If you want to burn down and diminish the belly fat around your stomach, you need good advice! Adding these four ingredients to your diet will help you get your stomach into shape much quicker. Without further ado, the four ingredients that are the best for slimming down your stomach are: pineapple, broccoli, cucumber and celery. You can blend them into a top-notch detox smoothie. For the smoothie, you’ll need:

• 1 celery stalk
• A medium cucumber
• 1 250 ml cup of chopped parsley
• 3 rings of fresh pineapple slices

The first thing that you’ll need to do is wash the vegetables and pineapple, remove the rind. Add everything to a blender and blend together until the mixture is homogeneous. Don’t add any ingredients such as salt, black pepper, sugar or sugar alternatives.

Recommendations for drinking the smoothie

In order to guarantee its benefits, you should drink this pineapple and vegetable smoothie within 15 minutes of preparing it to make sure that it doesn’t lose its properties. You should aim to drink it in the morning on an empty stomach. Make sure to combine the smoothie with exercise and a healthy diet because they’ll ensure results during the first week. You’ll notice a flatter stomach in as soon as six days.

Smoothie’s benefits

You’re probably asking yourself, what makes this drink so powerful and how can it have so many fast-acting benefits? Well, its ingredients are the perfect blend. Celery Starting off, there’s celery, which is a low-calorie food: 100 gr of celery only has 16 kcal. It’s also a fiber-rich food. Actually, it’s the fiber that adheres to the stomach and helps us feel full. In addition, according to some studies, something as simple as increasing the amount of fiber intake in our diet is one of the most important components that’ll help us lose weight. Cucumber As we saw with the celery, cucumbers also provide us with fiber and have the same nutritional value, which makes it low in calories. Cucumbers are 95% water, which will help you get in the 2 liters of water a day that are recommended** for weight loss. Parsley Continuing on our list, parsley is another healthy food. It boasts plenty of fiber: 3.3 g for every 10 g of parsley. We should also know that the same amount of cucumber and celery contain 0.5 g and 1.6 g of fiber, respectively. That means that parsley has a gentle, natural diuretic effect. Pineapple When it comes to pineapple, 100 g of the fruit contains 1 g of insoluble fiber and 50 kcal. In addition, pineapple makes the smoothie more palatable and it works as a diuretic, which helps eliminate liquids from the body.

The best time to eat them and other fat-burning options

As we’ve mentioned earlier, this smoothie has the best results on an empty stomach. You should also try to have it once a day, however, this depends on your weight-loss needs. If you want to burn fat, try the following smoothie: Ingredients:

• Pear
• Kiwi
• Pomegrante
• Orange or lemon juice

Preparation: Wash all the ingredients, remove all seeds and chop the fruits to add to the blender. Process with water or add orange, or lemon, juice to make an even blend. Pour into a glass and enjoy.

IGNORE DAIRY

Lactose sensitivity is way more common than you probably think--even if you possibly have the mildest case. Many people experience some form of negative side effects (most often gas and bloating) after milk, cheese or yogurt. We're not saying cut these out for good, but ahead of a big event, steer clear of dairy just to be safe, since you never really know how your body is going to react.

LEMON WATER FIRST THING IN THE MORNING

This is a commonly known trick of the celebrity beauty diet for a reason: It works. A glass of warm water with lemon in the morning jump-starts your digestive system and sets everything off on the right foot, right away. For an added kick, sprinkle in some cinnamon or cayenne pepper for extra anti-inflammatory power.

AVOID SALT

Salt causes the body to retain water, so it's best to stick to pepper when you're looking to feel slimmer.

CHEW SLOWER

When you eat too quickly, you swallow more air, which can cause bloat. Chew slower and more mindfully and maybe skip the after-lunch gum (which has a similar effect) while you're at it.

EAT SMARTER

A number of foods are great at getting rid of unwanted bloat. Asparagus stimulates the growth of good gut bacteria; bananas contain high levels of potassium to flush excess sodium out of your system; and watermelons (90 percent water) also have natural diuretic properties. Snack accordingly.

GLACIATE YOUR FACE

If your eyes and cheeks are looking especially puffy, try this incredibly simple trick: Wrap an ice cube in a thin tea towel and rub over the affected areas. This eases inflammation and makes your features look instantly more defined.

INNER CONFIDENCE

As corny as it sounds, a lot of confidence comes from within. Walk into a room with your shoulders pulled back and head held high, knowing that you look great regardless. (And maybe pull in your core while you're at it.) Chances are you'll end up feeling and looking way better than if you were to walk in hunched over and emanating bad vibes. Fake it till you make it, folks.

When describing how you really feel about the latest miracle fix in the diet and fitness world, you'd probably often find yourself saying "What... the... heck?!" After all, how many times have you trusted logical sounding ideas, put all your faith in a diet strategy, only to find out that the time you invested was a waste—and you still haven’t given up? You see, when you really dig into the research, most of what you assume is correct about dieting is actually wrong. One of the diet rules for weight loss that we've heard more than any other:

A healthy diet begins with a great breakfast. There's just one problem: A good breakfast doesn’t guarantee an overall healthy diet. In fact, according to a survey conducted by the NPD group, nearly 90 percent of Americans now eat breakfast, and yet nearly 50 percent of Americans are either overweight or obese. There are two things you should know about breakfast actually:

1. Timing isn't as important as you think. You don’t need to eat immediately (or even within one hour) after you wake up. Your metabolism won’t be harmed. 2. Eating an early breakfast means you’re creating a bigger eating window (you eat for more total hours during the day), which might lead to more fat storage and more health problems, according to scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. If you eat your first meal at 7 a.m. and eat a late-night snack at 10 p.m., that’s 15 hours of eating—which might be more than your body wants.

THE TRUTH

No one meal is more important than any other. What matters most is total calorie intake, food selection (think salad versus Big Mac), and then how much time you spend eating each day. So if you don’t love breakfast, skip it. If you do, enjoy your morning meal but keep an eye on your feeding window to make sure you’re not eating more calories than you need.

IT'S OKAY TO EAT A BIG DINNER

We all know that dinner is the most popular meal to eat with friends and family, but most people think eating after dark is the cardinal sin of weight loss. Nothing could be more incorrect. Italian researchers compared eating earlier in the day (10 a.m.) to eating later in the day (6 p.m.) In that study, there was no difference in weight (pounds) lost, but the late eaters lost more fat. Several follow-up studies concluded the same thing—timing doesn’t matter. This statement from University of Oregon researchers sums it up well: “Eating too many calories causes weight gain regardless of when you eat them.” Living in a world where you can’t eat at night and can’t enjoy food with your friends and family is restrictive and doesn’t adhere to any science-backed rules of weight loss. You won’t become fat by eating at night—that will only happen if you overeat at night. If you’re aware of how much you should be eating within any given day, you can place those calories in whatever meal works best for your body.

EAT CARBS TO GET LEAN

From Atkins to the Paleo movement, carbohydrates have been criticized more than all of the ladies on the Real Housewives shows—combined. Here’s the real reason why carbs get such a bad reputation: Up to 50 percent of the carbohydrate intake in the typical American diet is in the form of highly processed carbs and sugar. So when people say carbs are bad, they’re usually just talking about eating lots of sugar. But that’s not really fair to every other food that also is labeled a carbohydrate. When compared to a typical American diet, a low-carb diet looks like the undisputed champ. However, when compared to a good carb-based diet that is low in sugar, refined foods, and gluten (like the “Japanese Diet”), the results are very different. Before 1991, when Japan was considered a carb-dominate society, diabetes and obesity rates were never greater than three percent of the population. If carbs in general were the enemy, with their high starch intake via rice and sweet potatoes, the Japanese would be the fattest, most diabetic and unhealthy population on the planet. However this was not the case, and their levels of obesity are a “problem” people in the United States wish they had.

Ignore the outdated "carbs are evil" diet rules. Your body needs carbohydrates. If you completely remove this essential nutrient from your diet, you could experience a down-regulation of the hormones that control fat loss, making it harder to have the lean, sexy body you want. A good general rule: Eat more carbs on the days you’re active and fewer carbs on the days you’re sedentary. And make sure most of your carbs come from whole foods such as fruits and vegetables.

THERE IS A WEIGHT-LOSS PILL WORTH BUYING

Most miracle “fat-burning supplements” are about as effective as an hour of Prancercizing. But if you want to take a pill to help promote fat loss, your best bet is a vitamin that you associate with the sun. Researchers from Canada found that people with higher levels of vitamin D also have lower levels of body fat. The connection isn't a coincidence. Vitamin D helps you feel fuller because, according to Australian researchers, it releases more leptin, a hormone essential to weight loss. It also helps you store less fat by decreasing parathyroid hormone, which makes you hold on to your love handles. Best of all, vitamin D literally burns more fat by reducing production of the stress hormone cortisol.

Buying supplements to help you lose weight is not the best use of your hard-earned money. The most important things for weight loss are a healthy diet and exercise, but some supplements can help fill nutritional gaps that will help your body function more efficiently. Supplementing with 2,000 to 3,000 IU of Vitamin D3 is a smart investment for your overall health and fat-loss goals.

EXERCISE ON AN EMPTY STOMACH

If you exercise with a high intensity, there’s nothing worse than feeling sick to your stomach because you felt forced to eat before you hit the gym or pavement. There’s a lot of science that shows eating before a workout is important, but “before a workout” is a much wider time range than you might think. In the simplest sense, your digestive process is very complicated. When you eat, the food does not go directly to your muscles or your gut. It takes time—a lot of time, in fact. So if you eat many hours before you train, there’s still plenty of fuel to help you perform and feel great.

Research published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism found that the protein you eat digests anywhere between one gram per hour and 10 grams per hour. So if you have a meal consisting of 25 grams of protein, that meal could last in your system for up to 25 hours. Hydration level and sleep patterns also play a significant role in performance, so make sure you’re well rested and have plenty to drink, and then eat when it feels best for your body, even if it means a small meal or no meal at all.

EAT SATURATED FAT FOR A HEALTHY DIET

Books like The China Study and movies like Forks Over Knives have pointed the finger at saturated fats—and all animal fats—as the reason for countless health problems. Yet all the research used to support this hypothesis took a very slanted bias and completely ignored populations that were incredibly healthy despite diets based on saturated fats. For example, people who live in Tokelau (a territory off of New Zealand) eat a diet that is 50 percent saturated fats, and they have cardiovascular health that is superior to any other group of people. Even Walter Willett, chairman of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard, has publicly stated (after a 20-year review of research) that fats—and more specifically saturated fats—are not the cause of the obesity crisis and are not the cause of heart disease.

Cholesterol actually acts as an antioxidant against dangerous free radicals within the blood. When there are high levels of undesirable substances in the blood (caused by inflammation in your arteries from eating highly processed foods and large quantities of sugars), cholesterol levels rise in order to combat these substances. Cholesterol is also necessary for the production of a number of hormones, some of which help fight against heart disease. Plus, research shows diets higher in saturated fats are often lower in total calories consumed.

CONSIDER FASTING FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Any diet that has you not eat at all is not a diet—it’s starvation. But there’s a difference between withholding what your body needs and reprogramming your body so that you can control your hunger and let your body recharge. The idea of fasting is nothing crazy. You do it every night when you sleep, which is a time that that is essential for optimal health. Yet the idea of going several hours without eating during daytime is frowned upon. When done correctly, fasting can actually help your body burn fat, recharge, and stay healthy. You’ve probably heard of cleanse diets that supposedly rid your body of toxins, improve the functioning of your internal organs, and help you age better. Most of these don’t work as advertised. The only real cleanse occurs at the cellular level. It’s called autophagy, and it’s your body’s ability to regenerate and become better. Autophagy makes your brain function a little better, helps with fat loss, and even assists in your ability to walk and breathe. But the more time you spend eating—as in actual hours during the day eating—the less time you spend in the autophagic process, which is why fasting isn’t a bad thing.

Researchers at the University of Utah found that people who fasted just one day per month were 40 percent less likely to suffer from clogged arteries. While there are many ways to fast, the important point is that you shouldn’t feel forced to eat if you’re not hungry. Short daily fasts (for 12 to 16 hours) or a once-per-week daily fast can have health benefits, and it will teach you to separate boredom or thirst from genuine hunger.

When you want to slim down, the plan probably looks a bit like this: Step one, toss out the junk food; step two, pull out the running shoes; and step three, renew that gym membership (and actually use it). But a growing body of evidence suggests that getting a good night’s sleep should be on—or at least near—the top of the list. Few experts would disagree with the idea that we’ve become a nation in need of a pick-me-up. We stay up too late, we wake up too early and, increasingly, we’re overweight. While there’s plenty of data showing that poor sleep can lead to weight gain and possibly even obesity, some new research also shows that the opposite may also be true: that getting the right amount of good quality sleep may actually help you shed a few pounds. “Getting a full night of sleep is one of the most under-appreciated factors contributing to healthy weight maintenance,” says Matthew Walker, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley, who studies the effect of sleep on weight. Like all weight-loss strategies, sleep is not a quick fix, but consistently clocking a quality night’s sleep could be the secret sauce for your weight-loss plan. So keep the following lessons in mind when optimizing your sleep schedule for a more favorable number on the scale. Here’s why.

1. IT CAN REDUCE YOUR CRAVINGS FOR UNHEALTHY FOOD.

It takes a lot of willpower to order a salad over a pizza, and research shows that how much sleep you’ve clocked can make or break your resolve. In a small but intriguing study published in the journal Nature Communications, Walker and his research team put 23 healthy, non-obese men and women through two sleep-related tests. In the first experiment, the men and women got a full eight hours of sleep, and in the second they were sleep-deprived for one night. The following day, they were placed in a brain scanner and asked to rate how desirable certain foods were to them, from a piece of fruit to things like ice cream. After a full night of rest, the people in the study tended to prefer healthier foods. But when they were sleep-deprived, the same men and women not only craved more junk food, but the area of their brains in charge of making rational decisions—like healthy food choices—was inhibited. Overall, the sleep-deprived people wanted foods that contained on average 600 calories more than what they craved when they were well rested. “We are finding that getting a full night of sufficient sleep actually helps you reboot and refresh the circuits of the human brain, allowing it to make optimal food choices,” says Walker. “These food choices may put you on a path toward weight control, rather than weight gain.” And it’s not just pulling an all-nighter that can throw off your weight regulation. A 2013 study by University of Colorado researchers showed that losing a few hours of sleep a night for a few nights in a row can result in weight gain.

2. IT CAN HELP YOU FEEL FULLER, LONGER.

Getting a good night’s rest not only helps you fight the urge to reach for a bag of chips, but it also keeps your hunger pangs in check. Take a study of 1,024 volunteers that showed that when people didn’t get enough sleep, their hormone levels became unbalanced. Their levels of the hormone leptin, which is responsible for feeling full, dropped, and the levels of the appetite- inducing hormone ghrelin went up. Researchers think sleep helps our bodies keep those hunger hormones in line, making sure we feel hungry only when we should.

3. IT MAKES YOU MORE LIKELY TO STICK TO YOUR DIET.

In 2012, Charles Elder, a researcher at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, recruited 472 obese adults into a weight-loss program that included weekly group meetings and counseling on diet and exercise. Elder and his colleagues measured a variety of factors, including levels of sleep, stress and depression. “At the beginning of the study, the people who told us they were sleeping six to eight hours a night ended up doing better in the weight-loss program than those who were sleeping less than six or more than eight hours,” says Elder. Stress mattered too. People who had low stress and were sleeping more than six but no more than eight hours a night were about twice as likely to have success in the program as people who had higher baseline stress and who were sleeping too much or too little. Elder’s study is not the only one to make the connection. A 2014 study of women ages 25 through 65 who were classified as overweight or obese and participated in a seven-month weight-loss intervention showed that women who had fragmented sleep and woke up five or more times a night lost less weight than the women who had higher-quality sleep. “The data makes us think that we should be paying attention to sleep patterns when we are offering sleep-management programs,” says Elder.

4. YOU’RE MORE LIKELY TO EXERCISE.

“Losing weight takes a lot of energy, and if you are sleeping too much it’s going to impact your energy level, and sleeping too little can have effects on your ability to focus and concentrate on all the tasks at hand,” Elder says. And though he can’t say for sure, Elder believes that one of the main reasons getting enough sleep is linked to successful weight loss is that it provides you with the drive you need to stick to your goals. Other research has shown that people who are sleepy often say they exercise less, opting instead for sedentary activities like watching TV.  

THE HOLY GRAIL OF FRUITS

In addition to nourishing you, fruits can be your best allies in the fight to burn fat and speed up the metabolism. Take advantage of its powerful content in water, minerals, antioxidants and, above all, soluble fiber, which helps the body to absorb less fat. Look what you have this quality and incorporate them into your daily diet.

1. APPLES

Not for nothing was the fruit that tempted Adam and Eve. The apple is a fruit rich in water and pectin, an ideal component to detoxify the body and melt the fat, also has a diuretic effect, provides fiber and amino acids, generates satiety and helps digestion. According to a study by the University of Iowa in the USA, ursolic acid present in the shell helps to prevent weight gain. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that fruits are an essential component of a healthy diet, and a sufficient daily intake could contribute to the prevention of major diseases, such as cardiovascular and some cancers. They estimate that 1.7 million lives could be saved every year if their consumption were increased enough.

2. POMEGRANATE

The pomegranate juice and seeds are great allies when it comes to losing weight. A study by Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, found that eating it for 30 days is enough to decrease stomach fat cells. The prestigious Natural Standard site reports that pomegranate could stimulate weight loss in obese postmenopausal women, although more research is needed before a conclusion can be drawn

Do you eat enough fruit?

A WHO report reports that insufficient intake of this food group is one of the 10 leading risk factors for mortality worldwide. Its absence produces approximately 19% of the gastrointestinal cancers, 31% of the heart disease and 11% of the cerebrovascular accidents.

3. STRAWBERRIES

Intense red, sweet and acidic at the same time, strawberries are an excellent source of fiber, are rich in water and allies perfect for control and weight loss. Also they are full of vitamins and minerals, and its caloric contribution is very low. To this quality is added its high diuretic power that acts as purifying the body to eliminate toxins and prevent the accumulation of rasa in the body.

4. KIWI

Kiwi is an excellent source of vitamin C. According to a study by the State University of Arizona in the US, people who consume adequate amounts of vitamin C can oxidize 30% more fat by doing normal exercise, as it stimulates the role of carnitine, a substance that helps cells burn fat for energy.

5. GRAPEFRUIT

Grapefruit is rich in nutrients and vitamins and is a very popular fruit in dieting diets because of its diuretic power. A large grapefruit has only 104 calories and provides calcium, potassium, and vitamins, is a good source of fiber and antioxidants. According to a study from the Scripps Clinic in San Diego, California, grapefruit contains substances that prevent the body from storing fat, in addition to improving metabolism.

6. BLUEBERRIES

Cranberries are not only a great source of antioxidants, vitamin C, potassium and fiber, a study from the University of Maine in the USA showed that consumption of cranberry (2 cups per day) for 8 weeks improved diseases associated with the metabolic syndrome and lower lipid (fat) index. Its benefits should be due to its high content of anthocyanins, substances that help to burn fat naturally.

7. DELICIOUS PEARS

In addition to being rich in water, the most beneficial substance This fruit is pectin, an ideal component to detoxify the body. A study in Brazil found that women who consumed pears were less likely to overeat and also lost more weight than those who did not. # 10 pineapple is not only delicious, it is also healthy and nutritious, and contains a substance called bromelain, an enzyme found in its juice and in the stem that according to the Clayton College of Natural Health, helps to burn fat, thanks to working together with other digestive enzymes to activate the metabolism and eliminate fat without letting it accumulate.

From Zumba to yoga to ditching junk food, these simple lifestyle changes will help you lose 10, 30, even 50 pounds! Jessica Girdwain's fantastic list of 10 ways to lose weight fast is composed of useful tips coming from readers who knocked off 10, 25, even 60 pounds with some easy tweaks. Borrow their slim-down secrets to transform your body the real-world way:

LOSE THE NIGHT TIME SNACKING

"Each time I needed to lose the baby weight, I stopped eating after 6:30 p.m. five nights a week. The other two evenings were reserved for nights out. Most of what I'd eat at night was junk food anyway, so it took only two months to get my pre-baby body back." —Deborah Gilboa, Pittsburgh, PA

ASSOCIATE WITH A CLASS

"Two months ago, I started going to Zumba twice a week. The crazy dance routines really tone your muscles—especially legs and abs—and give you a heart-pounding cardio workout. Eleven pounds later, I've almost reached my goal weight." —Morgan Howe, Rochester, NY

SAVE ROOM FOR YOUR DESSERT

"I budget for the treats I love. By eating healthy snacks like carrots and hummus, I have calories to splurge on a piece of chocolate and glass of wine each night. And I've still managed to lose 20 pounds in three months." —Elaine Higginbotham, Fort Worth, TX

RUNNING

"When I wanted to fit into my skinny jeans again, I started running 20 minutes a day during my lunch hour. In two months, I've lost 20 pounds, have tons of energy, and just finished my first 5K. Those jeans? They're too big now!" —Lauren Castor, Anniston, AL

ADDING MORE VEGGIES TO YOUR DIET

"By adding vegetables to the foods I love—like eating pizza topped with arugula and green peppers instead of pepperoni—I became so full so quickly that I no longer had room to eat things like chips or super-rich desserts. I said good-bye to four dress sizes!" —Janessa Mondestin, New York City, NY

READY YOURSELF UP

"I loaded my iPod with jams that make me look forward to going to the gym. They energize me, allowing me to pick up speed on the elliptical—and because I want to hear my entire playlist, my workouts are longer now. Two months later, I'm down 13 pounds and have killer legs." —Kara Marshall, York, ME

MAKE YOUR NIGHTS HEALTHIER

"After work, my colleagues and I always grabbed dinner—and it was usually deep-fried. Then we changed things up. Instead of nights out, we started walking and running around a local track. A year later, I’m down 40 pounds." —Ellen Setzer, Cleveland, OH

PURGE YOUR FOOD EATING HABITS

"I totally cleaned out my pantry. Once I replaced the foods I used to overindulge in, like ice cream, with lower-cal snacks, such as roasted sunflower seeds or Special K Chocolatey Delight cereal, I began making better choices automatically. Now, I'm slimmer than I was before I had my two kids!" —Lori Feldman, Coconut Creek, FL

DIMINISH THE UNHEALTHY PARTS

"I quit smoking, and right away joined a gym and started working out with a personal trainer. There was no way I could exercise and feel healthy if I kept lighting up. I've already dropped 37 pounds in three months!" —Leila Fathi, Memphis, TN

MAKE BETTER USE OF THE COMMERCIALS

"I try to fit in small bouts of exercise whenever possible, like doing jumping jacks or crunches during television commercials or dancing while washing dishes. This burns extra calories and keeps me from mindlessly munching in front of the TV. Now my clothes fit way better, and I’m more toned than ever." —Megan Tiscareno, Hammond, IN

Simple substitutions can add up big time in the long term.

SWITCH UP YOUR SOUP

Instead of dishing up a cup of cream of broccoli soup, which has 180 calories and 7 grams of fat, choose a bowl of chicken vegetable soup instead. You get just 75 calories and under 3 grams of fat for the same-size serving. Save 105 calories and 4 g of fat. Make this change once a week and cut out 5,460 calories a year, or roughly 1 1/2 pounds.

SUBSTITUTE YOUR SUB

A 6-inch meatball sub is 580 calories and 24 grams of fat; a turkey breast sub is only 280 calories and 3 grams of fat. Or take it a step further and opt for a veggie sub at just 230 calories and 3 grams of fat. Save up to 350 calories and 21 grams of fat. Make this change once a week and you’ll cut up to 18,200 calories a year, which equals more than 5 pounds.

INTERCHANGE YOUR DRESSING

Two tablespoons of ranch dressing racks up 140 calories and 16 grams of fat. Using a store-bought balsamic vinaigrette spritzer, on the other hand, packs a lot of flavor but only 1 calorie a squirt (10 calories for an individual-size salad), and only 1 gram of fat. Save 130 calories and 15 g of fat. Make this change three times a week and you’ll cut out more than 20,000 calories a year, which is almost 6 pounds.

EAT POPCORN

Tame your munchies with popcorn instead of potato chips. A one-ounce snack-size bag of chips has 150 calories and 10 grams of fat. Swap that for a cup of air-popped popcorn at 31 calories and 0 grams of fat. For a flavor boost, spritz popcorn with butter-flavored spray (0 calories) and toss in a tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese (27 calories). Save up to 119 calories and 10 grams of fat. Make this change once a week and you’ll cut out 6,188 calories a year — that’s almost 2 pounds.

DROP THE SODA

One 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola has 140 calories, all of it from refined sugars that are pure trouble for people with diabetes. Replace it with a glass of ice water (0 calories) — add a squeeze of lemon, cucumber slices, or mint leaves for a nice refreshing flavor. Save 140 calories. Make this change once a day and you’ll slash 51,100 calories a year, which adds up to more than 14 pounds.

LIGHTEN YOUR LIQUOR

Instead of regular beer, which has 150 calories per bottle, opt for its lighter version at less than 100 calories. And instead of a 5-ounce glass of Pinot Grigio at 120 calories, cut the calories in half by making a wine spritzer instead. To make: Combine equal parts wine and seltzer. Save 50 to 60 calories per drink. Make this change once a week and you will cut out 2,600 to 3,120 calories a year, which could equal almost a pound.

TRY NATURAL SWEETS

Craving dessert? Rather than reaching for 1 cup of premium strawberry ice cream at 500 calories and 16 grams of fat, opt for 1 cup of strawberries at 56 calories. Still want something creamy? Even 1/4 cup of light whipped cream (the kind in a can) adds only an extra 30 calories and 2 grams of fat. Save up to 444 calories and 16 grams of fat. Make this change twice a week and you will cut out more than 46,000 calories a year, which adds up to more than 13 pounds.

SKIP A YOLK

Nix just 1 yolk from meals that require 2 eggs (think omelets). A whole egg has 75 calories, but there are only 16 calories in the white, and no fat. Never removed a yolk from the white? Buy an egg separator—they cost next to nothing; find them at any store that carries cooking supplies. Crack the raw egg and pour it into the separator; it holds the yolk while the white drips through. Save 59 calories and 5 grams of fat. Make this change twice a week and cut out 6,136 calories a year, which is approaching 2 pounds.

MAKE TOAST

Replace a bagel (354 calories) or bran muffin (410 calories) with 2 slices of whole-wheat toast (164 calories). Skip the butter (100 calories per tablespoon), and spread on 1/2 cup of fat-free cottage cheese (90 calories)—your calorie count is still lowered, and yet you still get lots of creamy flavor without all that fat. Save up to 246 calories. Make this change once a week and you’ll cut almost 12,800 calories a year—that’s more than 3 pounds.

You can get many health benefits from losing pounds. But you don't have to lose a ridiculous amount of pounds to see some amazing changes happen to your body---from your energy levels to your love life, or to your daily habits. According to the NHS you have a higher risk of these bullet points if you are obese or overweight:

• High Blood Pressure
• Heart Disease
• Stroke
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Some Types of Cancer
• Osteoarthritis
• Back Pain

So lets all just lose weight instead of gaining weight, shall we? Nonetheless here are some amazing changes that can happen to your body when you lose weight:

YOUR RISK OF CANCER DECREASES

Your weight impacts your immune system, hormones, and factors that regulate cell growth—all of which are tied to cancer risk. That’s why being overweight or obese may increase your chances of getting the disease. “The relationship between cancer and weight is complex, and several different mechanisms are involved,” Dr. Webster says. “According to research from the American Cancer Society, excess body weight is thought to be responsible for about 8 percent of all cancers in the United States, as well as about 7 percent of all cancer deaths.”

YOU RELIEVE PRESSURE ON YOUR JOINTS

Experts agree that being overweight or obese increases your risk for osteoarthritis, or wear and tear on your joints. “The more weight that’s on a joint, the more likely it is to wear down and be damaged,” Dr. Webster says. “For example, for every pound of excess weight, four additional pounds of pressure is exerted on our knees—so if someone is carrying around 20 pounds of excess weight, that’s an additional 80 pounds of stress on the knees.” Losing extra weight reduces the amount of pressure on your joints and lowers the risk of arthritis development.

YOU REDUCE YOUR SLEEP APNEA RISK

Sleep apnea, in which you actually stop breathing during sleep, is linked with being overweight or obese. “Sleep apnea is caused, in part, when extra tissue accumulates around the upper airway, which can change its shape and make the throat more likely to collapse during sleep,” says sleep expert Richard Shane, PhD, creator of the Sleep Easily method. In one study, 88 percent of people who lost 33 or more pounds were effectively cured. According to Harvard Medical School, losing just 10 percent of your body weight can drastically reduce sleep apnea symptoms—and in some cases, weight loss can even cure the condition.

YOU LOWER DIABETES RISK

Losing weight can seem like an overwhelming undertaking, but even dropping just a few pounds can have a big impact on your overall health. “You get a large ‘bang for your buck’ with only a 5 percent weight loss,” says Samuel Klein, MD, professor of medicine and nutritional science, and director of the Center for Human Nutrition at Washington University School of Medicine. For a 200-pound person, that’s just 10 pounds—but losing it takes a big strain off your body. Dr. Klein’s study shows one of the many boons is reduced diabetes risk, a condition marked by high blood sugar. “The beneficial effects include decreased total body fat, intra-abdominal fat, and liver fat and increased insulin sensitivity in liver, muscle, and fat tissues,” he says. Because the body requires insulin to absorb and use blood sugar, better insulin sensitivity means better blood sugar control.

YOU SLEEP BETTER IN GENERAL

In a vicious cycle, lack of sleep could be making you fatter. On the other hand, you’ll get better shut-eye with weight loss. “ In a study conducted at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, participants who had lost an average of 15 pounds show improvement in sleep quality,” Dr. Shane says. “In fact, a reduction in belly fat was the best predictor of improved sleep.” In addition, you’ll stop snoring as much—and snoring isn’t just an annoyance to your partner, but a mark of unhealthy sleep. “Snoring is in part caused by the amount of tissue around the neck,” Dr. Shane says. “When you lose weight, that reduces the amount of tissue in your neck, which can diminish snoring.”

YOU GET A MOOD BOOST

Because the physical is also tied to the psychological, your mental health will also enjoy lighter feelings once you lose weight. “Research shows that people who lost just 5 percent of body weight experienced an improvement in mood,” says nutritionist Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, author of Slim Down Now: Shed Pounds and Inches With Real Food, Real Fast. “And the positive changes in sleep caused by losing 5 percent are also tied to mood.” Think about it: You’re grumpy when you don’t get enough sleep, right? Plus, if your weight-loss is tied to exercise, the endorphins can give you feel-good feelings. There’s also a connection between weight gain and depression. Although it’s not clear which causes the other, some research suggests that weight loss can help alleviate depressive symptoms.

YOU HAVE MORE ENERGY

Even if you start slow, each bit of weight you lose will give you more energy to keep going. “Just a 5 percent drop in weight can help lower blood sugar levels and blood pressure and improve sleep quality, all of which increase energy,” Sass says. Because your body isn’t working as hard, you’ll have more resources to perform more healthy activities. And in a positive cycle, that first bit of extra energy will make changes you’re making stop seeming like such a chore. “When you have more energy, you’re more likely to feel motivated to be active and make healthier choices,” Sass says. Exercise itself has also been shown to boost energy levels.

YOUR FERTILITY IMPROVES

Losing a little bit of weight can help you conceive if you’re looking to have a baby. “Women with BMIs [body mass index, or ratio of height to weight] greater than 27 are at increased risk of abnormal periods and infertility,” says Jane van Dis, MD, chair of the Bakersfield Memorial obstetrics and gynecology department and medical director of business development for Ob Hospitalist Group. “Studies show women with elevated BMIs are at increased risk for insulin resistance, which can then lead to increased testosterone circulating in the body.” This can cause polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), in which ovulation doesn’t occur regularly. But losing just 10 to 15 pounds can help bring your periods back to normal.

YOU’LL GET A SELF-ESTEEM BOOST

How many times have you looked in the mirror and thought you’d be happier with what you saw if you were a little trimmer? Although body positivity is important no matter what your weight, achieving a health goal can up your confidence. “A better mood [that comes with weight loss] often leads to a boost in self-esteem and feelings of empowerment,” Sass says. “Positivity breeds positivity.” Mayo Clinic suggests setting weight-loss goals that are achievable—such as dropping 5 percent of your current weight—to set yourself up for success.

Weight loss is a complex and slow process---it may most likely take weeks and even months for you to achieve your goals when it comes to losing weight. We most likely know by now that it cannot happen overnight. What we can do about that however, is start carrying out some ways to make the weight loss process quicker by knowing how to enforce some tricks to be done every day at home before going to bed that can help you with losing weight quickly than before. Below is a list of things that can help you shed those extra kilos.

SPRINKLING PEPPER ON YOUR LAST MEAL

A study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry explains that the piperine---an ingredient in black pepper has the power to stop your body from creating new fat cells and could be used to treat obesity (1). Sprinkling pepper over your food is a great trick to start. You can sprinkle pepper on your soup, dal or veggies. Add it onto brown rice for a gradual boost in weight loss.

TAKING A HOT BATH BEFORE SLEEPING

By taking a hot bath before you go to bed, you increase your body’s metabolism. The higher and faster the metabolism means the more calories you burn. The results of a study also suggests that a bath before sleep enhances the quality of sleep (1) which is commonly recommended for a quality weight loss process. Sleeping properly is another important factor which can accelerate your weight loss plan.

AVOID SCREENS BEFORE BEDTIME

People who watch TV before they sleep don’t get enough rest and suffer from poor lifestyle habits. A research in ZERO Belly diet suggests that the longer they watch TV at bedtime, the fatter they get.

EATING MINT

A study published in the Journal of Neurological and Orthopaedic Medicine found that just by sniffing peppermint every two hours, one can lose two kilos of weight in one month. Having hot water with mint leaves before you sleep may help you wake up refreshed next morning.

PLANNING FOR THE NEXT DAY

Planning does not only make things easy and saves time but also makes you disciplined. Planning and packing will help you cut down calories as well as expenses. According to Atlanta dieticians, people who want to lose weight should plan their meal a day before. Planning meals stop you from bingeing and helps you eat a healthy, satisfying and nutrient-rich meal.

HAVING A CUP OF GREEN TEA

Green tea is rich in antioxidants and has relaxing agents that soothe your nerves and help you sleep better. It makes you fall asleep faster and cut fat around your belly.

EATING A DAIRY PRODUCT

According to a research published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, there is clear evidence that consuming dairy products before sleeping can improve body’s recovery after exercise. Recovery after exercising is as important as exercising for weight loss. You can make a smoothie with half a glass of milk and a fruit.

You think you're making great progress when you're following your weight loss goal. But overtime you realize that you aren't losing weight like you expected. Then you realize what you are doing wrong. You see tons of stories from friends and people on the internet sharing their successful weight loss stories and you're going crazy. Read on, because you might be making these crucial mistakes. If you are, fix them now after reading so you can get back on track. Here are the 6 Invisible Reasons Your Diet Is Not Working:

YOU AREN’T GETTING ENOUGH CALORIES

This sounds quite contradictive to what we normally hear about consuming calories. But listen closely: According to registered dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDE, calories are not the entire solution to weight loss. “A calorie is not just a calorie,” she says. “Depending on what you consume, calories from nutrients such as protein and unsaturated fat keep you full for an extended period, whereas calories from simple sugars digest rapidly.” Your plans for weight loss will not work if you're not getting the proper vitamins, fiber and protein that you need, even if you're cutting calories. Calorie restriction leads to slower metabolism---without enough calories your body will transition into survival mode, slowing down your metabolism to start conserving energy and preventing you from losing weight (1). Palinski-Wade recommends to focus on improving the nutritional quality of your diet rather than your calorie intake for improved body weight and health.

YOU’RE NOT PLANNING AHEAD

It's easy to tell yourself that you're going to eat healthier from now on, but obstacles in life gets in your way and you end up putting a raincheck on that health goal of yours. “Families have busy schedules and it may be easier to pick up fast food or snack on the run, but these habits add excess calories due to the portion size that may lead to weight gain,” Moore says. The trick is if you can expect and plan for these situations, you can help avoiding yourself from failing your weight loss dieting process. It helps to cook large batches of meals when you do have the time and freeze them for later so you don’t have to start from scratch every night. Fruits and vegetables can also be frozen and pulled out for a quick side dish or snack. Keep quick healthy snacks like nuts, apple slices with peanut butter, popcorn or healthy granola bars on hand. And don’t toss those leftovers—use them for your next meals. “Make chicken salad with Greek yogurt, nuts, and fruit from leftover roasted chicken,” Moore suggests. Mix in last night’s veggies with scrambled eggs, which can be cooked in seconds, for breakfast. Always have a supply of beans, avocado, or hard-boiled eggs for quick, satisfying lunches. “Beans or legumes make great plant protein additions to salads, and hard-boiled eggs mixed with avocado make great egg salad sandwiches,” Moore says.

YOU’RE NOT DRINKING ENOUGH WATER

There are multiple benefits of drinking water. The cells throughout your body need water to function, so it is important to know how much water you need to drink for your diet. “Water is a basic need for cellular health,” says Ronald Navarro, MD, orthopedic and sport medicine surgeon at Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center in Harbor City, California. “The body is composed of 50 to 60 percent water, so it’s a necessary nutrient to maintain body fluids,” Moore says. What some people normally do to suppress their hunger signals is to drink water to fill them up so they actually eat less. In addition, water instead of soda or other unhealthy choices can benefit a healthy diet a lot more. “Water isn’t the key to weight loss, but it can substitute for sugar-sweetened beverages, which decreases calories,” Moore says. A recent study from the University of Illinois found that people who increased their water consumption by one to three cups reduced their caloric intake by 68 to 205 calories daily. They also lowered their consumption of saturated fat, sugar, sodium and cholesterol.

YOU’RE NOT HAVING REGULAR EXERCISE

Eating right is only one aspect to achieving a healthy weight—you can’t skip out on exercise either. “If you have been adjusting your food intake without seeing the scale move, it may be because diet is just one part of the weight loss puzzle,” Palinski-Wade says. “If you are taking in fewer calories but also moving less, you will be burning fewer calories as well. That cancels out your overall calorie deficit, which leads to limited weight loss.” This is another reason to not cut calories too drastically: You need to have enough energy to exercise. Although studies have shown that increased exercise is not enough to achieve weight loss on its own, it’s still important for overall health, as well as for speeding up your metabolism.

YOU’RE PAYING TOO MUCH ATTENTION TO THE SCALE

If you are exercising more, you may not see a change in actual weight—but that doesn’t mean you’re not getting leaner. “If you have recently taken up an exercise routine, especially one that involves weight training, you may be losing inches without seeing a change on the scale,” Palinski-Wade says. “This is due to muscle taking up less space than fat mass. If you lose a pound of fat and gain a pound of muscle, your weight will stay the same on the scale, yet you will have lost inches.” Plus, muscles burn more calories than fat, so an increase in muscle mass will help you lose even more.

YOU’RE SKIPPING MEALS

As with cutting calories, cutting meals isn’t effective for healthy weight loss. Being overly hungry throws off the balance in your body, as Laura Moore, RD, director of the dietetic internship program at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health, explains. “Energy intake, or what’s consumed, and expenditure, or what’s burned, is coordinated by signals from several systems, including the endocrine, adipose tissue, neurologic, and gastrointestinal systems,” she says. Chemical signals that increase and decrease appetite are sent to the brain. “This weight regulation system helps maintain a healthy weight for most people by modifying hunger, activity, and metabolism to keep the body weight within a target,” Moore says. “Moving below this target, or set point, by skipping meals can be challenging because the brain’s energy-balance system goes into action, pushing the weight back to its set point or even above.” That means you’re basically fighting with your body over where your weight should be. Instead, Moore recommends listening to your body’s signals, eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are full.

You know the drill when it comes to losing weight: take in fewer calories, burn more calories. But thats just the general idea or the "lazy" answer. There are many factors that affect your progress to losing weight including ways that involve the mind such as mindful eating. By practicing different variations to produce rapid weight loss efforts you will yield better results in your journey. The weight loss tips in this article are easy, sustainable ways to boost your metabolism, giving you a greater edge to getting a flatter stomach and achieving the thinner you. You'll find no incredibly insane sweaty workout routines on this list, no lemon juice-cayenne concoctions, just simple strategies that you can adopt and stick to for maximum results:

DRINK MORE WAdd NewATER

our body has a hard time distinguishing between hunger and thirst. Being dehydrated can fool you into reaching for a snack you don't really need. And besides, many studies and research have made this clear enough: Staying hydrated is one of the healthiest habits you can adopt. Drinking water throughout the day, especially before a meal fills up your stomach, keeps you energized and slows down the urge to snack. An antioxidant in the peel, d-limonene, gives sluggish bowels a kick and stimulates liver enzymes to help flush toxins from the body. Switch things up with unsweetened green tea, which contains EGCC, an antioxidant that helps the body burn fat faster.

DECIDE ON MEALS WITH MINT

Reach for natural mint gum (avoid sorbitol, which makes you bloat), or even brush your teeth with mint-flavored toothpaste. The mint flavors send signals to your brain that it's time to stop eating, which is great for how to lose weight. They also tweak your taste buds so second helpings and dessert aren't quite so tasty.

DO PUSHUPS EVERY MORNING

"It'll help you start the day with a feeling of success, and it gets in some additional upper-body training," says McGee. Another added benefit is that push ups can be done literally anywhere. If you were looking for ideas about how to lose weight at home, this is the quickest way to start. If you aren't exercising regularly I highly recommend you to start. It provides several health benefits including preventing osteoporosis, lowering blood pressure, reducing chronic pain, battling chromic fatigue syndrome, the list goes on. Try to increase the number you do each and every day so that you can still lose weight fast, even if you need to start with a modified push up on your knees. When you hit a plateau, switch to a harder style of pushup.

REDISCOVER HOT SAUCE

Hot sauce provides the warming benefits of eating slower and lesser than usual. Some studies say you might even speed up your metabolism thanks to the compounds in the chilies. One common misconception is that spicer ones provide more benefits than the less spicier ones. Mild peppers (including bell peppers, pimentos and sweet banana peppers) have the same compounds as their spicier relatives. Hot sauce also contain capsaicin, which help to introduce endorphins, which are crucial to maintaining a healthy mood (1).

PICK UP YOGA

Yoga is the top choice to reduce your stress, but in actuality, any exercise that is able to help reduce stress will do the trick. "The lower your stress, the lower your cortisol levels," says Fred DeVito of Exhale Spa. That means your body will store fewer calories as fat.

When you think your ability to achieving weight loss is close to none, it can be really critical to your success. Here, Biggest Loser trainer Bob Harper revealed the outlooks that can make losing weight harder, plus important advice to change your thinking. You have a secret list of many inflexible commandments about how you and others should act. Example: Ronald was in a car accident 10 years ago that left him with chronic back pain. He also has high blood pressure and pushes himself too hard at work. Ronald’s doctor recommends he take up yoga to help with his back issues and reduce stress. Instead of finding a gentle class, Ronald takes power yoga because his internal “commandments” stipulate that he should always be able to take on the toughest of challenges. He forces himself into hard positions and hurts his back. He hobbles out of the studio feeling more stressed than when he went in, swearing yoga is not for him.

READING OTHER PEOPLES MINDS

You think you can decide what people think about you. Example: Lohan is shopping for a new outfit to inspire her to stay on track with her diet. She finds a pair of jeans she loves but can’t find her size. She asks a saleswoman if they have her size in the back, then sees the saleswoman talking in hushed tones to another; they are both glancing over at Lohan. They are actually discussing whether they can give her the pair they know is on hold, but Lohan assumes they are talking about her weight. She leaves the shop in shame before the saleswoman can return with the good news that they do have one pair left.

USING A BAD FILTER

You see all the negative details, blow them out of proportion, and don’t bother considering positive aspects of a situation. Example: Sherrie has been working hard at her exercise program for six months. She is losing some weight and her arms and legs look more toned than ever, but her midsection isn’t as slim as she’d like. Instead of acknowledging her progress, which would make her feel good and give her more energy), she focuses on the size of her waist, letting that “problem spot” be the filter for interpreting her success. This makes her feel depressed and she starts losing enthusiasm for her workouts.

OVERGENERALIZING

If something bad happens once, you think it will always be that way. Example: Joe has been diligent with his diet and exercise program. He’s lost weight and is looking good, but still worries he’s not attractive to women. He finally asks a woman out on a date. It’s a pleasant evening, but it’s obvious there’s no chemistry. Instead of acknowledging that this is perfectly natural—and gaining confidence from being out on the dating circuit—he assumes women are simply not attracted to him. He tells himself he’ll never find love because he is too fat and ugly.

CONTROL FREAKING

You must be in control. If not, you become convinced you’re a victim, or think you’re responsible for everyone else’s feelings. Example: Henry is struggling to stick to his gym routine. On a Saturday morning he makes himself get into his workout gear and drive to the gym. On the way, his car breaks down. Convinced that it is “all my fault” because he “must have” been irresponsible in maintaining the car (even though he is) he exclaims, “Just my luck! Things never go my way!” He kicks the sidewalk, phones roadside assistance, and buys a donut from a nearby shop while he waits.

HOW TO STOP DISTORTED THINKING

Step 1: Note the automatic thought you have immediately after the situation: “Great. Another example of my weakness.” Step 2: Pause and make a mental note of what emotions you feel. The simple act of observing your own thought pattern is sometimes enough to shift things right away. Step 3: Interject at least one fact that counters the distortion. For example: “I’ve put on two pounds before and I’ve lost it again pretty fast.” Or imagine what you’d say to a friend in the same situation.

Weight loss can be one of the most complex topics you've ever come across, ever. Many factors affect your progress to losing weight. But did you know that your mind has a lot more to do with losing weight than you think? And I am not just talking about willpower here. Using pure willpower to overcome food cravings is just not always going to work. However, the good news is you just need to sort of trick your mind in order to help you avoid unnecessary weight gain. Here are 5 perfect mind tricks to help you lose weight:

ASSOCIATE DISGUSTING THOUGHTS WITH FOOD

Looking at a gross photo (a dead fly lying in a cold bowl of salad---woops) when you want that chocolate fudgecake could could immediately turn your brain 180 degrees and say “NOPE. NOT TODAY,” suggests a 2015 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. When researchers quickly showed the participants disgusting photos before actually showing them photos of deliciously looking foods like ice cream, people ended up having less of an appetite immediately afterwards and had fewer cravings for those foods up to 5 days later. I would agree to that. When your brain begins to associate disgust with some food, it becomes less appetizing. We've all been there and done that one before.

SUBSTITUTE UNHEALTHY FOOD WITH HEALTHY FOODS THAT CLOSELY RESEMBLE THEM

Jonathan Alpert, a New York City based psychotherapist and author of Be Fearless: Change Your Life in 28 Days states: "Find a healthy alternative that shares some of the same qualities as the fatty food you've got a craving for". Do you usually drink sprite or 7up to satisfy your thirst? Substitute with canada dry instead. Or instead of salted potato chips, you might as well just get a batch of satisfyingly crispy kale chips. You don't always have to be attached to that yummy carton of ice cream in the freezer. "Over time your taste buds and brain will adjust and learn to like these healthier options," says Alpert.

MANIPULATION WITH SOCIAL MEDIA

Posting a picture on social media can help you enjoy your food more, as stated in the 2016 research in the Journal of Consumer Marketing. It’s the before-moment of taste satisfaction between snapping the picture and chowing down on it that tells your brain, “you’re about to eat something special. yes, you.”

OPEN TO YOUR EMOTIONS

You reward yourself with a slice of pie for a job well done. When you’re very stressed however, uninvited mindless snacking begins to creep up on you, and soon your jar of cookies end up gone. In late 2015, 31% of Americans in a survey by Orlando Health said that exercise and diet was “the biggest barrier to weight loss” and only 10% said that psychological factors even played a role. But the truth is, we eat for many emotional reasons (but not very many people realize this), and to lose weight fast you have to understand the reason behind what you’re eating, said by Orlando Health neuropsychologist Diane Robinson, PhD (1). Before munching, she recommends asking yourself if you’re doing so because you’re hungry. If the answer is no, it might take some good research to finally understand the emotions that are involved in your own eating habits.

FLIP YOUR THOUGHTS

Before you sit down to the table, ignore all thoughts of “that quinoa is good for me” or “that avocado has healthy fats!” Rather, eat to relish in the taste. Researches in theJournal of the Association for Consumer Research conducted a study and discovered that people who think of a food as healthy find it as less filling—and then they end up getting a bigger portion while still feeling hungry afterwards.

Want to know how to burn 100 calories? You don't have to only go to the gym in order to lose weight. You just need the right information to get you up and going. Having said that, weight loss can be made interestingly if you make it to be. There are interesting ways to burn those calories. One of the first things that come to mind when thinking about how to burn 100 calories: Running should do the trick. While it can, maybe you might come across a day where you don't feel like running to get those 100 calories down. Maybe you want to change it up and do something different for once. Here are 7 ways to burn 100 calories quickly:

CLIMB A ROCK WALL

I bet you didn't expect this one, huh? Rock wall climbing might seem questionable for some of you, but with some research I realized that it works wonders for those who are looking to lose weight, and its fun! "Depending on the intensity of the climb (including your climbing speed, difficulty of the route, etc,) you could burn up to 300 or 500 calories in a half-hour climb." says Jay Medley (1). It also improves the shape of your butt and promotes sexy legs. It may seem as if rock climbing is all about the arms, but in actuality it's about finding a good foot grip and pushing yourself upward with your lower body.

PLAY A COMPETITIVE SPORT

Did you know that playing soccer for 10 minutes can help a 180 pound person burn 100 calories? How did you get that number? If you want to know how that number was calculated you can use the soccer calorie counter here. Here is a copy-and-paste stripped from a section in the page:

The total number of calories burned for any task is calculated by first finding the calorie burn per minute - this is done by multiplying the MET value of the task by the person's body weight in kg and 3.5, then dividing that number by 200.

We can just already assume from watch people playing that soccer involves constant back-and-forth running---which will help to lose weight fast and work different muscles than you'd expect. Here is a quickie for basketball: "A 125-pound basketball player burns about 8 calories per minute", says Dani Arbuckle (1).

PAIR DUMBBELLS AND PLANK JACKS.

When Sohee Lee, a trainer at New York City's Peak Performance fitness center has 10 minutes to spare, she grabs dumbbells. "Most women can handle 10 to 15 pounds in each hand," she says. You can place them at your shoulders and perform seven squat presses. If it takes you between 20 and 40 seconds then you are performing them at the right speed. Rest and recover for the next minute. After the rest make the switch to plank jacks: Begin in the plank position and spread your legs out so that they are wide apart, then jump with your legs and bring them together (imagine performing a jumping jack horizontally). Do 7 reps and spend the remainder of that minute resting (or sleep, no one's judging). Repeat this sequence 10 times.

STEP UPS

Step aerobics have been around for a long while, but they're still one of the best ways to burn a lot of calories in just a little amount of time. Choose a 10-12 inch step platform and you'll fry about 102 calories in approximately 10 minutes. If your local gym does not have a step class you can find a plyo box and even "create your own 10-minute workout", says Stehly. "Warm up for three minutes by stepping up onto and down off the box, one foot at a time—quickly enough to break a sweat but not so quickly that you're compromising form or safety. Then add in five explosive box jumps every minute, on the minute, to really get your heart rate up" You only need to do this for 10 minutes. Try not to take a break inbetween. (One would agree its a lot harder than it sounds).

THROW SOME EXPLOSIVE PUNCHES

If your local gym has a punching bag use that opportunity to throw some punches and anger towards it. Or simply practice kickboxing. Kickboxing has the potential to burn 100 calories in just 10 minutes. It's combination of strength training and continuous movement makes it more viable than with the punching bag.

ADD SPRINTING TO CARDIO

Running can get boring sometimes (unless you add some music to your ears). If you want to make a little funner, try switching the location to a more hill-ish land environment where there are ups and downs to jog on. These added intervals will work to your advantage when striving for a more satisfying post-workout. Lee suggests to "find a hill and sprint up it for 15 seconds". Her directions include taking 45 seconds to recover slowly back down, and repeat 10 times. In addition she also mentions that these speed intervals can be added to any cardio exercise to get your health benefits, such as the elliptical/arc trainer at your local gym, swimming in the pool or even biking in the park.

RUN UP THE STAIRS

Stairs can come in great handy when you're trying to shed calories. You can walk up the stairs for a mere ten minutes and you will shed 100 calories in no time. These are great for building leg strength and shaping several muscles in your lower body. Of course there are several factors involved that determine the shots for how much calories you burn in a set time---but generally it takes an average person to burn approximately 100 calories in 10 minutes using the stairs. Holly, a marketing assistant from London in 2014 burned 195 extra calories a day by climbing the stairs (1). Certainly, the stairs provide successful results.

With all of these meal plans and diet options its easy to get overwhelmed while you're trying to lose weight fast. Weight loss is truly a complex topic and when you're trying to target belly fat, it even gets more complex. It's difficult to figure out which foods will specifically target belly fat. The benefits of this solution to diminish belly fat are endless. Not only will cleansing work to fight off that annoying sluggish feeling, it could also make your diet and weight loss goal even more likely to succeed. Here are the 10 foods that will reduce belly fat, no matter who you are!

ACAI BERRIES

Acai berries are high in anthrocyanin--a natural pigment that provides powerful antioxidants. They provide a list of minerals that help keep your body healthier and additionally gives you higher levels of sustainable energy. This additional energy will allow you to exercise and get out more, leading to burning extra calories and eventually the fat will be abolished from your tummy!

CHIA SEEDS

Chia seeds are high in protein and omega 3 fatty acids, help keep blood sugar levels in check and helps you feel full longer. According to a nutrition summary, a 1 ounce serving of chia seeds contains: Magnesium: 30% of the RDA. Calcium: 18% of the RDA. Manganese: 30% of the RDA. Phosphorus: 27% of the RDA. Protein: 4 grams. Fat: 9 grams (5 of which are Omega-3s). Fiber: 11 grams. They also include a decent amount of Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Zinc, Vitamin B1 (Thiamine), Potassium and Vitamin B2. This is considering that it is just a single ounce which equates to only 137 calories, and 1 gram of digestible carbohydrate!

CINNAMON

Cinnamon is loaded with powerful antioxidants. They're so incredibly useful that they're used to prevent bleeding, increase blood circulation in the uterus, and advancing tissue regeneration. (1). In addition, cinnamon has additionally been used traditionally as tooth powder and to treat oral microbiota, toothaches, bad breath and dental problems. You can sprinkle some on your porridge or coffee in place of sugar.

GREEN COFFEE

Green coffee is high in chlorogenic acids. They may assist in promoting weight loss by converting fat into energy. It's also used as an antioxidant. You can substitute your normal instant coffee with green coffee (available in satchels).

GREEN TEA

Green tea can help promote a faster metabolic rate. Coming from unfermented leaves and containing high concentrations of antioxidants (polyphenols), green tea extract seems to be the secret to faster metabolic rate and fat-burning effects. For maximum benefits, drink around 3-5 cups per day.

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

Apple cider vinegar is a natural solution to bile stimulant, as well as preventing acid reflux. It keeps the pH levels balanced in the stomach so you will have a flatter tummy and look like a role model in that bikini. Add a capful to about a half glass of water--followed by drinking after waking up. You can also try cooking with it as well.

PARSLEY

Many health benefits come from parsley including reducing effects of diarrhea, improving the digestion system, balancing the menstrual cycle and increasing urination rate, meaning more matter is discharged from the body, including additional calories and thus reducing weight loss. The diuretic aspect of parsley juice also means that it detoxifies the body faster than other drinks, and acts as an appetite suppressant making you feel fuller than you are.

CELERY

High in water content, celery is a great diuretic to rid your body of excess water. You can make juice with ginger and carrot for a revitalizing fresh juice to help keep the bloating of your belly to a minimum.

WHEAT GRASS

Wheatgrass has a high concentration of iron, magnesium, calcium, amino acids, vitamins C, A and E, B12, B6 and chlorophyll. These vitamins and minerals provide many therapeutic benefits. Consuming wheatgrass can rid the digestive system of harmful bacteria and cleanse the body of toxins. It also cleanses the colon and can help in the treatment of joint pain, ulcerative colitis, skin infections and can even prevent diabetes. No wonder it is regarded as a superfood!

YOGURT

High in good bacteria, the benefits of yoghurt on gastrointestinal health have been said to provide health benefits for certain gastrointestinal conditions, including lactose intolerance, constipation, IBS, colon cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, Helicobacter pylori infection, and allergies. Look for the nutrition label and make sure no added sugar is used. Opt for Greek yoghurt varieties and use your own frozen berries and cinnamon to sweeten.

You think you're making great progress when you're following your weight loss goal. But overtime you realize that you aren't losing weight like you expected. Then you realize what you are doing wrong. You see tons of stories from friends and people on the internet sharing their successful weight loss stories and you're going crazy. Read on, because you might be making these crucial mistakes. If you are, fix them now after reading so you can get back on track. Here are the 7 Invisible Reasons Your Diet Is Not Working:

YOU AREN’T GETTING ENOUGH CALORIES

This sounds quite contradictive to what we normally hear about consuming calories. But listen closely: According to registered dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDE, calories are not the entire solution to weight loss. “A calorie is not just a calorie,” she says. “Depending on what you consume, calories from nutrients such as protein and unsaturated fat keep you full for an extended period, whereas calories from simple sugars digest rapidly.” Your plans for weight loss will not work if you're not getting the proper vitamins, fiber and protein that you need, even if you're cutting calories. Calorie restriction leads to slower metabolism---without enough calories your body will transition into survival mode, slowing down your metabolism to start conserving energy and preventing you from losing weight (1). Palinski-Wade recommends to focus on improving the nutritional quality of your diet rather than your calorie intake for improved body weight and health.

YOU’RE NOT PRACTICING MINDFUL EATING

A common problem within ourselves is that our hunger signals start to kick in, which is something we all thrive to satisfy when it happens. The trick is to change how you eat and what you eat. Laura Moore, director of the dietetic internship program at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health recomends to practice mindful eating, which means being aware of everything you put in your mouth, being aware of why you crave certain foods, etc. “Take small bites of food and chew it slowly, stopping two or three times during a meal to determine if you are hungry or if you feel satisfied,” she says. Reexamine your potions based on how big your plates are—according to research from Cornell, serving food on bigger plates has a direct effect on how much is consumed. Be mindful of other triggers that promote overeating like noshing directly from a package, buffet meals, and food advertisements. And if you’re paying attention, you’ll be less likely to finish off those extra bites of mac and cheese from your kid’s plate. Also, Moore says to eliminate distractions while eating. “Are you watching television, working through lunch, eating at your desk, or while driving in your car?” she says. “It is important to disengage and focus on the meal, which will allow a person to experience hunger and satiety.”

YOU’RE NOT PLANNING AHEAD

It's easy to tell yourself that you're going to eat healthier from now on, but obstacles in life gets in your way and you end up putting a raincheck on that health goal of yours. “Families have busy schedules and it may be easier to pick up fast food or snack on the run, but these habits add excess calories due to the portion size that may lead to weight gain,” Moore says. The trick is if you can expect and plan for these situations, you can help avoiding yourself from failing your weight loss dieting process. It helps to cook large batches of meals when you do have the time and freeze them for later so you don’t have to start from scratch every night. Fruits and vegetables can also be frozen and pulled out for a quick side dish or snack. Keep quick healthy snacks like nuts, apple slices with peanut butter, popcorn or healthy granola bars on hand. And don’t toss those leftovers—use them for your next meals. “Make chicken salad with Greek yogurt, nuts, and fruit from leftover roasted chicken,” Moore suggests. Mix in last night’s veggies with scrambled eggs, which can be cooked in seconds, for breakfast. Always have a supply of beans, avocado, or hard-boiled eggs for quick, satisfying lunches. “Beans or legumes make great plant protein additions to salads, and hard-boiled eggs mixed with avocado make great egg salad sandwiches,” Moore says.

YOU’RE NOT DRINKING ENOUGH WATER

There are multiple benefits of drinking water. The cells throughout your body need water to function, so it is important to know how much water you need to drink for your diet. “Water is a basic need for cellular health,” says Ronald Navarro, MD, orthopedic and sport medicine surgeon at Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center in Harbor City, California. “The body is composed of 50 to 60 percent water, so it’s a necessary nutrient to maintain body fluids,” Moore says. What some people normally do to suppress their hunger signals is to drink water to fill them up so they actually eat less. In addition, water instead of soda or other unhealthy choices can benefit a healthy diet a lot more. “Water isn’t the key to weight loss, but it can substitute for sugar-sweetened beverages, which decreases calories,” Moore says. A recent study from the University of Illinois found that people who increased their water consumption by one to three cups reduced their caloric intake by 68 to 205 calories daily. They also lowered their consumption of saturated fat, sugar, sodium and cholesterol.

YOU’RE NOT SHOPPING SMART ENOUGH

If you're not getting prepped to go to the grocery store then you're not shopping smart enough. Getting prepped to go to the grocery store is important to sticking to healthy eating. “When grocery shopping, always have a list,” Moore says. This will help avoid impulse buying. Plus, “a list will help you stay on a budget too.” Next, don’t hit up the store before you’ve eaten. “Shopping hungry is not a good idea because people tend to purchase more food and make unhealthy choices,” Moore says. A study from Cornell University found that people tended to buy more food, and specifically more unhealthy food, when they were hungry. While at the store, make sure you check out labels, because sometimes foods packaged as “healthy” are anything but healthy.

YOU’RE NOT HAVING REGULAR EXERCISE

Eating right is only one aspect to achieving a healthy weight—you can’t skip out on exercise either. “If you have been adjusting your food intake without seeing the scale move, it may be because diet is just one part of the weight loss puzzle,” Palinski-Wade says. “If you are taking in fewer calories but also moving less, you will be burning fewer calories as well. That cancels out your overall calorie deficit, which leads to limited weight loss.” This is another reason to not cut calories too drastically: You need to have enough energy to exercise. Although studies have shown that increased exercise is not enough to achieve weight loss on its own, it’s still important for overall health, as well as for speeding up your metabolism.

YOU’RE PAYING TOO MUCH ATTENTION TO THE SCALE

If you are exercising more, you may not see a change in actual weight—but that doesn’t mean you’re not getting leaner. “If you have recently taken up an exercise routine, especially one that involves weight training, you may be losing inches without seeing a change on the scale,” Palinski-Wade says. “This is due to muscle taking up less space than fat mass. If you lose a pound of fat and gain a pound of muscle, your weight will stay the same on the scale, yet you will have lost inches.” Plus, muscles burn more calories than fat, so an increase in muscle mass will help you lose even more.

Quinoa is one of those incredibly healthy foods you don't hear everyday. While no single food can supply all the essential life sustaining nutrients, quinoa comes as close as any other in the planet or animal kingdom (1). Their visual appearance closely resembles the grain family, however it might be a good idea to keep in mind that they are more of the vegetable type rather than a grain (1). They are also closely related to spinach, kale and Swiss chard. If you are wondering if it was a good choice to pick up quinoa in your diet plan, you might be relieved to find that they can help you lose weight in a variety of ways. They are rich in minerals, protein and vitamins, and it leaves you feeling satisfied instead of depriving yourself. Here are 3 reasons quinoa can help expedite your weight loss efforts:

QUINOA IS LOW ON THE GLYCEMIC INDEX

The glycemic index indicates how carbohydrates affect your blood glucose. Because quinoa has a low glycemic index, it means that quinoa is safe for diabetics and it won't spike your blood sugar. When your blood glucose is significantly elevated it crashes, causing you to crave more sugar or simple carbohydrates. When your blood sugar is unbalanced, staying on a diet and making healthy eating choices is difficult because you crave sweets and refined breads. Quinoa is 35 on the glycemic index, which is relatively low and similar to most vegetables. A study from Europe found that a moderately high protein, low GI diet is the healthiest choice for achieving weight loss in the long term (1).

QUINOA IS LOW ON CALORIES

Did you know that quinoa is low in calories? They make a great companion to weight loss achievers. One serving of cookied quinoa contains approximately 172 calories. Even if you ate two or three servings of quinoa, you would get a much larger quantity of food for fewer calories than you would eating a plate of pasta, for example. However it is important to practice portion control as it is easy to grab over the amount of recommended servings of quinoa in a meal. Therefore if you are not practicing mindful eating you might find it slightly harder to shed those extra pounds, as it may be easy accidentally overeat. For a low calorie quinoa meal you can combine quinoa with salad or add vegetables and beans.

QUINOA IS RICH IN NUTRIENTS

Quinoa seeds are rich in eight essential amino acids and vitamins such as magnesium and calcium. Quinoa is also high in iron and vitamin B 12. Both iron and vitamin B 12 are essential for energy production and weight loss. If you are lacking B vitamins, your progress in losing weight can become slower than usual because your body won't be able to synthesize nutrients as efficiently.