Best Diet Tips Ever

By Robin Westen

Around 50 million of us go on a diet every year, but only about five percent manage to keep the weight off. One of the big reasons for these dim stats is that drastic changes in lifestyle or eating habits just won't work. What does? Choosing just three of these easy dieting tips and making them a part of your daily routine.

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Don't Watch TV While You Eat According to studies, we eat up to 40 percent more calories than we should if we're viewing television while dining. That goes for any other distracting activity like driving or sitting at your computer. Make each meal an event. Prepare it consciously and eat it at a table, savoring each bite.

Choose Healthy Snacks Nutritionists used to say stick to three squares to lose weight and nix snacking. But nutritionists now say rather than ignore hunger pangs and end up binging on junk food, choose protein filled snacks like a tablespoon of peanut butter or a sliver of cheese on a whole grain cracker.

Go for a Bountiful Breakfast If you enjoy an early meal of mostly carbs and protein you'll keep your blood-sugar levels steady so you won't be susceptible to over-indulging at lunch. You may be surprised to learn bacon and eggs is a good choice. Opt for turkey bacon if you have a cholesterol issue.

Hop on the Scale Do it daily. If you see that your regular weight increases several days in a row, you'll know you need to cut back on your calorie intake or step up your workouts just a bit.

Keep Your Mobile Phone Handy How easy is this? Next time your mind gets stuck on a certain food -- let's say a bag of chips - call a buddy and have a juicy conversation. Research shows that cravings only last about 5 minutes, so by the time you end the conversation, the craving will have passed.

Eat Fruit Opt for it twice daily. Fruit is mostly water so you can enjoy an orange, peach, apple or pear and you won't fill up on fat. Bonus: lots of fiber.

Stay in Bed Getting to bed just 30 minutes earlier and waking up 30 minutes later than you normally do can help you make better food choices, researchers report. Also, when you're well rested, you're less prone to snacking out of fatigue or stress.

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