6 ways to lose weight that have nothing to do with food

It’s Blue Monday a.k.a the most depressing day of the year. I actually felt the same way about last week and the week before that, but today is apparently the day. Perhaps also because everyone is trying to lose those Christmas kilos. And no-one feels like deciphering tricky diet recipes. Well I have news. Good news. You can lose weight without counting calories or gnawing on raw nuts. Really. Read on and you’ll see that this Blue Monday could just turn into Blissful Monday.

Keep distance between you and the table

Probably sounds a little mad but it works. If you literally keep distance between you and the table, you’ll think twice before taking a bite or if you actually want the next fork full. It works. Also for when you’re finished eating, push your chair back. It stops you from grazing on the leftover bread/cheese or whatever is on the table even though you are no longer hungry.

Use a smaller plate

They use two size plates in the Google canteen. Normal and small, because it has been scientifically proven that you dish less up on a smaller plate (logical) and you get fuller quicker. The Google people want to keep their personnel healthy so they came up with this plate strategy.

 Eat with chopsticks

Eating with chopsticks equals smaller size bites and more conscious dining. You’ll take longer to eat your meal and your brain will communicate with your stomach more efficiently. It takes a while before the stomach tells the brain that it is full. So if you eat slowly, your head will know when enough is enough.

Don’t drink and eat

Not the most popular advice out there and most people think it is good to drink during a meal. The point here is that if you drink a lot of water during your mealtime, you’ll be drowning your food. If you are trying to lose weight, you want your body to have the chance to absorb the nutritious stuff. Try not drinking a half hour before until a half hour afterwards.

Empty your mouth

Only take another bite when your mouth truly is empty. Why? Same reason as point 3. Besides it’s a far prettier sight for your table companions.

Always leave something behind

An old Weight Watcher’s tip. Always leave something behind on your plate. You control your plate and not the other way around. Works well.