19 Weird Weight Loss Tricks That Work

Quick question for you.

What do you call someone who can’t stick to a diet?

A desserter!

You’re probably tired of hearing the typical tips to lose weight, like exercising or eating a bunch of broccoli and chicken.

But don’t worry, that’s exactly why I made this list of 19 weird weight loss tricks that actually work.

1. Choose the Right Seat

Invitations to have dinner out are basically an invitation to binge eat. A cool little trick is to sit as close to the end of the table as you can.

Why?

Because hosts often place the snacks or appetizers, such as bread and chips in the center of the table.

Being far from the center makes it a little more challenging to overeat as you have to get up to get the food and not just reach out and eat mindlessly.

2. Embrace the Darkness

Studies (1, 2) have shown a link between obesity and poor sleep quality.

Lab studies have shown that sleep deprivation can lead to alterations in your hormones that may favor an increase in food consumption and lead to weight gain.

Interestingly, another study (3) showed that mice who sleep in complete darkness are less prone to obesity than those who sleep under bright or dim illumination (such as night lights or TV screens).

Therefore, consider developing a great night time routine to help you reach your weight loss goals.

3. Crank up the A/C

One of the best tricks to lose weight is to crank up the A/C.

Having the right temperature in your room will also help you get a better quality sleep, which could result in a better hormonal balance that favors a decrease in calorie intake.

So consider keeping your room under 70 degrees.

4. Take a Multivitamin

Sometimes your body may not be craving foods, but certain nutrients.

A study (4) showed that obese women who took multivitamins every day for 26 weeks ended up with much less body fat than the group of women who were given a calcium supplement, or a placebo.

While multivitamins won’t magically melt belly fat, adding them to your diet can help you reduce the amount of food you eat and ultimately help you lose weight.

Eating a variety of foods with lots of vitamins and minerals will make a huge difference in your health, skin, mood, hair, tissues, and make weight loss easier and more enjoyable.

5. Watch Less TV

When it comes to crazy ways to lose weight, watching less TV is a great trick.

The more time you spend watching TV, the less time you spend moving; the less time you spend moving, the fewer calories you burn.

The average adult spends about 5 hours a day watching TV, which is pretty crazy when you think about it.

Let’s say you work from 9 to 5, watch TV for 5 hours, and sleep for 8.

That’s 21 hours of your day gone (8 + 5 + 8 = 21), and that’s without counting the time you spend stuck in traffic (or should I say, “making” traffic), eating, and showering.

You basically live to work and watch TV.

A research group found that subjects who were forced to watch 50% less TV than they typically do end up burning an extra 119 calories each day.

6. Read Your E-Mail

Another great, but weird weight loss trick is to read your emails.

Most people check their emails every day, and multiple times a day.

This makes it a great place to have health and nutrition content delivered.

Learning a little bit each day will help you make better food choices and give you the knowledge to understand how your body works.

A 16-week study by Kaiser Permanente showed that people who read weekly wellness newsletter ate more fruits and vegetables, less trans fat, and exercised more.

7. Eat the Right Foods

Another great weight loss tricks is to eat the right foods.

Did you know that some foods can help you burn more calories than others?

Yes, and it’s called the thermic effect of food (TEF).

Whole foods require more energy from the body to break down and digest than processed foods.

To go even further, whole foods with high protein content tend to digest even slower and burn even more calories than carbs and fats.

Not only that, but since it takes longer for the body to digest, it will also keep you full for longer, reducing the chances of snacking and overeating during the day.

8. Use Smaller Plates

One of the best weird weight loss tricks is to use smaller plates.

Eating off smaller plates will trick your brain into thinking you’re eating more than you actually are.

This study (5) showed that simply reducing the plate size from the standard 12 inches to 10 inches results in 22% fewer calories being served.

They also felt equally satisfied when they ate food from smaller plates as they did from larger ones.

9. Eat Your Veggies First

Vegetables are typically high in fiber, which digests slower and keeps you full for longer.

You’ll also get a larger volume of food for fewer calories making it easier to get full. So try eating your vegetables before the rest of your meal to prevent overeating.

10. Check Your Meds

Medications can have a variety of side effects, from water retention to increased appetite.

If you notice an increase in weight after taking medication, it might be due to water retention.

Water retention due to meds is not necessarily something to worry about, once you’re off the meds, the weight should come off.

Besides, it’s only water, not fat.

However, you should pay attention to those meds that may increase cravings and hunger levels.

So make sure to check the side effects listed on the label or consult with your doctor so you can be prepared.

11. Hang a Mirror at the Opposite End of Your Seat at the Table

One of the many unconventional ways to lose weight is to hang a mirror at the opposite end of your seat at the table.

This study (1) showed that eating in front of a mirror made people eat about a third less of their food.

Researchers suggest it might be due to increased self-awareness. Eating unhealthy foods in front of a mirror made people feel uncomfortable for not eating healthy.

12. Take a Picture of Your Food

This shouldn’t be a difficult task in the age we live in.

In fact, it seems as if taking pictures of our meals have become the norm.

Taking a photo of your food before eating might help you think better about your food choices and reduce your intake.

Sometimes it’s easy to neglect how many little but high-calorie ingredients a meal contains until you’ve actually stopped and looked at it.

You should also be careful with foods that are labeled as “healthy” but actually contain lots of calories.

When it comes to crazy ways to lose weight, this is definitely one of the top ones.

13. Change Your Plate Color

This study (2) showed that when given a white plate at a buffet, people ate less food than when given a red or black plate of the same size.

Researchers suggest that plate color may alter the amount of food you eat.

So consider getting white plates for your home.

14. Set a Time for Sweets

Planning ahead of time to have a dessert or meal you like can help you avoid other temptations throughout the day.

Since you know you’ll be having a dessert, you’ll be less likely to overeat during the day, which can help you keep your calories low.

This might be a great addition to some of these small habits that can help you lose weight.

15. Rationalize Your Workouts

Think about it this way, if there are 24 hours in a day, a 30-minute workout is only 2% of your day!

Compare that to your favorite TV show, where one episode can last for about 30 minutes. Instead of wasting your time on the couch, you could just get your workout in.

Don’t let binging on Netflix be one of the bad habits that keeps you from losing weight.

16. Look at the Bigger Picture

Most people find losing weight a tedious and time-consuming task, however, it helps if you look at the bigger picture.

Going on a 3-month weight loss program, for example, is only about 0.32% of your life, given the average life expectancy of 78 years.

An investment of only 0.32% of your life that will help you live the remaining 99.68% with more health and energy.

Your health is an investment, not an expense.

Here are 9 effective tips to help you lose belly fat fast.

17. Weigh Yourself Every Day

Contrary to popular belief, you should be weighing yourself as much as you can.

It’s completely normal for your weight to fluctuate on a daily basis, so don’t panic if you wake up 3-5 pounds heavier overnight.

This is the reason why I recommend weighing yourself every day and comparing only weekly averages.

As long as the weekly averages are going down, you should be okay.

Weighing yourself helps you stay on top of your weight, so you don’t wake up one day and go “wow, when did I gain 20 pounds?”

It will help you reduce your portions when you notice the trend going up and keep you in check.

18. A Set Eating Schedule

The world today moves so fast that we don’t think about what we eat and end up constantly snacking or eating small meals.

The issue with small meals and snacks is that you’re never able to get a great sense of fullness or satisfaction, you get hungry within a few hours and repeat.

This often results in overeating and weight gain.

Here are a few alarming reasons you’re always hungry and some reasons you keep regaining weight.

Instead, focus on creating a set eating schedule, this will help you reduce the calories you get from snacks and prevent you from getting random hunger attacks.

Your body adjusts to your eating patterns, so if you’re eating every two hours, for example, your body will send hunger signals every two hours.

Therefore, having a set schedule will help keep your hunger hormones in check.

It might be a little tough at the beginning to switch eating patterns, but once your body gets used to it, you should be set!

Also, make sure that your meals are nutrient-dense meals that will keep you satiated and with steady levels of energy.

Focus on getting lots of non-starchy green vegetables like broccoli and green beans, proteins like fish and chicken, and complex carbs, such as sweet potatoes and whole grains.

If you absolutely need to have a snack, consider at least packing some low-carb ones.

19. Add Foods You Love

Most people believe that to lose weight they must cut all of the foods they love, however, that isn’t the case.

The internet has made it easy to find low-calorie recipes of your favorite foods, you can try things like spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, cauliflower pizza, and protein brownies.

Also, occasionally having foods you love might be more beneficial to you than completely restricting them, which can increase cravings and lead to binge eating and an unhealthy relationship with food.

Truth is, if you love pizza, having a few slices a week won’t do any harm, the problem is when high-calorie foods, such as pizza, make up most of your meals.

You can try an 80/20 rule for weight loss, where 80% of your calories come from nutrient-dense/whole foods and the remaining 20% from other foods you love.

But before you can do this, you must learn which foods are high in nutrients by learning how to read nutrition labels or use apps like MyFitnessPal to check out food composition.

If you absolutely dislike the idea of dieting, you can check out these 5 weight loss tricks that don’t involve dieting.

Do you have any other weird weight loss tricks? Share them in the comments section below!

If you’re ready to start your weight loss journey, Avocadu’s 21-Day Fat Loss Challenge is the place to start!

This plan helps men and women lose 10-21 pounds in just 21 days and can be repeated as many times as you want.