Don’t overthink your diet

By Amanda Pressner

updated 1:36 p.m. ET Dec. 2, 2007

Let it slip that you’re trying to slim down and suddenly everyone you meet is a weight loss expert. Don’t eat white food, they’ll say. Drink gallons of water. Don’t eat after 5 P.M.

It may be impossible to avoid unsolicited diet advice, but with SELF’s help, now you’ll know what’s worth listening to. We put nine diet strategies to the test, recruiting 27 women to try one tip for three weeks. The results were impressive—one woman lost 11 pounds in only three weeks! We learned not only what works but also which habits stick. Incorporate the behaviors that work for you and soon people will start asking you for weight loss advice.

Skip all soda
At roughly 225 calories a pop, a 20-ounce bottle packs nearly the same calories as a chocolate bar but is far less satisfying. Diet soda is no body bargain, either. For every can you sip daily, your risk of becoming overweight rises by 37 percent, researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio found. Other studies hint at why: Regular use of artificial sweeteners may interfere with the body’s ability to estimate calories you’ve ingested, so you eat beyond what you need.

The tester's take: After Kim Scott, 45, a sales assistant in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, canned her soda habit, she lost her taste for junk food—and 8 pounds. “I’m used to certain flavors together, and potato chips don’t taste that great with water,” she says. Other testers struggled. “Diet Coke is my only source of caffeine,” says Stephanie Davis, 29, a magazine editor in Atlanta. “I was grumpy and exhausted.”

Pounds lost: 1 to 8 (average: 4)

Should you try it? Yes. Soda contains zero nutrients. Water, which aids digestion, is your smartest beverage bet. If you want fizz, sip plain seltzer; for a caffeine fix, try green tea.

Eat breakfast, even if you’re not hungry
Most people who slim down manage to find time to fuel up every morning, according to the National Weight Control Registry, which tracks more than 5,000 people who have lost 30 or more pounds and kept them off for at least a year. Research indicates that women who eat breakfast are less likely to overeat at later meals.

The tester's take: Although reluctant to add extra calories to their diet, our breakfast eaters were won over quickly by their gain in energy and loss on the scale. “I kept oatmeal at my desk and put it in the microwave first thing, before I turned on my computer or checked my messages. It helped me make it to lunchtime without feeling hungry,” says Jennifer Baggett, 29, a marketing manager in New York City.

Pounds lost: 3 to 8 (average: 5)

Should you try it? Yes. Start with something small, even if it’s only a few bites of whole-grain cereal, yogurt or toast. Then work your way up to 250 to 500 calories per morning, and include protein and carbs (try whole-wheat toast with peanut butter or cottage cheese and fruit). You’ll teach your body to adjust to A.M. calories, so you’ll need fewer later in the day.

Use smaller plates and glasses
Diners given smaller dishes serve themselves smaller portions, researchers at Cornell University Food and Brand Lab in Ithaca, New York, found.

The tester's take: This trick forced Carissa Diest, 29, an actress in Chicago, to face facts. “Once I started putting everything on small plates, I realized how much I had actually been eating,” she says. The downside: Some testers were still hungry, so they went back for seconds or added a mini snack to their day.

Pounds lost: 0 to 3 (average: 1)

Should you try it? Maybe. We eat about 92 percent of what we serve ourselves, regardless of the size of the dish, according to another Cornell study. The next time you order the nachos supreme, put a small portion on your bread plate and try to only eat that. Try packing leftovers before you eat. To avoid snacking and seconds at home, keep food out of your field of vision, says Brian Wansink, director of the Cornell University lab.

Swap in lowfat, fat-free or sugar-free versions of foods you crave
With this strategy, you get to eat what you love without racking up unnecessary calories.

The tester's take: Many of the lightened-up products weren’t as tasty or filling as the originals. “I hate sugar-free chocolate,” says Lindsay Moy, 23, a media buyer in NYC. Two testers said they could stick with lighter options long-term without feeling deprived, but Moy says she doesn’t want to: “It would be like losing a little bit of happiness out of life.”

Pounds lost: 0 to 1 (average: 1)

Should you try it? Yes and no. It makes sense to trim fat from everyday foods such as milk and yogurt, because they don’t trigger cravings. But overall, lowfat doesn’t necessarily ensure a lower calorie intake. “Lowfat or fat-free doesn’t mean calorie-free—sometimes these products can have even more calories than the regular-fat versions,” says Rachel Brandeis, R.D., of Atlanta. And a study in The Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that very restrictive lowfat diets may be harder to stick to than other plans. For indulgences like dessert, if you have a favorite brand, you may be better off serving yourself a modest portion of the real thing.

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