10 Simple Lifestyle Hacks That Will Help You Lose Weight Fast

It’s normal for us to want to get the most benefits with the least effort from the things we do, and it’s no different when we’re trying to lose weight.

The good news is that there are some lifestyle hacks—small changes that improve your life in not-so-obvious ways—that can help you lose weight without making any other changes! You don’t have to follow a strict diet or extreme exercise plan; just make these 10 simple changes and you can watch dress sizes disappear.

1. Eat eggs for breakfast

The International Journal of Obesity published a study in 2008 that showed that people who ate eggs for breakfast lost more weight over time than people who ate a bagel with the same amount of calories. It is believed that the high protein content in the eggs kept hunger at bay, reducing the number of snacks eaten later.

2. Wait for the May!

One serving of mayonnaise has 100 calories. Just cutting out one serving per day can lead to a weight loss of nearly 10 pounds over the course of a year! It’s as easy as putting naturally low-calorie mustard on your sandwich.

3. Eliminate sugar from your coffee

Do you drink your coffee with two sugars? That’s 32 calories—drink your coffee black and you’ll lose three pounds a year, just like that. And that’s if you only drink one cup of coffee a day! Cut the sugar from two cups of coffee and double that.

4. Eat a lighter lunch

Instead of eating until you feel full, pack a small, portion-controlled lunch. A recent Cornell University study said that people who did it ate an average of 250 fewer calories each day—that’s the equivalent of two pounds a month in weight loss!

5. Take a brisk walk right after meals.

Of course, we know that a brisk walk is great exercise, but a 2011 study in Japan showed that walking immediately after finishing a meal was more effective for weight loss than waiting even an hour. Those who walked 30 minutes right after finishing lunch and dinner lost more weight than those who walked later.

6. Chew your food well

Most of us chew each bite about 15 times before swallowing it; increase that to 40 times and you could eat up to 12% less food at each meal.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a Chinese study that showed that chewing more directly affects the production of ghrelin and CCK, two hormones that affect feelings of hunger.

You may think that 12 percent isn’t much, but it could easily add up to a 25-pound weight loss over the course of a year!

7. Start each meal with a glass of water

Remember how restaurants always used to start with a glass of water? That glass of water can do you more good than taking diet pills if you want to lose weight!

Those who drank a 16-ounce glass of water before meals ate, on average, 13 percent less than those who didn’t, according to a 2007 study published by the American Dietetic Association.

8. Brush your tongue

Dieters have long known that brushing your teeth can help prevent snacking, but did you know that brushing your tongue can help curb cravings for salty snacks?

Researchers have found that brushing your tongue improves our sense of taste, making us more sensitive to salty tastes; so you are satisfied with a smaller portion of the snack.

9. Avoid “cheat” days

There has been a trend in dieting to stick to the diet during the week and then allow yourself to eat what you like on the weekends. But if you add that up, you get 12 days a month of being off your diet and not exercising!

Instead of waiting for “cheat days,” create a diet and exercise plan that you can stick to all week without feeling deprived. That way when you have an indulgence (restaurant night or ice cream with the kids) it won’t be a big deal.

10. Take your time

Stress can play a role in throwing off your weight loss plans. The cortisol hormone is produced when you are under stress and causes your body to store fat.

Lower your cortisol levels and you can lose the fat. Relax each day with a 10-minute meditation: Sit quietly, close your eyes, and repeat the word “relax” in your mind as you breathe slowly and deeply.