That's Fit

When it comes to losing weight, there are major changes a person can take, effectively resulting in a rapid results. And then there are smaller changes that, over time, will eventually have a cumulative affect on your weight. With respect to the former, implementing a regular exercise program and doing a complete makeover on your current diet may be in order. As for the latter, most of these weight loss tips and strategies require very little change to your lifestyle right away, thereby making them the more attractive option for many people.

To that end, try these five simple waistline-shrinking tips on for size:

5. Get more sleep. A lack of sleep can lead to an increased release of the hormone cortisol, which can contribute to muscle loss and weight gain.

4. Eat eggs with breakfast. Research has shown that eating eggs for breakfast (instead of a bagel or other fast-digesting carb source) will make you feel full for a longer period of time, making you less apt to overindulge during your next meal.

3. Eat a fruit before a meal. When women were divided into fruit-before-meals and no-fruit-before-meals groups in a recent study, the fruit group lost more weight -- even though all of their diets were otherwise the same. The high-fiber content in fruit will leave you feeling less hungry for when it comes time to eat your actual meal.

2. Avoid sweetened fruit juice. High-fructose corn syrup and other sugars will spike your blood glucose levels and your insulin levels accordingly. Once glycogen stores become overloaded, excess carbs will be stored as fat rather than being burned as energy.

1. Eat good fat. Not all fat is bad; in fact, much of it is good for you. Avocados, nuts, olive oil, and flaxseed oil are just a few examples of healthy fats that, when eaten in moderation, can help you in the battle of the bulge.

Are you on a diet right now? If so, you're not alone; a recent poll in the UK found that the average British women spends a lifetime total of 31 years on a diet. And before you start feeling left out, gentlemen, the average British man spends 28 years slimming down.

I really think this finding says a lot -- and not necessarily about weight loss. It makes me wonder about two different things: 1) How many of us say we are on a diet, when we really aren't? Have we created a "diet culture" where we're perennially claiming we're on a diet, even if we're going home at night and quietly eating Ben and Jerry's in front of the TV? and 2) Are we having trouble with the distinction between dieting and a healthy diet?

I ask these questions, because WOW that seems like a lot of years to spend on dieting. And if those numbers aren't artificially inflated by the things I mention above, then those findings just make me really sad. Are we really spending over 1/3 of our lives fighting the battle of the bulge?

One fact that brightened my day -- most British women reported that they dieted to improve their appearances. No, that's not what made me smile, it was the fact that when asked what they thought was the ideal body type, they didn't pick supermodel svelte. Instead, they chose curvaceous women like Marilyn Monroe. So even if we're spending far more time "dieting" than we really should be, at least we're choosing realistic role models.