Category: Weight Loss

Stop food cravings with these ten simple tips based on the psychological research.

1. Tap your forehead

Anything that will distract you from thinking about food cravings will work.

One study has even found that tapping your forehead with your index finger can do the trick.

Just don’t let the tapping turn into punching — you’re not supposed to draw blood, no matter how strong the cravings get!

2. Change how you think

A slightly deeper psychological approach is to start thinking differently.

Take a moment to consider the long-term consequences of eating the wrong foods.

Dr Kathryn Demos, one of the authors of a study which tested this approach on food cravings, explained:

“We found that simply thinking in a different way affects how the brain responds to tempting food cues in individuals with obesity.

Through the MRI scans we identified that thinking about the long-term negative impact of eating unhealthy foods increased activity in a region of the brain involved in inhibitory control and self-regulation.

Our results show the promising possibility that focusing on the long-term consequences of consuming unhealthy foods could help diminish cravings and, as a result, potentially enhance weight-loss efforts.”

3. Play Tetris to stop food cravings

Just three minutes of playing Tetris can reduce cravings for food, cigarettes and alcohol, according to a study published in the journal Appetite.

The psychologists concluded that Tetris, a retro tile-matching puzzle game, may provide a visual distraction which helps people control their cravings.

4. Use your imagination

Try thinking about how a rainbow looks or the smell of eucalyptus.

Or even stare at a random pattern of dots — the kind you get if you pull the aerial out of the TV.

All have been found to reduce the vividness of food cravings.

That study’s authors explain that:

“…engaging in a simple visual task seems to hold real promise as a method for curbing food cravings.

…real-world implementations could incorporate the dynamic visual noise display into existing accessible technologies, such as the smart phone and other mobile, hand-held computing devices.”

Your imagination can be a powerful ally in the fight against food cravings.

5. Look at loads of pictures of food

It’s the most unlikely weight-loss trick ever: looking at endless pictures of foods can make them less enjoyable to eat, a recent study has found.

While a few photos might enhance the appetite, contrary to what you’d expect, people are actually put off the taste by looking at loads of pictures of food.

6. Go for a walk to stop food cravings

A 15-minute walk is enough to stop food cravings brought on by stressful situations, a study has found.

The authors concluded:

“Short bouts of physical activity may reduce the craving for sugary snacks in overweight people.

When snacking has become habitual and poorly regulated by overweight people, the promotion of short bouts of physical activity could be valuable for reducing the urge to consume at times when the person may be particularly vulnerable, such as during stress and when snack foods are available.”

7. Protein-rich breakfast

Research shows that eating a good breakfast — particularly one rich in protein — boosts a critical neurotransmitter, which may lower food cravings later in the day.

Dr. Heather Leidy, an assistant professor of nutrition and exercise physiology who led the study, said:

“Our research showed that people experience a dramatic decline in cravings for sweet foods when they eat breakfast.

However, breakfasts that are high in protein also reduced cravings for savory — or high-fat — foods.

On the other hand, if breakfast is skipped, these cravings continue to rise throughout the day.”

8. Stop food cravings with chewing gum

It’s an old trick, but one that can work.

It may not look good chewing gum, but some studies suggest it can reduce the intake of snacks.

Dr. Paula J Geiselman who has conducted a study on this, explained that her research…

“…demonstrates the potential role chewing gum can play in appetite control, reduction of snack cravings and weight management.

Even small changes in calories can have an impact in the long term.

And, this research supports the role of chewing gum as an easy, practical tool for managing snack, especially sweet snack, intake and cravings.”

9. Less food cravings from sleeping well

People who are short of sleep find it difficult to resist temptations, one study has found.

Matthew Walker, one of its authors, explained:

“What we have discovered is that high-level brain regions required for complex judgments and decisions become blunted by a lack of sleep, while more primal brain structures that control motivation and desire are amplified.”

In other words, being short of sleep = desire for sugary snacks.

10. Pay attention to your emotions

Tuning in to your emotions is an important step in managing food cravings.

One study has found that people lose more weight when they learn to get in touch with their feelings about food.

That study’s authors concluded:

“With a better understanding of how they feel and how to use emotions to make better decisions, people will not only eat better, they will also likely be happier and healthier because they relate better to others and are more concerned with their overall well-being.”

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Belly fat is the fat that surrounds the vital organs, deep in the belly.

Foods containing fibre, like fruit and vegetables, can help to reduce weight and belly fat, research finds.

Supplementation with psyllium, which is full of fibre and available as a supplement, can also reduce belly fat.

Adding as little as 10 grams of soluble fibre per day has been shown to reduce belly fat by 4 percent.

Exercise on top increases this figure to 7 percent.

Belly fat is the fat that surrounds the vital organs, deep in the belly.

Unfortunately, there is no miracle food that can reduce belly fat on its own.

However, eating a heart-healthy diet high in fibre can help to reduce abdominal fat.

Fibre helps to reduce belly fat by turning to a gel during digestion.

As a result people feel more full, among other benefits, stopping from eating more.

One type of food that contains high amounts of fibre is psyllium, a plant sometimes used as a food ingredient.

A study has tested the effects of psyllium supplementation on visceral or belly fat.

The research included 45 health adolescents who were given 6g per day of psyllium or a placebo.

The adolescents made no other changes to their diet or lifestyle.

After six weeks, the results showed that supplementation with psyllium had reduced belly fat and decreased levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol.

The study’s authors describe the results:

“Our data show that even in the context of a relatively short intervention, psyllium supplementation improves LDL cholesterol and android fat to gynoid fat ratio [in other words, it reduced belly fat].

Our study corroborates previous data showing that psyllium has lipid lowering properties in children and adolescents.

The 6% improvement in LDL cholesterol concentrations we observed is comparable to other studies that have shown improvements of 0–23% using psyllium doses ranging from 5–25 g/day.”

The study was published in the journal PLoS One (de Bock et al., 2012).

Around one-third of people over 65 are overweight or obese.

Bursts of short, high-intensity exercise can triple weight loss, research finds.

Known as ‘interval training’, or HIIT, the exercise can burn off more calories in a shorter period of time.

The exercises involved do not require any special equipment and can all be done at home in less than half an hour.

They include things like ‘jumping jacks’, squats, step ups and push ups.

Common types of interval training involve 30-second bursts going “all out” followed by four minutes of recovery at a much lower intensity.

Interval training can also be done on a bicycle, by running, jogging, speed walking or with a variety of other exercises.

The study included 36 people aged 70 with visceral (belly) fat exceeding 1 pound in women and 4 pounds in men.

They followed a 10-week course of interval training.

The interval training started at just 18 minutes per day, three times per week.

It involved 40 seconds of work, followed by 20 seconds of rest.

Over the 10 weeks of the study, they worked up to 36-minute workouts per day.

The results showed that the interval training tripled the losses in belly fat, in comparison to a control group who did not exercise.

The effects of exercise were stronger for men than for women in this study.

The study’s authors conclude:

“In conclusion, the main finding of this trial is that 10 weeks of progressive vigorous interval training decreased total FM [fat mass] by almost threefold compared to the control group while increasing muscle mass.

These outcomes are previously known to be associated with improved cardiometabolic health and decreased risk of CVDs.”

Around one-third of people over 65 are overweight or obese.

Obesity increases the risk of a range of diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and osteoarthritis.

The study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (Ballin et al., 2019).

Around one-in-three adults in the US are obese.

White mulberry, which is a herb, may boost weight loss, research finds.

It can also lower blood pressure and decrease ‘bad’ cholesterol.

A natural compound called ‘rutin’ contained in mulberries can activate brown fat in the body, which helps burn calories.

Brown fat is usually activated by cold weather, but rutin can also activate it.

The job of brown fat, sometimes known as ‘good fat’, is to convert food into heat.

Consuming mulberries, therefore, may help people burn more calories.

Another benefit of rutin is that it helps to balance blood glucose.

The leaves of mulberries — whether red or white — can be bought dried to have as a tea.

Alternatively, the mulberry fruit can be added to the diet.

Doses that have been tested in humans range from 1g to 3g of the powdered leaves per day taken for around a month.

For the study, scientists added 1 mg of rutin to the drinking water of obese mice.

The results showed that rutin activated brown fat, which helped the mice burn more calories and reduce their fat.

Dr Wan-Zhu Jin, study co-author, said:

“The beneficial effects of rutin on BAT-mediated metabolic improvement have evoked a substantial interest in the potential treatment for obesity and its related diseases, such as diabetes.

In line with this idea, discovery of more safe and effective BAT activators is desired to deal with obesity and its related diseases.”

A few other studies have found benefits for rutin.

One study found that white mulberry may help lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes.

People in this study took 1 g of powdered leaf three times a day for a month.

Another study found that the same dosage increased ‘good’ cholesterol levels by 18 percent and reduced ‘bad’ cholesterol levels by 23 percent.

The study was published in The FASEB Journal (Yuan et al., 2016).

Over one thousand psychologists agree on the biggest barrier to weight loss.

The greatest barrier to weight loss is emotional eating, a survey of psychologists finds.

Losing weight is about addressing the issues behind emotional eating.

So said almost every psychologist polled about successful weight loss.

Emotional eating refers to the way in which the emotions can trigger eating.

One example might be responding to feeling bored by eating a bag of chips.

Another might be reacting to feeling sad by eating ice cream.

Emotional eating often begins in childhood when treats are given as rewards for good behaviour.

Psychologists help people break the cycle of emotional eating by identifying situations and feelings that trigger it.

Changing the habit is about spotting the triggers and then changing the response.

Strategies psychologists recommend to help with this process include mindfulness, cognitive therapy and problem-solving.

Professor Norman B. Anderson, an expert on mind/body health, said:

“Anyone who has ever tried to lose a few pounds and keep them off knows that doing so isn’t easy.

The good news is that research and clinical experience have shown that, in addition to behavioral approaches, cognitive behavioral therapy that targets emotional barriers helps people lose weight.”

The survey included 1,328 licensed psychologists who were asked how they helped their clients lose weight.

The need to target emotional issues was highlighted by 92 percent of respondents.

Professor Anderson said:

“Although it is generally accepted that weight problems are most often caused by a combination of biological, emotional, behavioral and environmental issues, these new results show the key role of stress and emotional regulation in losing weight.

Therefore, the best weight loss tactics should integrate strategies to address emotion and behavior as well as lifestyle approaches to exercise and making healthy eating choices.”

The study was conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center for the American Psychological Association.

The technique helps to break down fats, effectively melting them away.

The best way to shed belly fat is through exercise, a study finds.

More belly fat is lost by people doing exercise than those taking medications designed for weight loss.

A molecule called interleukin-6 is released by exercise.

This helps to break down fats, effectively melting them away.

Dr Anne-Sophie Wedell-Neergaard, the study’s first author, said:

“The take home for the general audience is ‘do exercise’.

We all know that exercise promotes better health, and now we also know that regular exercise training reduces abdominal fat mass and thereby potentially also the risk of developing cardio-metabolic diseases.”

The research included 53 people who exercised for 45 minutes, several times a week.

The results showed that belly fat was reduced by an average of 8 percent in those who did exercise.

Some people were given a drug that blocks the action of interleukin-6.

The results showed that this group put on weight, suggesting that interleukin-6 is important for weight loss.

Dr Wedell-Neergaard said:

“To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that interleukin-6 has a physiological role in regulating visceral fat mass in humans.”

Unfortunately, there is no food or combination of foods, that have been found to get rid of belly fat.

However, diet and exercise can both help.

Eating healthily is also beneficial for general health, reducing the risk of dementia, cancer and other diseases.

Dr Wedell-Neergaard said:

“It is important to stress that when you start exercising, you may increase body weight due to increased muscle mass.

So, in addition to measuring your overall body weight, it would be useful, and maybe more important, to measure waist circumference to keep track of the loss of visceral fat mass and to stay motivated.”

The study was published in the journal Cell Metabolism (Wedell-Neergaard et al., 2018).

This vital weight loss technique is nothing to do with diet and exercise.

Learning to love your body, however it looks, can triple weight loss efforts, research finds.

Dieters in the study learned to be less concerned about their size and weight and other people’s opinions of them.

They were also encouraged to think that how their body looks is not as important as they think.

Happily, the researchers found, people with an improved body image, automatically eat more healthily.

The study shows that hating your own body is one of the biggest barriers to weight loss.

It is well-known that people who are overweight often have body image problems.

Overcoming these problems — especially worrying about what other people think — is hugely beneficial to weight loss.

For the study, 239 overweight women followed a standard program of diet and exercise for one year.

Half were given a special course designed to improve their body image.

This included sessions on the emotional aspects of losing weight.

This is because some overweight people tend towards emotional eating.

Emotional eating means that negative moods trigger bouts of eating to feel better, rather than eating to satiate hunger.

The women were also encouraged to love their bodies, whatever its size and shape.

The results showed that those who improved their body image lost an average of 7 percent — more than triple the weight loss of the control group.

Dr Pedro Teixeira, study co-author, said:

“Body image problems are very common amongst overweight and obese people, often leading to comfort eating and more rigid eating patterns, and are obstacles to losing weight.

Our results showed a strong correlation between improvements in body image, especially in reducing anxiety about other people’s opinions, and positive changes in eating behavior.

From this we believe that learning to relate to your body in healthier ways is an important aspect of maintaining weight loss and should be addressed in every weight control program.”

The study was published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (Carraça et al., 2011).

People who ate at this time were half as likely to be hungry afterwards.

Although the common advice for losing weight is avoid snacking, little research has looked at the impact of late eating on appetite and body weight regulation.

Body weight is regulated by factors such as the number of calories we burn, structural changes in fat cells, and regulation of energy intake.

A study has found that the time of eating greatly influences hunger and appetite, molecular pathways in adipose tissues, and amounts of energy that our body needs.

Professor Frank Scheer, the study’s lead author, said:

“We wanted to test the mechanisms that may explain why late eating increases obesity risk.

Previous research by us and others had shown that late eating is associated with increased obesity risk, increased body fat, and impaired weight loss success.

We wanted to understand why.”

Dr Nina Vujović, the study’s first author, said:

“In this study, we asked, ‘Does the time that we eat matter when everything else is kept consistent?

And we found that eating four hours later makes a significant difference for our hunger levels, the way we burn calories after we eat, and the way we store fat.”

Early eating vs. late eating

The study examined the outcome of early eating and late eating on 16 overweight and obese people.

Participants had to complete an early eating protocol and a late eating protocol during the in-laboratory stays.

The early eating protocol included breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a 4-hour break between each and the last meal consumed 6 hours and 40 minutes before bedtime.

Meals for the the late eating protocol were similar to the early eating protocol but subjects skipped breakfast and had lunch, dinner, and supper which was 2 hours and 30 minutes before bedtime.

During the stay participants blood samples were taken, body temperature, energy expenditure, hunger and appetite were recorded.

Samples of adipose tissue were collected to see how meal timing affects molecular pathways in fat cells and how fat is stored in the body.

This enabled the team to compare gene expression profiles between the two eating conditions and the results showed that late eating changed the lipid metabolism pathways.

They found that eating late alerted appetite-regulating hormones: ghrelin levels went up while leptin levels went down, resulting in more hunger.

Also, subjects burned less calories and had elevated levels of adipogenesis (formation of fat cells) and reduction of lipolysis (a process that fat breaks down).

These findings show a direct relation between late eating and increased risk of developing obesity.

Professor Scheer said:

“This study shows the impact of late versus early eating.

Here, we isolated these effects by controlling for confounding variables like caloric intake, physical activity, sleep, and light exposure, but in real life, many of these factors may themselves be influenced by meal timing.

In larger scale studies, where tight control of all these factors is not feasible, we must at least consider how other behavioral and environmental variables alter these biological pathways underlying obesity risk.”

The study was published in the journal Cell Metabolism (Vujović et al., 2022).