Weight-Loss Hacks

Follow these easy strategies to drop pounds without counting calories.

- Elizabeth M. Ward, M.S., R.D.

STRICT DIETS are a drag, and excessive exercise isn’t healthy. Luckily, research shows that these simple fat-loss strategies can help you peel off excess pounds so you can perform at your full potential.

1 GET IN SYNC.

Calories do count, but meal timing is also crucial to weight control. The body’s circadian rhythms, which are driven by many different internal biological clocks, not only determine the times you’re alert and when you’re sleepy but also rule the efficiency of food digestion and metabolism, as well as the release of certain hormones such as insulin, which promotes fat storage. The old adage of “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen, and dinner like a pauper” has some scientific validity. Research has shown that consuming the majority of your calories earlier in the day, when the body is better at burning them, can help increase weight loss. Studies also show that the body can process carbs more efficiently in the earlier hours. To coordinate your metabolic cycles with meals, try taking in about 70% of your calories and carbs by 3 p.m.

2 GO NUTS.