Losing weight doesn’t come without a price. But that does not mean it should be difficult. Try the following stealth tricks to take off those pounds.

Set A Timer

This is one of the top habits for slimming down without a complicated diet plan. Set a timer for 20 minutes or more and reinvent yourself as a slow eater. Learn to savour each bite. This allows you to enjoy the process of slow eating from smaller portions and trigger the body’s fullness hormones. Hurrying blocks those signals and causes overeating.

Eat More Veggies

Greater variety tricks people into eating more food and that’s why you need to serve three vegetables for your meal, instead of just one, and you’ll eat more without really trying. And eating more fruits and vegetables is a great way to lose weight. Also, the high fibre and water content fills you up with fewer calories. Reminder: Season the veggies only with lemon juice and herbs rather than drowning their goodness in high-fat sauces or dressings.

Go for Whole Grains

Brown rice, barley, oats, buckwheat, and whole wheat are excellent whole grains that you should add up in your weight loss strategy. They help fill you up with fewer calories and can improve your cholesterol profile, too.

Get Into the Party Dress

Nothing like a small, attainable goal to drive you to lose weight, in a relatively short time. Hang your favourite party dress or the tight pair of jeans in a highly visible place where you can see and visualise to keep your eyes on the ultimate prize – kilos lighter to fit into them.

Cut Back on Sugar

A regular can of sugary drink contains almost 10 teaspoons of sugar. Replace them with plain water. Add lemon or mint for flavour and fun.

Use a Tall, Thin Glass

Visual cues can trick us into consuming more or less. Studies show that you’ll drink 25-30% less juice, soda, wine, or any other beverage if you use a tall, skinny glass instead of a short, wide tumbler to cut liquid calories – and your weight – without dieting.

Go for Green Tea

Drinking green tea, some studies suggest, can rev up the body’s calorie-burning engine temporarily, possibly through the action of phytochemicals called catechins.

Yoga-minded

Women who do yoga tend to weigh less than others, according to a study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. This is because yoga regulars reported a more “mindful” approach to eating. Researchers think the calm self-awareness developed through yoga may help people resist overeating.

Eat at Home

Successful weight losers eat home-cooked meals at least five days a week to live like a slim person. Cooking may be easier than you think and it doesn’t have to be daunting. The best part is you become more aware on what you’ll end up eating.

Shrink Your Dishes

Test after test show people tend to eat more when served larger dishes. So shrink your plate or bowl to cut out 100-200 calories a day – and 10-20 pounds in a year.

Portion It Right

Once portioning becomes a habit, it can become automatic. Make it easier with small “snack” packs and by keeping large dishes out of sight during meal time.

Try the 80-20 Rule

The Okinawa eat until they’re 80% full. Try it. This way you don’t end up stuffing yourself until you’re full.

Go Meatless More Often

Eating vegetarian meals more often is a slimming habit. Vegetarians weigh up to 20% less than meat eaters. Moreover, vegetarians consume more legumes which are packed with fibre that play a big part in filling you up with fewer calories.

Eat Out Your Way

You don’t have to fall for restaurant meals that are notoriously fattening.

Do it your way the next time you order to keep your portions under control:

  • Split an entrée with a friend.
  • Order an appetiser as a meal.
  • Choose the child’s plate.
  • Complement a smaller entrée with extra salad for the right balance: half the plate filled with veggies.

Sleep More

According to a University of Michigan researcher, sleeping an extra hour a night could help a person drop 14 pounds in a year. His finding shows that when sleep replaces idle activities – and the usual mindless snacking – you can effortlessly cut calories by 6%.

Soup’s Up

Add broth-based soup to your meal and you’ll fill-up on fewer calories especially at the beginning of a meal because it slows your eating and curbs your appetite. But, beware of creamy soups, which can be high in fat and pack extra calories.

Limit the Alcohol

Alcohol has more calories per gram (7) than carbohydrates (4) or protein (4). If you have to drink, start with a non-alcoholic, low-calorie beverage like sparkling water. One too many, alcohol can loosen your inhibition leading you to mindlessly down chips, nuts, and other foods.

Burn Those Calories

What better way than burning an extra 100 calories every day? Here are some great activities you can try out right away:

  • Walk 1 mile, about 20 minutes.
  • Pull weeds or plant flowers for 20 minutes.
  • Mow the lawn for 20 minutes.
  • Clean house for 30 minutes.
  • Jog for 10 minutes.