Strangest aids to your weight loss

vegaslounge
vegaslounge Posts: 122 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Most of us share the same ways to achieve our goals. CICO, food scales, etc. I'm curious about the out-of-left field reasons we've discovered that help our "journey".

Mine is cross-stitch. I took it up the same day I recommitted to myself, and for a sedentary activity, it's helped me lose more steadily in the past couple of months than I have in ages. I'm a distracted snacker, I'll watch YouTube and drink a glass of wine and before I know it I'll scarfed down a sack of chips because I wasn't otherwise occupied. I keep my hands busy with cross-stitch and so, I don't mindlessly snack. Hell, I physically can't!

Anyone else have an activity or habit that sounds like it would have nothing to do with your weight/fitness goals, but has actually made a difference?

~Z
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Replies

  • jolive7
    jolive7 Posts: 283 Member
    Adequate fiber intake accounted for in your calorie intake
  • Beverly2Hansen
    Beverly2Hansen Posts: 378 Member
    For me, constant fidgeting of all things actually holding a water bottle while listening to music and flipping it upside down/ right side up cut my snacks so much. Also I learned about eating something other than your craving to ward off high calorie late night snacking for example I want ice cream but I will eat either cottage cheese with pineapple or fresh chopped strawberries with 4oz vanilla yogurt mixed into it. Also starting to properlly hydrate as in actually looking up how much water you need and drinking it. Turns out it takes forever to drink all that water but often hunger is actually thirst so viola you're cutting calories
  • JenniferNoll
    JenniferNoll Posts: 367 Member
    Pickled cherry peppers or pickled cauliflower. For some strange reason, the strong flavor of these foods will kill any craving I have, even for ice cream, chips, or brownies. I can't tell you why, but it works. The vinegary taste gives me the shivers, but all I have to do is eat one piece.
  • Unknown
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  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Biggest aid for me - Patience
    Close second - high fiber diet
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Gallowmere1984 wrote: »
    Walking around in a weighted vest while reading. Keeps the whole body busy, and if you do it in public, people act like you're pulling off a magic trick.

    I walk on the treadmill while reading. Do you walk around outside while reading?
  • acmorris77
    acmorris77 Posts: 80 Member
    Coldeez, or any zinc tablet. It totally takes away your appetite because it makes your taste buds numb. I learned this when I had a cold. It's not pleasant, it helps if a 3 o'clock craving for office donuts happens!
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    Tootsie Pops
  • JenHuedy
    JenHuedy Posts: 611 Member
    Netflix, Amazon Prime and Craigslist. I watch the first two while walking on the treadmill I got from the third. Getting off the couch curbs the snacking and increasing NEAT makes HUGE difference in TDEE.
  • NEOHgirl
    NEOHgirl Posts: 237 Member
    edited September 2016
    Anything that keeps my hands busy works for me– playing online, playing guitar, knitting, card games, coloring books,. Etc. I’ve recently added a ukulele to my collection so that is what I will be learning next.

    Another strange one is my rain coat. I had to go out & buy one because I was letting myself stay in instead of walking in the rain. When I realized it was becoming an excuse, I bought the rain coat, & now unless there is lightning with the rain, I get out and walk more.

    I am a night owl and mornings are always a struggle for me. I recently bought an alarm clock that vibrates and rolls around on the floor until I get up, chase it down, and it won’t snooze more than once. It will go for however long I set it. That has helped *_*

    I’ve also taken some cooking classes. Learning how to properly cook food has made it easier to make delicious food that fits my nutritional needs. You can take some solo, or they have lots of girls’ night and date night packages. I took mine at a Viking store with a teaching kitchen, but Sur La Table does them as well, as do many community colleges and local culinary schools. It was a worth investment in my health, and I am still reaping the benefits 7 years later.

    When I am camping, bug spray or sunscreen works. I usually only spray the back of my hands, but either way, the smell is a strong reminder that I have chemicals on my body, and I won’t snack until I’ve washed them. That helps keep me on track when they are passing around the s’mores.
  • Iseulte
    Iseulte Posts: 55 Member
    Housecleaning - nothing makes me want to eat less than scrubbing the toilet.
  • idabest777
    idabest777 Posts: 97 Member
    TV! I signed up for a gym where the cardio machines all have their own satellite tv and started watching most of my favourite shows running on the treadmill. Stops me from snacking while watching them and usually gives me at least 500 extra cals for the day :smiley:
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    JenHuedy wrote: »
    Netflix, Amazon Prime and Craigslist. I watch the first two while walking on the treadmill I got from the third. Getting off the couch curbs the snacking and increasing NEAT makes HUGE difference in TDEE.

    That reminds me: Amazon Unlimited. Full of terribly written novels with absolutely no literary merit whatsoever. Junk food for my brain that provides pure escapism, requires barely any thought, and gives me something to do other than think about eating.
  • cheryldumais
    cheryldumais Posts: 1,907 Member
    Well, I may have just changed lawn chairs on the Titanic but Vaping works for me. I was never a smoker but vaping tastes good is 95% healthier than smoking and seems to curb my appetite. I use a very low nicotine content and the rest is food grade PG and VG. When I want to snack I vape.
  • qvene
    qvene Posts: 16 Member
    Gallowmere1984 wrote: »
    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    Video games during times I'm most likely to snack on random stuff. When both hands are busy and the story/gameplay is engaging, time passes quickly and it doesn't even occur to me to snack. Before I know it it's time for my next meal.

    I lost 15 pounds playing The Witcher series. No lie.

    Ditto! Majority of my 19 pounds loss since July was due to Pokemon GO. :wink:
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    Gallowmere1984 wrote: »
    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    Video games during times I'm most likely to snack on random stuff. When both hands are busy and the story/gameplay is engaging, time passes quickly and it doesn't even occur to me to snack. Before I know it it's time for my next meal.

    I lost 15 pounds playing The Witcher series. No lie.

    Replaying the Mass Effect series recently I had to sustain myself with extra high calorie shakes because I had a hard time hitting my goal calories grumbling and complaining that I had to eat, although I almost never do shakes in normal circumstances. I would finish my work and whatever is needed around the house by noon, then play until bedtime. Thankfully, not all games do that to me. But yes, gaming helps a lot with snacking.

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