When it comes to getting it done, we trust the people who’ve gotten it done.
And we discovered exactly the kind of outside-the-box secrets and strategies you won’t hear fromnutritiongurus and weight-loss doctors.
Here are the rule-breaking tricks that work for skinny people.
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Why not join their ranks?
They’d Rather Be Healthy Than Thin
Maria Menounos lost 40 pounds.
Fit into smaller clothes.
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Health is the most important thing in your life."
I know more than a few thin people who are unhealthy.
Many, if not most, are also unhappy.
Keep health your goal and it will naturally result in being trim."
I didn’t have the willpower to go on an extreme diet and drop all the foods I loved.
It took a year or so, but I lost the forty pounds.
It’s the main reason I never gained the weight back…
Check out how each of the five different color categories of fruits and vegetables can benefit your health.
Then mix and match for a total of five servings every day.
No, wait, that’s not it.
They say people might want to prey on game.
One tester even noted that it “tasted like something I might find in a nice beer garden!”
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That makes Sierra Nevada’s Bigfoot the undisputed beast of the beer jungle.
They Skip This Soda
Wait… but aren’t allsodasequally terrible?
They Make PB+Js
…after a workout.
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Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or a small bowl of pasta with meat sauce fit that formula.
In fact, tenderloin isn’t a particularly flavorful steak.
So why does it cost so much?
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Switch to skirt or flank steak instead.
They’re both lean cuts that pack far more rich, deep, beefy flavor.
Most importantly, it will cost you about half of what you would pay for that tenderloin.
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Remember this next time you’re at the steakhouse, too.
That gives you all the fiber and flavor you should probably satisfy a snack craving.
For more substantial hunger pangs, try dipping them in peanut butter or guacamole.
No wonder it’s one of ourbest snacks for weight loss!
They Don’t Just Count Calories
Calories fuel our bodies, right?
Actually, they don’t.
Here’s the problem: Your body isn’t a steam engine.
“Instead of one central plant, you have several billion, so it’s more efficient.”
Your move: Trackcarbohydrates, fats, and proteinnot just calorieswhen you’re evaluating foods.
They Go For 100
Be small-minded about snacks.
The tally: Those given the jumbo bag ate up to 20 percent more.
Outsmart your snack habit by sticking with the tiny100-calorie packsnow being used for everything from Doritos to Goldfish.
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work the perimeter, and only dip into the middle when necessary.
Eighty percent of candy and 61 percent of salty-snack purchases are impulse buys.
Unfortunately, markups can be steep and nutrition is scarcely a concern for supermarkets looking to maximize profits.
Your best bet on a busy night?
Arotisserie chickenhealthy, versatile, and usually about $6 a bird.
Sadly, these lesser-known brands are often healthier and more affordable than their big-name counterparts.
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So, how do you start reaping all these benefits?
Your goal is to replace these spare-tire-pumping potations with lean liquids.So, what should you be drinking?+Water.
You’ll burn more calories and boost overall energy and concentration.
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Keep a pitcher by your bed and at your desk, and you’ll drink up naturally.+Coffee.
But not the sweet, syrupy specialty drinks.
Consider making midweek evening runs, instead.
Which one’s healthier?
Remember, “muffin” is just a way to get you to eat cake for breakfast.
Best Defense: Find the unhealthiest word on any menu item, and let that be your guide.
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They Avoid ‘Low-Carb’
Anything “low” in one thing is usually high in something else.
Don’t be fooled by eating only “low-carb” or “low-fat.”
“We’re in snacking.”
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(With a snack like that, who’d need lunch?)
Snack, but snack healthy.
AnAdvances in Nutritionjournal study found that nutritious snacks promote weight loss.
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The key word there is nutritious.
Fruit and nuts are snacks, but two mini onion burgers?
A good snack is in the 100-250 calorie range.
All of thesefilling snacks under 100 caloriesare safe bets.
Pick two of them to hit the nutritional mark.
It’s called “decoy marketing” in the restaurant trade.
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It’s a phenomenon experts have dubbed “vicarious goal fulfillment.”
Remind yourself before you look at the menu that you’re on a mission to eat well.
Take, for example, Ruby Tuesday’s Avocado Grilled Chicken Sandwich.
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How bad could this be?
Best Defense: Ask if “grilled” means “flame grilled.”
If not, ask for it broiled, which will give you a similar effectwith less of the grease.
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But there’s more to it than that.
A quick skim through Wendy’s ingredient statement is all it takes to expose these fraudulent spuds.
They contain preservatives, added sugars, andhydrogenated oil.
Last we checked, there was nothing remotely natural about infusing vegetable oil with hydrogen.
Technically, Wendy’s isn’t lying when it says that these fries are “natural-cut.”
But it makes one wonder: What would be the unnatural way to cut a potato?
Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and Frito-Lay have all faced lawsuits over their use of the term.
Yet in more than a few cases, you’re better off opting for red meat.
That’s 80 calories more than their Double Swiss Prime Rib!
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Remember: It’s all about the toppings.
Remember that even a healthy dish can be drowned in a sea of bad calories.
For serious cooks, it’s not just a suggestion, it’s a religion.
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Nowhere is that dictum more essential than with stir-frying.
Have sauces and condiments measured out.
And, most importantly, always have salt and pepper at arm’s length.
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This way, you’ll reduce bloat by keeping sodium counts on track.
They Add Umami
Salty, sour, sweet, bitter.. .umami?
A good rule of thumb: The more umami in your food, the better it will taste.
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Curcumin resides in turmeric, the bright yellow spice that gives curries their characteristic hue.
Don’t limit the healing powers to recipes like this, though.
It’s like eating a delicious burrito for a quarter of the calories.
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Invent at will; just don’t forget thesriracha.
“I love the shakes.
I added them to my diet, and almost immediately I lost the bloat,” Bryan said.
Protein drinks are great ways to get a monster dose of belly-busting nutrition into a delicious, simple snack.
Check out these7 Worst Protein Smoothies for Weight Loss.
And the high doses of whey used to boost protein levels can amplify the belly-bloating effect.
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“I saw changes immediately,” she reports.
Researchers speculate that the morning light synchronizes yourmetabolismand undercuts your fat genes.
“I also always carry ahealthy snack.
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Walnuts and low-sugar protein bars are two of my go-tos.
These tactics have helped me maintain my 70-pound weight loss.”
And Their Champagne!
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For more weight loss know-how from Dan Roberts check out hisessential trick for rapid weight loss.
They Are Ready for Everything
We asked Chris Powell to tell us his number one diet tip.
His response: Basically,meal prepis everything.
This prep allows them to grab healthy eats quickly before they leave the house.
That requires removing all temptation from your kitchen.
But your mealtime may be one time of day we should fight our addiction to amusement.
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That leaves you less satisfied and more vulnerable to overeating.
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