Weight loss secrets. If you’ve ever struggled to lose weight through dieting, here’s something you should know:

According to research conducted at UCLA, at least two-thirds of people who lose weight on a diet gain it all back within 3 years. Or they gain back even more.

Talk about depressing!

But it doesn’t surprise me.

For years, I’ve argued that dieting is NOT the best way to lose weight. Not because diets don’t work. They can work — at least in the short term. No, the real reason I’m not a fan of diets is because they simply aren’t sustainable.

I had to learn this the hard way. You see, back when I was younger, I used to starve myself on all kinds of diets.

I’d usually do great for the first few weeks or even months of a new diet. I’d count calories, say “no” to my favorite foods and, sure enough, the pounds would start falling away.

But guess what always happened?

Eventually, I’d give up on my diet because it was just too darn hard to stick with it! If you’ve ever been on a diet yourself, maybe you know what I’m talking about.

Today, I don’t waste my time on diets. And I’m a lot happier as a result! But I’m also at a much healthier weight. All thanks to following a few simple, effective weight loss secrets.

Weight loss secrets I’m going to share with you in this article.

These weight loss secrets are simple, practical changes. They’re much easier to stick with than a diet. And best of all, they work!  

They’ve helped me, people in my family, and my clients reach and maintain a healthier weight.

Try them out yourself. I think you’ll be surprised at how well they work for you, too.

11 Of My Best Weight Loss Secrets

1. Start your day with green tea.

If you’re trying to lose weight, the best part of waking up isn’t Folgers in your cup, it’s green tea!

Green tea is loaded with plant compounds called catechins. And catechins have been proven to accelerate weight loss. In one study, patients significantly reduced body fat in 12 weeks by drinking green tea containing 690 mg catechins daily. ⁽¹⁾

The average bag of green tea contains 150 — 200 mg catechins. That means you’ll need to steep 3 – 4 tea bags daily to get the catechins you need to slim down.

If that seems like a lot of green tea to guzzle, you can try a high-quality green tea supplement.

Or, check out our LivLean which now includes GSP GREENSELECT PHYTOSOME®, a potent green tea extract.

2. Fill up on this fruit.

Grapefruit is one of the best weight loss foods you can eat. There are a couple of reasons for this.

First, grapefruit contains naringenin, an antioxidant that supports your body’s use of insulin, which helps keep your blood sugar in check and speeds up your metabolism. ⁽²⁾

Second, grapefruit can shrink your waistline. The secret, though, is to fill up on grapefruit first thing in the morning. ⁽³⁾

In a recent study, 85 obese patients ate a half grapefruit for breakfast, while a control group did not eat grapefruit. After 12 weeks, the patients who ate grapefruit lost 7.1% more weight than a control group. And that’s not even the best part…

The people who ate grapefruit also shrank their waistline by 2.5 cm — that means they lost one whole pant size!

3. Do this every time you go to a restaurant.

Do you eat out at restaurants at least once per week? If so, you’re not alone. According to FOX News, we now spend more money eating out than we do on groceries!

I LOVE to eat out with my wife Brittney and our two sons. In fact, eating out is one of our favorite family activities. Unfortunately, all those fun family experiences were adding pounds of unwanted flab to my belly. Not good.

I didn’t want to give up eating out; but I also didn’t want to keep worrying about weight gain. So here’s what I did.

I started dividing my food in half as soon as it arrives. I eat one half and then I wait 10 minutes. Waiting 10 minutes gives my stomach time to digest and decide if I’m still hungry.

Most of the time I’m satisfied with just eating one half, which means less overeating and, even better, leftovers!

Try this strategy next time you’re eating at a restaurant. I think you’ll find it’s a simple, effective way to control overeating.

4. Bad news — and good news! — about exercise.

The truth is, if you want to lose weight, you’ve got to exercise. That’s the bad news. The good news is, you don’t need sweat and strain and shred your lungs like you’re training for an ultra marathon.

You can get the exercise you need by doing moderate activities like taking a walk in the park or spending a few minutes on an exercise bike.

The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate activity per week. That’s just 20 minutes a day. And here’s a way to make it fun and easy to get the exercise you need…

5. Exercise with a buddy.

One of the best ways to stick with an exercise program is by exercising with a friend.

When you exercise with a friend you’re more accountable, less likely to put off your workout, and, you’ll have more fun!

Don’t have any friends who want to join you for a workout? Try joining an exercise group. Joining an exercise group — like a yoga or pilates class, for example — is a great way to meet new friends.

6. Eat from a smaller plate.

Research published by the American Psychological Association revealed something startling: Using a large plate can cause you to eat a whopping 45% more food! ⁽⁴⁾

The solution? Downsize your dishes.

It sounds almost too easy, but using smaller plates at home can actually trick your brain into eating less.

Try it for a week and I bet you’ll enjoy your food more while eating less of it at the same time!

7. Pack a snack.

If you’re a parent, then you know not to go anywhere without snacks.

Without snacks, kids get cranky and hungry. And the next thing you know, you’re heading for the nearest fast food restaurant.

Of course, it’s not just kids who need snacks.

If you plan to be away from home for a couple hours, you’re going to get hungry. And when you get hungry away from home a burger, fried chicken, or candy bar can be very tempting.

That’s why it’s a good idea to pack a healthy snack like almonds or fruit in your bag or purse. A healthy snack keeps hunger at bay. So you’ll be able to enjoy yourself without the guilt of giving in to fast food.

Recommended for you Which breakfast food has more sugar than a Twinkie? You may not realize it, but one of the most popular health foods at your grocery store is loaded with more sugar per serving than a Twinkie. Not only will all that hidden sugar sabotage your weight loss efforts, it will turn your stomach into a churning pit of gas, cramps, acid reflux and constipation. We pull the curtain back on this and two other shocking digestive destroyers in this video presentation.

8. Skip the sugary drinks.

Did you know a can of Coke contains 39 grams of sugar? That’s TWICE as much sugar as a Snickers candy bar! But it gets even worse:

The typical 16 ounce Frappuccino from Starbucks can have as much as 100 grams of sugar. That’s as much sugar as a one-litre BOTTLE of Coke!

Sugary drinks like soda and Starbucks Frappuccinos are the #1 source of sugar in the American diet.

Think of these drinks as liquid obesity. Avoid them at all costs!

But what if you, like me, have a sweet tooth?

In that case, try a decadent, healthier alternative to sugary drinks like our Pumpkin-Spice Power-Up Latte. CLICK HERE for the quick and easy recipe.

9. Shop the perimeter.

Next time you go grocery shopping, try this:

Shop along the perimeter of the store and avoid, if possible, the middle of the store. Why?

Because grocery stores keep their meat, fruits and vegetables along the perimeter; while belly-busting foods like chips, soda, cookies and snacks are kept in the middle of the store.

By shopping the perimeter you’ll limit your exposure to chips, soda, cookies and other snacks, which means you’ll be less tempted to fill your grocery cart with junk.

10. Eat more fiber.

Fiber-rich foods like leafy green vegetables, artichokes, legumes, apples and peaches will help you feel fuller longer. They’ll also reduce sugar cravings and help you stay regular.

Mayo Clinic recommends 25 grams of daily dietary fiber as a good target for women, while men should aim for 38 grams per day.

Unfortunately, most Americans consuming only 16 grams of fiber per day — far below the recommended amount.

By simply adding more fiber to their diets, I’ve seen clients lose 5 — 10 pounds in a month — without additional dietary changes or exercise.

11. Remember it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

If you’re not as fit right now as you’d like to be, remember that you didn’t wake up looking and feeling this way overnight. It took time — months or even years.

Likewise, living a healthier lifestyle takes time. You’re running a marathon, not a sprint.

That said, if you’ll pick three or four things off this list, and stick with them for at least a month, you WILL see results.

But, you’ll see your best and longest-lasting results if you treat weight loss as a lifestyle change, something you stick with every day.

Does that mean you have to be perfect? Of course not! No one is perfect.  

Just do the best you can.

When you achieve a win — say, losing your first 5 pounds — celebrate it!

And when you stumble, don’t beat yourself up over it. Remember that every moment is a chance to keep moving forward.

How About You?

How many of these weight loss secrets do you plan to try?

Let me know in the comments section below!

And if you enjoyed this article, would you please share it by clicking on one of the social share icons (Facebook, Pinterest, etc.) on this page? I would really appreciate it!

Scientific References

1. Nagao T, Komine Y, Soga S, Meguro S, Hase T, Tanaka Y, Tokimitsu I. “Ingestion of a tea rich in catechins leads to a reduction in body fat and malondialdehyde-modified LDL in men.” Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Jan;81(1):122-9.
2. Rostislav Chudnovskiy, et al. “Consumption of Clarified Grapefruit Juice Ameliorates High-Fat Diet Induced Insulin Resistance and Weight Gain in Mice.” PLOS One. October 2014.
3. Heidi J Silver, Mary S Dietrich, and Kevin D Niswender. “Effects of grapefruit, grapefruit juice and water preloads on energy balance, weight loss, body composition, and cardiometabolic risk in free-living obese adults.” Nutr Metab (Lond). 2011; 8: 8.
4. Wansink, Brian; van Ittersum, Koert. “Portion size me: Plate-size induced consumption norms and win-win solutions for reducing food intake and waste.” Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, Vol 19(4), Dec 2013, 320-332.