Weight Loss Tips: Losing Those Last 10 Pounds

Two Bonus Weight Loss Tips

You’re desperate to lose those last 5 to 10 pounds! Here are two final weight loss tips from Shape to get you to the weight loss finish line.

Weight Loss Tips # 5, for when you eat slowly, savoring every bite

It might just be one of the world’s most oft-repeated diet tips: Eat slowly and you’ll consume less. But while this works when you’re alone, lingering in a group situation seems to have the opposite effect. A review from the Proceedings of the Nutrition Society found that people take in 40 to 70 percent more calories when dining with family and friends.

“People tend to eat more when they’re in pleasant surroundings, such as at a restaurant or dinner party," says Collin Payne, assistant professor of marketing at New Mexico State University. “Socializing serves as a distraction, making it hard to monitor what’s on your plate."

Switch up your strategy, so that you stick to your balanced healthy diet

When going out with friends, have a dining strategy in place so you don’t have to think about calories at the table, says Payne. “For example, decide whether you’ll have a slice of bread or a glass of wine. You might also order an appetizer as your main dish instead of an entrée."

Weight Loss Tips, # 6, for when you enlisted a friend to help

Teaming up with a buddy seems more fun than dieting alone, which is why you talked your best friend into joining that weight-loss program with you. Unfortunately, her unenthusiastic attitude can take a toll on your goals, suggests research from the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

“Partners observe the other’s eating and exercise habits and alter their own behavior to match," says Becky Marquez, Ph.D., a researcher at the Miriam Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. So if your pal finds excuses to skip scheduled workouts or indulges in unhealthy snacks that aren’t on your plan, you’re likely to follow suit.

People who make the most successful weight loss partners are those who are committed to losing 10 percent of their body weight and plan to stick with the program for a set period of time. “If you have to convince your friend to join you in a balanced healthy diet or cardio workout routines," says Marquez, “she probably isn’t ready."

Switch up your strategy and have a heart to heart talk about goals for your balanced healthy diet and exercise plan

Sit down with your buddy to discuss your eating and exercise goals going forward, advises Marquez. If you’re not on the same page, don’t feel bad about gently ending the partnership. You may be better off going it alone or finding someone who can pull her own weight.