21 Weight Loss Tips Learned From Scientific Studies

The weight loss industry is full of myths and misconceptions.

That’s why we have compiled some of the best weight loss tips learned from scientific studies.

We’ve seen too many empty promises made by people in weight loss.

It’s pretty ridiculous.

While we do make some bold claims of our own…

“Lose 10-21 pounds in 21 days with our 21-Day Fat Loss Challenge.”

We also have the evidence to back them up.

I hope that these 21 weight loss tips learned from scientific studies serve to help get you motivated and help establish daily habits that get you to your goals.

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1. Drink peppermint tea and decaf coffee.

What the facts say:

Strange but true, they are proven to control appetite, and some studies have even shown that peppermint tea reduces the caloric intake of the average user by 1,800 calories naturally (study, study).

How to do it:

• Sip tea/coffee at your work when your cravings start.
• Most “hunger” comes from boredom, so fill up your time making these drinks instead!

2. Eat more protein daily.

What the facts say:

#2 on the list of weight loss tips is an important tip when it comes to overall health. Protein intake can boost metabolism by 80 – 100 calories per day (study).

Diets high in protein have also shown to cut late night cravings in half, reduce obsessive dieting thoughts by 60%, and make you feel so full that you naturally eat 441 fewer calories per day (study, study).

How to do it:

• When you sit down at every meal, be able to identify a source of protein, and make sure it is a large portion. Fish, lean meats, and eggs are the best sources.
• Go for a high-quality whey protein if you don’t eat meat or just need some protein in a pinch!

3. Eat more vegetables and fiber.

What the facts say:

Diets high in fiber will also keep you satiated and keep you from going to the break room for snacks when you shouldn’t be (study, study).

Fiber you get from vegetables seems to work best for this effect.

How to do it:

• Stuff your face with any kind of vegetable you can get your hands on.
• Carrots, kale, lettuce, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, and cucumbers are great.

4. Combine fiber intake with healthy fats.

What the facts say:

Combining your healthy fats and your fiber intake has been shown to increase the fat’s ability to make you feel full (study). Healthy fats are coconut oil, avocados, nuts, and fish.

How to do it:

• It’s pretty simple: Just make sure to combine the two in your meals.
• Eat some nuts with your fish (pecan crusted salmon) or throw some avocados on your salad. Whatever you can come up with, which brings us to #5 on the list of weight loss tips…

5. Eat small or nothing at all in the mornings.

What the facts say:

Intermittent fasting (not eating for periods of time) has many health benefits, such as improved insulin sensitivity, weight loss, and neurological health (study, study).

How to do it:

• Stick to a protein shake, a green smoothie, or a piece of fruit in the mornings. This will help you lose weight faster and have more calories at dinner time. ☺

6. Mix alcoholic drinks with water, club soda, lemon, and lime.

What the facts say:

Let’s just be honest about it. Most people are not going to stop drinking. That’s cool. I get it.

Since we know that weight loss is related to minimizing calorie intake (studies), we need to minimize the calorie damage from alcohol.

How to do it:

• Only mix hard alcohol with water, club soda, and lemons and/or limes.
• A great drink is vodka water with a splash of cranberry and a lemon.
• Avoid beers, liqueurs, and mixed shots like the plague.

7. Use the fullness factor chart when choosing healthy meals.

What the facts say:

You can measure the satiety (how full the food makes you) of a particular food based on a variety of factors (study/guide). So if you stick to foods that fill you up, it will be much harder to overeat!

How to do it:

• Eat more vegetables, watermelon, grapefruit, carrots, oranges, fish, chicken breast, and other foods with a high rating on the fullness factor.

8. Drink water before you eat.

What the facts say:

Drinking water before will help you to feel full and as a result, consume fewer calories (study, study).

How to do it:

• Before you sit down to a meal, drink a big glass of water. This is a great strategy to use for a company party or anytime you feel pressure to overeat.

9. Use this weekly food plan print-off.

What the facts say:

People who use food diaries and jot down their food plans are more likely to lose weight (study).

How to do it:

• You can find the print-off to this weekly food planner here for free.

10. Drink more green tea.

What the facts say:

#10 on the list of weight loss tips is something you’ve probably heard before but is still important. Green tea has been shown to boost metabolism and protect you against diseases (study). It’s very well researched and is incredibly good for you.

How to do it:

• Green tea is a great midday drink to have. If you don’t like the taste, you can mix it with peppermint tea. That way you get a natural appetite suppressant + all of the health benefits of green tea.
• If you’re looking for an even bigger boost in antioxidants, try matcha green tea.  It has the health benefits equivalent to 10 cups of regular green tea!

11. Eat red peppers for appetite control and a metabolism boost.

What the facts say:

Cayenne peppers boost your metabolism and can reduce cravings at the same time (study). So turn up the heat, and add them to your food.

How to do it:

• Most people don’t want to eat a whole damn pepper by itself. We don’t either. So you can get it through these popular sources: cayenne pepper grounds, cajun seasoning, Tabasco sauce, and basically any red hot sauce on the market!

12. Don’t bring it to the table.

What the facts say:

If you’re making a bigger dish of food or cooking for others, you’ll usually have a big portion that gets brought to the table. By changing up the environment, like leaving food on the stove and not bringing it to the table, you can help reduce your food intake (study).

How to do it:

• Just leave the food behind when going to the table.

13. Throw out your bad food. NOW.

What the facts say:

#13 on the list of weight loss tips is easy and understandable. Just seeing the food can stimulate cravings and cause you to eat more (study).

How to do it:

• Keeping bad food in the pantry is not a recipe for weight loss or living a healthy life.
• Go to your pantry and throw all of that junk away. Don’t finish it or make some excuse about it. Throw. It. Out.
• This will also help you save a ton of money every week by not buying unhealthy, packaged foods.

14. Use smaller plates.

What the facts say:

Plate sizes have increased dramatically, even since the time of Jesus (study). Using a smaller plate can help reduce food intake by tricking the brain into thinking the meal is a full portion (study).

How to do it:

• Buy and use plates that are 8-10 inches instead of the typical 12-inch plates that are common in most Western diets.

15. Chew slowly.

What the facts say:

You want to slow down and enjoy the food you’ve made yourself! Eating slowly leads to decreased energy intake during your meals (study).

How to do it:

• Try taking at least 5 slow bites of your food before swallowing.

16. After you make the food, put the extras back in the fridge.

What the facts say:

Out of sight, out of mind. Putting more distance between yourself and your food will help minimize intake (study, study)

How to do it:

• Once you’re done serving yourself, wrap everything back up and put it in the fridge.
• Based on the science, you want to put the food as far away from you as possible and keep it out of sight.

17. Drink a protein shake before you go out.

What the facts say:

We already know that protein is more satiating than other foods and is very good for you. Drinking a protein shake before you dine out will help improve your willpower and keep you from eating so much at dinner (study).

How to do it:

• Any cheap whey protein powder mix will work. All you need to do is add some water, shake it, and chug it.
• My favorite is Elite Dymatize Whey because it tastes great and is very affordable when balling on a budget.

18. Put down the Netflix while eating.

What the facts say:

#18 on the list of weight loss tips is a new struggle that people are facing. It’s really tempting to come home and watch Netflix while having dinner. The bad thing though is that if you do have weight to lose, eating and watching television has been linked to obesity and poor food choices (study).

How to do it:

• Try finding a different location in your home or finding something else to do while eating.

19. Avoid simple carbohydrates.

What the facts say:

While simple carbs are delicious, they have two major flaws: their effect on insulin and that they do not fill you up. After eating simple carbs, you will likely become hungry again sooner than you’d like (study).

How to do it:

• Avoid things like sugary drinks, juices, cereals, white bread, and the like.

20. Chew gum.

What the facts say:

This is another great and simple way to control your appetite. Studies have shown that chewing gum lowers the desire for sweets and salty snacks and will decrease hunger between meals (study, study)

How to do it:

• Go for a sugar-free gum or a 5-calorie stick, so you don’t add in a bunch of hidden calories to your diet.

21. Wait at least 20 minutes before considering grabbing seconds.

What the facts say:

The brain is slow when it comes to food. It takes about 20 minutes on average for the food that you have eaten to register with the brain (study).

How to do it:

• If you have finished your plate and still find yourself hungry, chill out for a minute. Go find a way to fill your time before running back into the kitchen for more. Have a mug of hot tea instead.

If you liked this article on weight loss tips and are ready to build some long-term healthy eating habits, our 21-Day Fat Loss Challenge is the best place to start!

People lose an average of 10-21 pounds in 21 days and absolutely love it!  But even better than the weight loss is the feedback we get from people about how the program has taught them how to change their eating habits and find a diet that truly works for them in the long-term.

We have over 1,000 people in our private support group going through the Challenge together, and they share experiences, results, motivation, and lots of recipes!

If you are ready to make some changes in your life, this is the ONLY place you should start.  We will teach you exactly how to make the necessary changes in your diet and your lifestyle and how to keep them “beyond the diet.”

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