How to Cheat at Weight Loss

Okay,
I'm back at it (after having hardly begun!)

I'll be posting each of my Holidailies here as well as mailing them to the subscriber list (to join send a blank e-mail to holidaily@radiantfitness.com). I look forward to hearing from all and sundry! . . . now on to the REAL post:


I'm lying, of course--there is no way to get around the basic requirement of eating fewer calories than you expend. HOWEVER, there are some things you can do to make this process easier:

1. Add "sprints" to your workouts. If you are a walker, jog for 30 seconds. Wait a few minutes and jog again. If you are an elliptical user, really pump it out for 30 seconds. If you are an aerobics video person, go off choreography and do 15 jumping jacks. 4 or 5 of these little bursts of high intensity will elevate your cardio burn for your overall workout because you'll need to recover from them. We're talking 2 minutes here--you can do that!

2. Drink water when you feel a desire for, well, anything. If you desire sleep, drink water first and wait a few minutes to see if you don't perk up. If you desire food, drink water and wait a few minutes to see if the hunger abates. If you desire your spouse, drink water and don't wait (life is short after all). The appetite center of the brain often gets confused and we interpret dehydration as a need for sleep, food or intimacy. Let food be your last resort.

3. Spice up your life. Pepper (the component called capsaicin) has appetite suppressant abilities. Cinnamon may help with blood sugar regulation. In both cases, the stimulation of spice helps you feel satiated. When you eat bland food, you tend to eat more food.

4. Light a candle. 90% of the sense of taste is actually the sense of smell. If you have a pleasing scent in your atmosphere you may be less likely to go searching for something to please the tongue. And candlelight is more flattering anyway (I don't know why they don't use it more often in dressing rooms).

Will you, by employing these little tricks, burn several hundred calories more a day? Probably not. But if you create an environment that supports your efforts and stimulates all of your senses, it will be easier for you to stick with your plan for creating a calorie deficit over the long term.