Weight loss tips and tricks

It seems a simple enough thing, but you may need a reminder about why properly chewing your food is so important.

If you hope to lose weight or improve your nutrition, you'll need to break a few bad eating habits.

Eating to lose weight may sound counterintuitive, but research has shown that snacking may be a sound dieting strategy indeed. Noshing between meals can reduce the number of calories you consume when you cozy up to the table at mealtime and can be a valuable opportunity to sneak in some extra nutrients.

Eating out nutritiously may seem impossible, but with careful planning it can be done. By planning ahead and ordering with care, you can keep to your healthy diet and enjoy a good meal. Planning should begin before you even get to the restaurant. Take a few moments to check the restaurant's website and online menu, if available.

Guess which meal has more calories: a small tuna-salad sub or 1½ cups of whole wheat pasta mixed with a cup of frozen veggies, sautéed in garlic and olive oil and topped with 2 tablespoons of freshly-grated parmesan? And now guess which meal is likely to be more filling? Both the sandwich and the pasta tally in at around 530 calories each.

Learn more about mindful eating and how practices like yoga may help you to maintain a healthy weight.

Snacks can be good for your health and your weight management efforts. Here are a few ideas for healthy snacking.

Belly fat can be frustrating for people trying to lose weight, but it's also dangerous for your health. Abdominal obesity and visceral fat are risk factors for heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer.

For some reason, many of us feel we need to add a dessert to the end of every meal or occasion. While eating sweets are not completely bad for you, there are some alternatives to fulfill those cravings in a healthier way. Whether you are habitually used to adding sweets to the end of a meal, using a sweet treat to fill the time, or maybe there is just a favourite sweet that always comforts you, the trick is to make your body believe the craving has been fulfilled.

Keeping a food journal and recording all of your meals, drinks, and snacks each day could help you lose weight and encourage healthier eating.

Weight loss is no easy feat. But there are some strategies that can help you beat the odds and make you a winner at the game of losing. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that successful "losers" - people who were able to lose an average of 33 kg and keep it off for more than 5 years - subscribed to 6 common strategies to both shed pounds and keep the weight off.