Three surprising—and easy—weight loss tips!

October 5, 10:59 AMNY Women's Health ExaminerAmy Capetta

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Do yourself a favor and sit down! (Dima Dmitrijev: flickr)

Think you’ve read everything there is to know about taking off the pounds? Think again! Researchers and weight loss experts have discovered strategies that can jumpstart your body and turn into a calorie-burning machine...

Battle the bulge with a shower filter
Taking a shower with chlorine-free water may cleanse your liver of fat-soluble toxins, which many overweight people have too many of. Plus, research published in the International Journal of Obesity found that liver toxicity can lead to excess body fat accumulation.
Why it works: “Chlorine can penetrate through the skin and take up room in the liver,” explains says Jordin Rubin, nutritional consultant, founder of the Biblical Health Institute, author of The Maker’s Diet. “Believe it or not, standing underneath a nozzle blast of steaming warm or hot water for ten to 15 minutes is the toxic equivalent of ingesting six to eight glasses of chlorinated water! The good news is that installing an inexpensive carbon-block shower filter will remove chlorine from the water.”
Bonus: Chlorine-free water will also do wonders for your skin! “Since water is a natural skim plumper, drinking and showering with filtered water can help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, giving your skin a healthy, well-hydrated glow,” adds Rubin. 

Eat less by tuning into slow, soothing songs
When a restaurant wants its customers to finish their food and go, it plays fast music—as quick as 120 to 130 beats per minute (which is the tempo used in most step classes). And for good reason: The speedier the tune, the faster (and the more) you'll tend to eat, according to consumer behavioral specialist Ronald E. Milliman, Ph.D. So the slower the music, the slower you’ll dine.
Why it works: Researchers at the University of Rhode Island have concluded that eating at a semi-snails pace can help take off a few pounds since the actions related to slow eating—taking small bites, placing down the utensils and thoroughly chewing each mouthful—allots enough time for the brain to receive the fullness message from the stomach. In fact, even though the meal ran 21 minutes longer on the average, the study volunteers consumed 10% less than those who ate at a faster rate. A separate Japanese study reports that people who eat quickly and until they’re full are three times more likely to be overweight.

Fill up faster by sitting down
Do your body a favor and take a seat! Recent research from the Study of Obesity showed that overweight men and women took in fewer calories when they sat down and slowed their eating pace to 20 to 30 chews per mouthful.
Why it works: “When you are seated at a table to eat a meal you are able to take a ‘mental snapshot’ of the food, which helps your brain register that you have eaten a meal and are satisfied, says Dawn Jackson Blatner RD, LDN, author of The Flexitarian Diet (www.dawnjacksonblatner.com). “You’re able to focus on how much you are eating and the feelings of fullness. When you’re eating while standing at the fridge, watching television on the couch or checking emails that’s called ‘distracted eating’ because your brain doesn’t efficiently register the amount of food you’re consuming, so you’re likely feel less satisfied.”