Eat Less, Lose More: Seven Studies On How to Supercharge Your Weight Loss

How can you supercharge your diet now to lose more weight? Here are seven studies that show how to get started today.

You were soooo good yesterday. You feel as if you moved more, ate less. So you hold your breath, step on your home scale and (we'll omit the word that you yelped) - aieee! The scale is moving in the wrong direction. If you feel as if you're failing at winning the battle of the bulge, we've got the super-sized solution to your weight woes:

Not one, not two but seven new studies showing how small changes at home can make a big difference in weight loss, revealed by Oprah magazine. Read on to start losing today.

Lighten Up
Change bright, harsh lights (especially fluorescents) for soft lighting. Researchers say that this causes you to eat almost 20 percent less and enjoy your meal more.

Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall
Put a mirror on your refrigerator or dining room wall. A study at Iowa State University showed that diners ate significantly less food when forced to watch themselves eat.

Color Codes
Use a colorful plate that contrasts with what you eat, such as a white plate for tomato macaroni. Cornell researchers discovered that diners ate 22 percent more food when the colors blended as opposed to contrasting colors.

Chop Calories with Chopsticks
Bye, bye enormous serving spoon. Use tongs to serve your food, which cuts down your food intake by about 17 percent. Use chopsticks to reduce your food intake even more.

Oooh, La La Olive Oil
Strange but true: Researchers discovered that people who used olive oil early in the day felt fuller and ate less as the day went on. Tip: Try a mid-morning snack of carrot and celery sticks dipped in extra-virgin olive oil.

Eat Your Cake and Lose Weight Too
Add a sweet treat to your breakfast to reduce cravings and calories as the day goes on, say researchers at Tel Aviv University. By enjoying a square of chocolate or cookie with that morning cereal, overweight dieters lost almost 40 pounds more than those who skipped the sweets. Tip: Try mixing Greek yogurt (plain) with dark chocolate chips, or mix oatmeal with dark chocolate until it melts in. In hot weather, here's a make-ahead idea. Melt dark chocolate squares and dip strawberries, grapes and cut-up bananas into the melted chocolate. Freeze on foil for healthy breakfast additions.

Exercise Your Brain
Thinking about exercise ahead of time actually causes you to eat more. Avoid subconsciously compensating ahead of time by focusing on something else during snacks and meals. Tip: To slow yourself down, try doing a crossword puzzle while you eat. It will exercise your brain as well as help you eat less.

Bonus Tips
Try these tips to cut down on your calorie intake even more:

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