Spice things up

Rather than relying on sugary sauces and fatty dressings, try restocking your spice rack more often. Calorie-free seasonings such as turmeric, black pepper, cayenne, chili peppers, jalapenos, and poblanos all have one thing in common besides making your eyes water: they’re packed with capsaicin. This compound can rev your metabolism and therefore can help you keep slim.

Sneak in a workout before work

According to a Japanese study, the timing of your workout plays a significant role in weight loss. The study found that when you exercise before breakfast, your body can metabolize about 280 more calories throughout the day compared to doing the same workout in the evening.

Meal prep

Put your free time during the weekends to good use. Prepping healthy, homemade meals and snacks can help you grab a quick meal without hitting up the drive-thru or reaching for convenient, processed foods that will cause weight gain.

Avoid dinner distractions

Here’s a good reason to keep your devices far from the dinner table: researchers at the University of Birmingham found that diners who were distracted at meal time consumed significantly more unhealthy snack foods later in the day than those who paid close attention to their food and avoided distractions.

Give your fork a break

Chewing thoroughly can also ensure you eat a meal at a leisurely pace, but there are other tricks you can use to slow down, too, like giving your fork a break between bites. A study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that slow eaters took in 66 fewer calories per meal, but compared to their fast-eating peers, they felt like they had eaten more. While 66 calories might not sound like much, cutting that amount out of every meal adds up to a weight loss of more than 9 kilograms a year!