From The Straits Times    |

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Eat Dessert First

Some people have great self-control, others struggle with it. Research published in the Journal of Consumer Research revealed that dieters were able to eat fewer unhealthy foods if they were satisfied sooner. They also found that those with low willpower were able to increase their self-control and gain satisfaction more quickly if they monitored how much they eat – for example, by counting the number of times they swallowed – making them behave like individuals with high self-control.

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Drink Up

Water, that is. A study by the University of Michigan in the United States found that people who are obese with a higher Body Mass Index (BMI) tended to be under-hydrated, and vice versa. While the link between hydration and weight is not clear, lead author Tammy Chang mentions that hydration may be “overlooked in adult weight management strategies”, and that drinking water could be a way to avoid over-eating “because you may be thirsty rather than hungry.” She also adds that eating healthy foods high in water like fruits and vegetables can be a good way to up the H20 content in our bodies.

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Chow Down on Healthy Foods You Like

A new study by Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business in the US has found that dieters were more likely to be successful if they focused on increasing healthy foods they liked, instead of eschewing their favourite unhealthy treats. The reason, it’s easier to do something you like, rather than something you dread.

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Eat Your Yogurt

Probiotics have often been touted to help with maintaining good gut bacteria, and researchers from Taizhou People’s Hospital in China have found that taking more than one type of probiotic for eight weeks or more helped with weight loss. This could support earlier research which found that intestinal flora of obese people are different from that of slim folks. Although the weight loss from the study was minimal, the modest reduction can supposedly help improve weight-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.

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Step On That Scale Often

A study of 975 participants over four years by the University of Manchester in England has found a strong correlation between monitoring your weight and weight loss. The more often patients weighed themselves, the more weight they were likely to lose. “Is it the weight change that encourages people to more closely monitor their weight or is it the monitoring that encourages weight change?”, lead researcher Dr Matthew Sperrin says this needs to be investigated further, but this could be an interesting and easy technique for those looking to shed the kilos.

This article was originally published on Shape.com.sg