meditating, deep breathing is a healthy habit to get into. “When we can breathe easier, our minds are calmer,” Galper says. “We’re able to make more of that mind-body connection.”

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