1. Break Old Habits. Dr. Ben Fletcher Ph. D psychologist at the University Hertfordshire in England, found that people who push themselves out of their daily routine can better re-examine basic choices about food and exercise. For example if you are normally an extrovert than try acting as an introvert or visa versa. 55 overweight people were asked to explore novel activities twice per week, such as tuning into a different radio station or trying a new route to work. Four months later an average of 11 pounds was lost and after one year most had kept the weight off and had lost 40 pounds or more without the word “diet” being used once! In my practice this is what I have been instructing my patients to do for twenty years. I send them home with different foods to try and most lose weight easily.

2. Watch Your Language. “Think Thin, Be Thin, 100 Psychological Ways to Lose Weight” by Doris Wild Helmering states “people who have a good self image do better on diets because they believe they can”. Start by dropping the verbal self abuse and replace with positive present tense statements. Instead of repeating to yourself “I am fat”, change it to “I am fit and trim”.  Instead of “I will exercise”, repeat to yourself “I am exercising”, instead of “I am trying to eat healthier” repeat “I am eating healthier”. Stand and walk tall, sit up straight, straighten your shoulders. This is the “act as if” principle. When you “act as if” then you can initiate change.

3. Ritual Eating. This is a technique explained in the book “French Women Don’t Get Fat” by Mireille Guiliano. French women do not eat out of cardboard boxes nor do they watch TV or read the paper while eating. Use real plates and napkins and even candles on occasion. Eating slowly and chewing properly will give your body more time to register satiety and therefore you eat less. Choose music such as Brahms or Nora Jones to accompany your meal rather than rock music. Fast paced music at 92 beats per minute, or more, played in restaurants is used to improve customer turn over and customers eat more!

4. Have Soup At the Start of the Meal. This will not only give you more water in your diet but also give you a sense of fullness so you eat less during the rest of the meal. In “French Women..” a leek or vegetable soup consumed every three hours on a given Saturday and Sunday in place of any other food, is used to reset the appetite center and initiating a change in eating habits. It is nutritious and a diuretic as well.

5. Don’t Finish What is on Your Plate. This is true if someone else is serving you, for example, in a restaurant. Often the portions are too large, keeping in mind that a healthy portion size is that of a small apple and the same size as your stomach!

6. Don’t Drink Your Calories. Most soft drinks on the market have a minimum of 7 teaspoons of sugar in each serving and the artificial sweeteners are toxic to your nervous system. Fruit juices are also a source of huge amounts of sugar even though they are “natural” fruit sugars. (It takes 4-5 fruits to make one glass of orange or apple juice). I promote the drinking of my  “Ginger Juice” recipe instead. 2 cups of sliced ginger is boiled in one gallon of water for one hour, cooled over night then stored in glass jars in the fridge. It is served with ice, mint, lemon or lime and stevia drops to taste. If you like Gingerale (of even if you don’t) you will love this drink! It aids digestion and is an energizer too. Try also an herbal iced tea with green tea, lemon zinger, black currant and chamomile teas mixed together. Steep them in a large gallon glass jug of purified water in the sun for 8 hours, cool, and flavor as above. Drink this along with 2 more glasses of water over what you are consuming now (if less than 8 glasses per day) and this will offer satiety.

7. Plan Your Meals. Start the day by asking what type of carbohydrate you want for the day and choose protein, vegetables and fruits around that. For example if you choose to have toast with your morning eggs, then you should not also have bread, pasta, rice or potatoes later on in the day. You can have one or two but not all three or four! I have also found that avoiding eating carbohydrates and proteins at the same meal as per “Eating Alive” by Dr. Matsen N.D. has helped many of my patients over the years lose weight effortlessly.

8. Avoid eating 3 hours before bed. Most folks who do this lose a few pounds very easily. Plan to finish your dinner accordingly. This takes more planning and establishs a new routine.

9. Measure Your Waist, Not Your Weight. Most people will lose inches before they notice any weight loss, so start with that. Many people are surprised that they have lost 2 inches in a matter of a few weeks with the changes they have made, so they are motivated to continue.

10. Before you turn on your TV go for a walk. It just takes 30 minutes twice per day three times per week to start a weight loss trend.

11. Never Be Hungry. Always have snacks ready at work or in the car so that you are not starving when you get to the restaurant, or home from work,  only to devour the bread served while you wait for your meal, or run into a convenience store for junk food. It is very hard to find good quality snacks in a convenience store so have some on hand. What works for me is a handful of almonds and a slice of goat cheese but it could be soy nuts, pistachios or veggies.

12. Have Weekend Rewards. This could be a croissant for breakfast, or a glass of wine with dinner. Dr. Arthur Agatston the author of “The South Beach Diet” suggests a few strawberries dipped in dark chocolate. These treats should be on no more than two days per week.

Here are 12 ideas for you to incorporate over the next 12 months. Let’s see where you are at this time next year!