5 hacks to lose weight, without dieting

Is your shirt feeling a bit tight around the waist? Or are you feeling a bit heavy around the equator? Do you feel like you need to take matters in your own hand and reduce a few extra kilos?

While losing weight ultimately comes down to eating less and moving more, you don’t necessarily have to deprive yourself when it comes to the diet part. Here are five tips that might help you shed those extra baggage.

Cheer up: A study from the Journal of Consumer Psychology proves that people in good spirits are more apt to choose nutritious foods than those who are feeling down. Speaking about it co-author Meryl Gardner, Ph.D., an associate professor of marketing at the University of Delaware said that when in good mood we tend to step back and see the big picture, so it’s easier to do something that’s in our long-term best interest.

Slow your pace while eating: Nutrition experts have long advised against wolfing down your food, because the brain needs some time to process that “I’m full” message

Nibble on filling fruits: Research published in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism found that eating lingonberries almost completely blocked the effects of a high-fat diet by preventing weight gain and keeping blood sugar levels down. You can also try nuts which are low fat and are equally filling. Muesli is also a great option.

Text your progress: Keeping a food diary is a tried-and-true weight loss technique, as recording every morsel forces you to be more conscious of what you’re putting into your mouth. A study from Duke University, saw overweight women shed a few pounds by simply reporting (via text) some basic info, such as the number of steps they walked daily and whether or not they consumed fast food.

Go to bed: Numerous studies have found a connection between insufficient sleep and obesity, but a study from the University of Colorado, Boulder found that you could do serious damage to your waistline in just five nights. According to study co-author Kenneth Wright, people who had five-hour sleep opportunities per night across a simulated workweek gained nearly two pounds.