When dieting most people make some mistakes that can significantly reduce the effectiveness of the weight loss plan. However, using some smart tactics can bring positive results and even increase the weight loss. You see, most of us tend to believe that dieting has to be painful so we starve ourselves to the limit when we can’t stand that anymore, and then we over eat. Sometimes the desire to eat makes us lie ourselves that we didn’t eat as much as we really did. Many weight loss experts recommend using  simple tricks to trick yourself, but this time in the good way.

1. Don’t say “ I can’t because..”- If you decided to work out don’t change your plans and find excuses. If, for example, you want to go to the gym and your car is broken don’t give up on that plan. Walk to the gym, or take a bus, that way you will spend even more calories. Think about that and not about how it’s difficult to go anywhere without a car. You will be more motivated.

2. Always have a bottle of water by your side. You see, sometimes we mix the signals and think that we are hungry when in reality we are just thirsty. Also, when you have water close by, the chances you will drink a coke or something similar, are less.

3. Make healthy snacks- If you like to have a snack here and there ,use your free time to make healthy snacks. If you don’t have much time so you can’t always have a healthy snack ready in your refrigerator make sure you at least have some nuts and dried or frozen fruits. That way, when you feel like having a snack you will not have the excuse to reach for potato chips or cookies.

4. When in the restaurant go easy on the alcohol. Alcohol does have a lot of calories but having a glass of something with you meal is not so harmful. Pick the alcohol with the least calories and restrict yourself to just one glass. Alcohol makes you feel hungrier than you really ,are so if you drink more you will eat more.

5. Serve the food in a smaller plate. If you put the same portion in a smaller dish you will feel full after the meal. But, if you put the same amount of food in a bigger dish you will still feel a bit hungry after the meal. Why? Well, the brain decides how hungry you are. The size of the plate doesn’t really matter, what matters is how full is the plate. If it’s full your brain calculates that that was a decent meal, but if it’s not full the brain thinks you didn’t eat enough so the feeling of hunger precedes.