'I shed 12st 8lb with the help of five helpful hacks in the kitchen - they helped me eat less'
Weight loss feels impossible for many, but getting serious about diet and exercise doesn't feel like a slog when you have the right tools.
A slimmer named Carla, who struggled to shed fat her whole life, claims five hacks helped her lose half her body weight.
“I’m going to talk to you about five weight loss hacks that made weight loss just that little bit easier,” Carla told viewers in a YouTube clip.
“These are just little hacks that I learnt from losing 180lbs that helped me to be consistent because that's what weight loss is about.”
'I shed 12st 8lb with the help of five helpful hacks in the kitchen - they helped me eat less'GETTYMeal planning
Meal planning helps slimmers approach their food intake more strategically.
“My number one hack is meal planning,” Carla shared. “I’m not talking about meal prepping, there is a very big difference.
“Meal planning is something that helped me to be consistent in my calorie deficit, to be consistent with the food that I was eating.”
Put simply, this strategy allows people to decide what to eat while they're in a regulated emotional state.
Carla claims five hacks helped her lose weight
YOUTUBE / HALFOFCARLA
Deciding what to eat is trickier when left to the last minute, increasing our chances of caving into cravings.
Track your snacks
By recording all her meals in an app at the start of the day, Carla knew exactly how much wiggle room she had for her snacks.
“I can be a big snacker,” she confessed. “It’s something that can be the downfall of me.
“I will snack then I’ll realise I’ve eaten all of my calories left for the day in my snacks.”
Prepare a cooking snack
This hack is for the cooks who can’t resist picking at food while putting a meal together.
Cutting up vegetables, whether salty, sweet, crunchy or cold, will prevent loading up on calories before you’ve sat down to have dinner, according to Carla.
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Meal prepping is a helpful weight loss hack
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Don't save the best for the last
Many people leave the best bites for last, but creating such a sense of anticipation may be unhelpful.
“If we eat what we really want to eat first, then we find we’re not hungry and satiated at the end [and] it stops us from overeating,” Carla said.
“Although it may be within your calorie count, you may not actually need it.”
Keep food out of sight - Out of mind
Lastly, Carla recommends keeping unhealthy snacks outside the house or at the back of the cupboard.
Making junk food less visible and healthier snacks easy to access will promote healthier dietary patterns.
“When you see something you might want it, so keep it out of sight,” Carla added.