5 weight loss tricks

For some of us who wants to trim down our excess baggage.. now the time to do these 5 tricks.. Goodluck! =)

Here are five tried-and-tested weight-loss tricks.

1. Keep a diary.

Studies find that people who keep a food diary are more likely to lose weight and keep it off. To make the most of your food diary:

* Write the whys. Make a list of all of the reasons you're trying to lose weight. So you can live to see your children and their children grow up. So you and your husband can take that cross-country trek when you retire. So you can have the joy of burning the mortgage when it's finally paid off. You get the picture.

* Write the worries. What are you worried about in terms of your ability to lose weight? Do you think you won't be able to give up fried chicken or resist cookies-and-cream ice cream? Certain the holidays will derail your efforts? Writing down your worries and developing an action plan to address each one will keep you in control of your goal.

* Record your triggers. Every time you eat something you think you shouldn't, document how you felt when you ate it. Soon you'll see patterns, like the fact that you tend to dig into the ice cream when you've just had a fight with your daughter, you hit the drive-through when work gets stressful, or you eat the chips on the restaurant table because everyone else does. You may not be able to eliminate these triggers, but you can change how you react to them.

2. Don't eat like him.

If you're a woman trying to lose weight, one of your biggest roadblocks may be your husband. Studies find that women often put on weight soon after they get married. The reasons are varied. He eats bigger portions and you try to keep up (you only need about two-thirds of what he eats). You're cooking a full dinner every night, whereas in your single days a salad may have sufficed (a large salad with a bit of tuna for protein and an olive oil-based dressing can work well for both of you). Or you eat out more (it's far easier to eat healthily at home).

3. Downsize your plate.

Start using a salad plate instead of a dinner plate to encourage smaller portions.

4. Use the toothpaste trick.

Brush your teeth immediately after dinner to stave off late-night noshing. (When your mouth feels clean and minty, you're less likely to think about eating.)

5. Feel the difference.

Carry around a 5-pound bag of sugar for a day. Then notice how much lighter you feel when you put it down. That's how you'll feel when you lose 5 pounds.

source: Readers Digest