How can you lose weight in 2012? Let us count the ways (52 to be exact). Whether you’ve vowed to lose 5 pounds or 50, the following advice will help make achieving your weight loss resolution a little easier (Search: How can you keep your New Year's resolution?). We scoured research journals and spoke with diet and fitness experts to find a year’s worth of practical and effective methods to rev your metabolism, torch fat, and flatten your belly.
The following tips are simple, but the effects will add up. “When you successfully implement one change, you’re more likely to do another. The more you’re able to stick to your goal, the greater your confidence, and the more chance you’ll have to start and accomplish new goals. These small changes can add up to a lifestyle change,” says Jessica Cassity, author of Better Each Day: 365 Expert Tips for a Healthier, Happier You. Over the next 52 weeks, use these strategies in your daily life to help you reach your goal by year’s end.
Foods That Boost Your Weight Loss Results
Hit the gas early during your workout. College of New Jersey researchers found that men who started a 30-minute running workout at high speed, working at 70% of their VO2 max, and then eased up to 50% of VO2 max burned 5 to 10% more fat than those who started slow and then revved up the pace. The after-burn of the high-intensity workout seems to carry over into the lower-intensity period, increasing overall fat burn.
Use public transportation. Turns out taking the bus or train is as good for your body as it is for your wallet and the environment. In one recent study from two Pennsylvania universities, researchers found that people who switched from driving everywhere to using a light-rail system lost an average of about 6 pounds in a year. “The theory is that by walking the extra blocks it takes to get to and from bus stops and train stations—instead of pulling up right in front of a destination—you naturally increase your activity level enough to result in weight loss,” says Cassity. Find out how to burn 100 calories right now!
Drink two cups of coffee, black. A study in the journal of Physiology & Behavior found that drinking two cups of caffeinated coffee can boost your metabolism by 16% compared with the decaf kind. Make sure to drink it black though. The 67 calories in a spoonful of sugar and a tablespoon of cream can negate caffeine’s calorie-burning benefits.
Blot your pizza with a napkin. You’ll dab off about 4.5 g of fat—or close to 30 calories per slice. Of course, depending on the pizza and your toppings, the amount of excess oil you can remove varies, notes Keri Gans, RD, author of The Small Change Diet. If you want a healthier slice, she prefers one loaded with veggies.
Pick the smartest foods on the menu with our Eat This, Not That! guide
Have a glass of wine. Rat studies show that resveratrol, a compound in red wine, may help fight weight gain when eating a high-fat diet. The same seems to hold true in humans. Harvard researchers found that women who drank about two glasses a day gained less weight and were less likely to become overweight than teetotalers.
But avoid vodka. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that drinking even as little as 1 ounce of vodka can slow your metabolism by as much as 73%. (Video: Craft a slimmer cocktail)
