Kitchen Tidbits

Let me go out on a short limb here and say: dieting works . . . at least for the near term. But you can increase the effectiveness of many weight loss plans and improve your long-term chances of success by implementing several easy lifestyle additions.

Over the years, I’ve compiled a lengthy list of easy lifestyle modifications that combine to build a practical, long-term approach to dieting. Add a few of these habits to your current routine one at a time until they become habit. In a short while, you’ll notice better, more lasting results if you truly absorb these habits. Plus, they’ll help kick-start any fast weight lose diet.

Ice cold water: drink an ice-cold glass of water (make it at least a pint) when you first wake up and before each meal. Your body will be forced to raise the water to your body temperature, burning a few extra calories in the process. Plus, it will make you feel fuller when you eat and help keep you properly hydrated.

Add negative calorie foods: there are a handful of foods out there that require more energy to burn than are contained within the foods themselves; i.e. they have a net negative caloric impact. Try adding asparagus, broccoli, blueberries, beets, radishes, cucumbers, strawberries, tomatoes, and similar foods.

Evening lockdown: don’t eat for at least two hours before bedtime, and ideally, in the final three hours that you are awake, consume only fresh vegetables or salad. This is actually easier than it sounds. If you eat dinner at 7:00 PM and go to bed at 11:00 PM, add a small garden salad as an evening snack around 9:00 PM. There’s no sense consuming calories that will not be burned efficiently as your metabolism slows (this is especially true in the winter time).

Switch to anaerobic exercise: exercise burns calories — you know this. But effective exercise can burn calories for up to 24 hours after it’s performed and spare your muscle mass at the same time. The secret is interval training. Drop your long cardio workouts in favor of short interval sessions.

Eat brown foods: try to stay away from processed foods or foods that increase your blood sugar. Whole wheat bread, sweet potatoes, brown rice are good substitutes for white bread, potatoes, and white rice.

3:1 deficit-to-normal ratio: after three days at a caloric deficit, add a higher-calorie day. If you’re dieting at a 30 percent deficit for 3 days (e.g. 2400 calorie diet dropping to 1650 calories), make the fourth day a 10 percent deficit. That is, in this example, consume an extra 510 calories on every fourth day. This will stop any plateaus before they start.

Remember, for maximum effectiveness, add these habits into your current fast weight loss plan. When you stop dieting, retain these habits for the long-term to help you keep off the weight it took so long to lose. It’s always easier to maintain than to lose!

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