Ditch the drastic diet and lose weight

If you can’t stomach another diet, here's some great news and diet-free weight loss tips for you… 

According to research, you can ditch drastic diets, make small lifestyle changes and still lose weight! 

Author of Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More than We Think (Bantam, 2006), Dr. Brian Wansink, and the Cornell Food & Brand Lab found that one can lose weight by implementing small and consistent eating changes. 

To find out which changes work best, Cornell University researchers launched the National Mindless Eating Challenge (NMEC), an online healthy eating programme focused on simple eating habit changes.

NMEC participants were sent three customised healthy tips a month, based on research and Dr. Brian Wansink's book. Participants downloaded a checklist to track adherence, received email reminders and were expected to send in a follow-up survey at the end of each month. 

Of the 2 053 people who signed up, 504 completed at least one follow-up survey. Most of the participants wanted to lose weight (83%) and during the programme more than two thirds of participants either lost weight (42%) or maintained their weight (27%). 

The results confirm that anyone who wants to lose or keep weight off can achieve these goals by simply following a few easy and do-able health tips. 

So if you want to lose weight, write down the tips NMEC participants found to be the most effective… 

• Keep counters clear of food other than healthy options

• Never eat directly from a package - always portion food out onto a dish

• Within an hour of waking, eat a hot breakfast 

• Eat something small every three to four hours 

• Put down your knife and fork between bites to slow down your eating

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