Reading Is Good for Weight Loss

Want to be a weight loss success story? It's simple. Pick up the nutrition stats on everything you eat out -- and really read 'em.

Yep, it's why that Jared guy from the Subway commercials lost so much weight. And a recent study of fast-food patrons in New York City shows it really works.

The Jared Effect
Customers who looked at posted nutrition information while waiting in line tended to make more calorie-conscious purchases when they stepped up to order. Researchers combed the ordering behaviors at 275 different locations of 11 popular fast-food chains in the Big Apple and surveyed close to 8,000 customers on a meal they had just purchased. When calorie counts for select menu items were posted, customers who reported seeing the information ended up eating 52 fewer calories. Find out how shaving calories can help slow down aging.

Nifty Fifty
If 52 calories sounds piddly to you, imagine what would happen if you shaved 50 calories off of every meal you ate. In just one day, you'd save 150 calories. Keep that up for a week and you'd be 1,050 calories lighter. Here are a few other calorie-shaving tricks to try:

• Keep dinner portions in check by starting off with the right appetizer. Here's what you should eat first.
• Save hundreds of calories in a single meal. Make this healthier version of sloppy joes instead of your traditional one.
• Get more satisfaction from fewer bites. Just use this easy mind trick.
• Don't strain your brain. Rely on these easy ways to cut 100 calories in a snap.

Hit a bump in the road with your weight loss efforts? Get back on the fast track to success with one of these proven plans.

Purchasing behavior and calorie information at fast-food chains in New York City, 2007. Bassett, M. T. et al., American Journal of Public Health 2008 Aug;98(8):1457-1459.