Weight Loss Tips That Have Stood the Test of Time: Will They Work for You?

Old school weight loss tips conjure up images of a fat man attached to a vibrating belt machine. Yet a lot of old weight loss tips actually work. Check out some old standbys that actually hold up.

Dame Helen Mirren is lauded for her remarkable ability to keep her figure into her 60s, something she attributes to following the Royal Canadian Air Force exercise plan. The 12-minute workout includes a combination of stretching and calisthenics and was developed in the 1950s to keep the troops in shape.

Back in the day, portion sizes were smaller and so were waistlines. Portion control has always been a way to control weight loss and it continues to show results.

The tips found on an FDA poster from 1914-1918 focuses on economical shopping, but the sentiments are actually beneficial for weight loss: Food: Buy it with thought. Cook it with care. Use less wheat and meat. Buy local foods. Serve just enough. Use what is left. Don't waste it.

And while many old school weight loss secrets definitely hold up, others have fallen by the wayside. Like sugar substitutes. Once sugar began getting a bad rap for weight gain, sugar alternatives came into vogue. Now, science is finding that the substitutes may just as bad, if not worse as the real thing because the chemicals used to sweeten interfere with the body's metabolism. Sugar isn't good for weight loss, but neither are it's counterparts.

Other weight loss fads from the past include eating only one thing, like the cabbage soup diet. Cabbage soup is basically water and salt, so it will deplete your body, causing you to lose water, instead of fat. Other fad diets, including high-protein diets are also unsustainable. Because you are only eating one thing, your body loses out on vital nutrients. Also, the body can only use so much protein and stores the rest as fat, while eliminating carbs completely means that your body loses out on energy, making you feel less like exercising.

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