What To Do Before You Diet

Easy Ways to Lose 10 Pounds

Reprinted from 101 Things to Do Before You Diet by Mimi Spencer (c) 2009 by Mimi Spencer. Permission granted by Rodale, Inc.

Good posture has all manner of beneficial effects. It means your skeleton is aligned, with your bones in the right places and not under undue stress. It will also make you look way better in a cocktail dress. So hold that head up high (this also helps with the double chin), pull in those abs, raise the rib cage, lengthen that neck, and away you go.

Getty Images

Removing mayonnaise from your sandwiches (try low-fat plain yogurt, instead).

Leaving sugar out of your coffee or tea.

Eating sorbet instead of ice cream.

Having a dunk of olive oil rather than a pat of butter.

Switching from whole to skim milk.

Moving from white to whole wheat bread.

Switching from wine to spritzer.

jupiterimages

So, you're feeling baggy, gassy and bloated? Your hair and skin are limp, and your tongue's an interesting shade of beige? Bran, psyllium, and natural live yogurt are all good places to start. Heidi Klum recommends bathing in Epsom salts to reduce bloating; I recommend that you don't drink through a straw. If it's just a little local difficulty, the Gut Trust, which offers support to people with irritable bowel syndrome, recommends probiotics -- those kindly bacteria that reside in small yogurt drinks or (better still) in acidophilus capsules -- together with plenty of hydration. If things really have seized up, you could always give colonic irrigation a whirl.

jupiterimages

While dodging obvious calorie hazards, it's equally important to avoid apparently "healthy food" that has been dressed to the nines: "salard," for example -- defined as a meal that starts out green, good, and leafy but soon becomes heavy with cheese, egg, bacon bits, croutons, shards of Parmesan, Thousand Island dressing, and some leftover chicken wings, all loaded on board in a bid to jazz it up. Similarly, just because the words "pasta" and "salad" happen to meet on the side of a takeout container, it doesn't mean that the container actually holds a salad. It is cold pasta. With mayonnaise, flecks of tuna, and an afterthought of chopped red pepper. Just as a gym membership card alone will not make you fit, so a meal containing broccoli will not make you thin. Use your brain and stop lying to yourself.

jupiterimages

This is a stunningly simple way to eat less and still get a warm, full feeling in your belly. Soup, according to research from Penn State University, is a great appetite suppressant because it consists of a hunger-busting combination of liquids and solids. Simply eat it before a meal (in the traditional way) and you can lower your overall calorie intake by up to 20 percent (compared to a meal without soup).

jupiterimages

Make it a point to choose fresh, proper produce with a coating of earth, not shrink wrap. I know it's hardly a scoop to tell you that you'd do better to eat food as nature intended -- but let's just say that I'm covering all bases here. If your potatoes are fries and your chicken is nuggets, not only are you doing your mouth a disservice, you're doing your waistline no good at all.

Corbis

Aim for no more fizz, no more "soda" (such a benign word for such a fiendish thing), and none of that organic elderflower pressé, either. Drink water. From a tap. If the tap doesn't turn you on, buy a water filter. Thrill yourself with a slice of lemon, the clink of ice cubes and the thought that it's virtually free. Yes, you have to grow accustomed to the (lack of) taste -- but once you do, it's all you'll want.

Getty Images

Scientists at the University of Missouri, Columbia have found that "puttering about" is just as valuable and effective an exercise as pounding away at the gym. The research team discovered that many of the physiological changes in the body that arise between total inactivity and "puttering about" are more extreme than those between puttering and more strenuous exercise. A further survey, this time of almost 20,000 Scots, found that just 20 minutes of moderate exercise, such as gardening or housework once a week boosts one's mood -- and daily physical activity is linked to lower stress levels all around. So let's hear it for puttering -- the ideal way to dispel crushing metaphysical angst!

jupiterimages

The truth is, if we indulged even more often, we'd certainly be a fitter, saucier bunch. Beyond that, sex is well known to be a salve. It releases oxytocin, which begets intimacy and battles insomnia. It can improve self-esteem, combat stress, and also boost immunity to disease, linked as it is to higher levels of a natural antibody, immunoglobin A (IgA), which protects against colds and other infections. (Not exactly racy, I know. But interesting.) A half-hour romp uses up 150 to 200 calories -- about double the burn of golf, and easily twice the fun.

Getty Images

There's plenty of evidence to support the claim that laughter is good for you. Apparently, as we chortle, muscles in the face and body stretch, blood pressure and pulse rise and fall, and we breathe faster, which transports more life-enhancing oxygen through the body. Research shows that laughter is also the best medicine: It strengthens the immune system, reduces food cravings (woo hoo!) and increases your threshold for pain. A real honking belly laugh burns calories; tightens up the abs, diaphragm and shoulders; and, according to research presented at 2008's annual meeting of the American Physiological Society, reduces the amount of unruly cortisol coursing around your body. A simple smile exercises muscles in your face and increases the production of endorphins. Even a false smile can lift your mood. Try it.

Getty Images