Eating With Your Non-Dominant Hand Could Help You Lose Weight

There’s no shortage of advice out there for what to do if you want to slim down, and a lot of it can be complicated or challenging, like only eating certain foods or at certain times. And let's be honest most of us would try just about anything to lose some lbs.

Well, according to the NY Post, one British psychologist is getting attention after sharing a surprising thing he claims could result in weight loss.

Psychologist Richard Wiseman, who’s also a professor at the University of Hertfordshire in the U.K., says eating with your non-dominant hand could help you lose weight. So if you’re a righty, you’d be eating with your left hand, which Wiseman says would probably lead to eating less. He explains, “It means it actually takes longer and it’s more mindful to eat because you need to sort out coordination issues and so on.”

According to Wiseman, switching hands to eat is “really simple, but actually pretty effective,” adding that mindful eating is “one of the most enjoyable ways to make portions smaller.” He also says another mindful eating tactic that’s surprisingly effective is the “mirror theory” devised by psychologist Brad Bushman in 1998. His research had people eat food in front of a mirror and seeing their reflection made them more self-conscious, Wiseman says, so the participants ate less overall and ate healthier food.

If you think about it, it does make sense. So next time you sit down for dinner, give it a shot. Eat with your less dominant hand and see if it truly does slow the process down and you become fuller by eating less.

The holidays have come and gone. Maybe you're trying to detox from all the food and alcohol at parties. Or you're trying to get healthier, lose a couple of pounds, or even aiming for a major transformation. Lots of New Year's resolutions focus on weight loss and exercise. Many people are searching for new diets, workout plans, gyms, etc which means there are plenty of people trying to take advantage of your goals. Weight loss scams are everywhere and can be difficult to pick out for some people.

But don't worry, we've got you covered with what to look for when beginning your journey. And the biggest thing to keep in mind (which can apply to pretty much anything in life too)? If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. The Better Business Bureau released a New Years Guide with some tips to help you avoid getting taken advantage of. Read their tips and more below.

Before you give a company, especially one found online, research the company with BBB.org & BBB Scam Tracker before purchasing anything. Read reviews online as well and ask your friends and family if they have heard of or used the company beforehand.

Be suspicious of taking any pills, supplements, powders, or herbs. They could contain products that have been recalled for containing ingredients with potentially dangerous effects. Check the list of public notifications from the FDA regarding potentially harmful weight loss products. Get more info on substances to avoid here.

If they don't tell you what's in it, they don't want you to know what's in it.

Be wary of advertisements and customer endorsements that claim to produce“miracle” results or immediate weight loss. A red flag should always be a ‘secret ingredient’ or ‘breakthrough formula’ that claims weight loss instantly. These things do not exist. And if they did you would not be hearing about it from an infomercial.  Also, keep in mind that the typical weight loss from a product or program is often significantly less than the testimonial shown in the advertisement. These are the outliers and not what you should expect.

If you have to put in your credit card info it's not actually free. You could get locked into a hard to cancel expensive subscription trap.

Your doctor can tell you if a product or routine is safe for you, they can also help you select something that can give you the best results for your health and body type. There are some highly specialized weight loss methods that can be done under the direct supervision of doctors are well. Before starting any long-term or restrictive plan it's best to discuss with a physician.

Your body is 100% capable of cleansing itself. Companies will try to sell you things to reset or cleanse but this is not necessary and the results are unsustainable. You may drop water weight but the minute you start eating again or go off of them it will come back.

Small lifestyle changes and substitutes produce drastically better and more long-term results than fad diets, restrictive eating, and crazy workout plans. Make choices that you can do for the rest of your life and the results will come. Remember the tortoise and the hair? Slow and steady wins the race. There is no point in dropping 20 pounds if you gain it back two months later.