MANY people want to lose weight and it’s something that can be a tall order for some.
It might feel like you’ve tried every trick in the book to slim down with little to no progress.
CorbisStudies show that making small changes to your daily routine could help bring the numbers on the scales down[/caption]
Now one expert has said that our approach to weight loss needs shifting and that it might all be in our heads.
The NHS states that if you’re overweight, then losing a few pounds has a host of benefits.
You’ll have more energy, and you’ll also lower your risk of illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, cancer and heart disease, guidance states.
If you want to lose weight but you’re struggling, nutritional therapist Nishtha Patel of The Gut Expert said it’s all about tricking your brain into eating less and exercising more.
Writing in the Daily Mail, Nishtha said there are five simple things you can fit into your routine each day that will help you see a difference on the scales.
1. Blue plate
Most people have matching plates in their cupboard with a few rogue ones hanging around that you’ve picked up from here and then.
Nishtha said that it’s time to have a route around for a blue plate, as studies have shown that this shade of crockery can help you manage your appetite.
She explained that eating off blue plates has been shown to slow down how fast we eat, whilst also having a calming effect on the mind and body.
One man previously credited his four stone weight loss on a tiny blue plate.
Pat O’Neill lost an astonishing four stone in just 12 weeks after using the plate.
The father-of-three, who weighed in at almost 17-and-a-half stone, before he trimmed down.
A study published in 2018, in the journal Appetite, found that people who used blue plates ate less than those who munched from a white or red one.
Medics said that this could be down to the fact that the colour blue isn’t associated with ‘desirable’ foods.
2. Small cutlery
It might sound a bit strange, but reaching for a smaller knife and fork could help you slim down.
Nishtha said that this technique could help you with portion control.
And studies have found that the brain hack works, with people eating eight per cent less foods when using a small spoon, medics at Cambridge University Press found.
The experts found that those eating with the tiny cutlery also took smaller bites, helping participants recognise when they were full.
3. Shrink your plate
Alongside using tiny spoons, using a small plate could help, and it’s the same technique Pat O’Neill, who lost four stone in 12 weeks used.
One study found that people using side plates instead of dinner plates consumed 30 per cent less food during meal times.
Nishtha added that using this technique can also help you concentrate on what your eating, making you more mindful when it comes to consumption.
4. Mint
We all like to have fresh breath, but that minty freshness can also help with your waistline, Nishtha said.
She said that sniffing mint before mealtimes can help reduce your cravings for fatty foods.
By staving off these cravings, you end up eating less.
In 2008, experts at the Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia found that people sniffing peppermint every two hours ended up eating 360 fewer calories than those who didn’t smell the essential oi.
5. Time windows
Intermittent fasting has gained traction in recent years, with everyone from Elon Musk to Kourtney Kardashian loving the trend.
Other fans of the diet include supermodel Gisele Bundchen, actresses Scarlett Johansson and Jennifer Aniston.
The practice can involve going without food between certain hours – or on specific days.
Eating within a window of eight hours has been shown to be beneficial, with studies showing it can help shift 50 per cent more weight.
However, medics have warned that skipping meals could trigger a stress reaction in the body.
Dr Filip Swirski of Icahn Mount Sinai in New York, said: “Our study provides a word of caution as it suggests that there may also be a cost to fasting that carries a health risk.”
Dr Swirski’s research team used mice as test subjects and split them into two groups: one was given breakfast and the other went without.
This second group was fasted for up to 24 hours before being given food again.
The researchers observed the mice’s monocytes – these are white blood cells made in bone marrow that fight infections, heart disease and cancer.