Who wouldn’t love to shrink a size or two in time for summer skin baring fashion. Trying to lose those accumulated pounds is frustrating and at times overwhelming. Please try to hang in there though because there are simple little tricks that can help you through the dieting process. Read on for some really easy diet tricks:

1. Ice Cube Snacks. Feel the need to put something in your mouth even though you really should not be “hungry” per se. Suck on an ice cube. It is refreshing and calorie free. You can even add a drop of flavored water to the mix when preparing your ice cubes.
2. Spice Up Your Meal. Add some hot peppers to your recipes. Spicy foods heat up the body, so in order to cool down, your body requires calories, meaning an increase in your metabolism. When your body speeds up its metabolism it then causes you to burn more calories and lose weight. The only thing you changed was adding some tasty spices to the mix…so easy!!
3. Eat 50%. Whatever size plate you normally prepare for your self at each meal, cut a line down the center and eat only half. This way you learn portion control. You are still eating the foods you like, however, simply eating less of them.
4. Smaller Plate Trick. Another take on the Eat Half rule is the smaller plate trick. Instead of filling up your dinner plate with food, take a salad size plate instead. This way when you fill your plate it is less than filling the larger portion plate. You are still utilizing portion control and will consume fewer calories.
5. Drinking Water Works. There is a reason you have been seeing drink 8 cups of water a day for years and years. When you drink a cup of water or two before each meal it does fill you up. In fact drink this water about 10 minutes before you are ready to actually eat. This way your brain has a chance to receive the signal that it is feeling full. Friends, this is as simple as it gets!
6. 4 Hour rule. Grazing has been proven to keep dieters on track. If you eat frequent small meals throughout out the day you feel like you are ALWAYS eating, however, make sure the meals are small and healthy so you are watching calories and fat as well. For example: Replace skipping meals with frequent small meals and snacks every 4 hours. Have pineapple and lemon water for breakfast, soup for lunch, snack of egg whites, and chicken and salad (lightly dressed or not dressing at all) for dinner.
7. Keeping it ALL Natural. Try replacing the Snickers and Hershey bars with natural fruit and vegetables. The more natural your diet the more likely you will lose weight. We all have too many processed foods and chemicals in our diet. The natural lo-cal and fiber rich fruits and veggies will do wonders for your digestive health as well.
8. Diet Soda No-No. Speaking of chemicals. There is no nutritional value at all in diet sodas. They will not help you to lose weight and they are harmful to your health overall. Try brewing some green tea, add some natural honey to sweeten and pour over some ice. Healthy, tasty and natural PLUS, besides being a good source for anti-oxidants, it actually will rev up your metabolism too.
9. 30 minute Activities. Add just 30 minutes of exercise to your day. Everyone can find one half hour. If necessary break it up into 15 minutes in the morning and another 15 minutes in the evening. Make sure whatever you do that you get your heart rate up (make the activity strenuous enough that you are slightly out of breath). It can be as simple as fast walking and swinging/pumping your arms. It is beautiful this time of year. Go outside and get some fresh air. Walk 15 minutes in one direction and then return home for the second 15. You can alternate days of cardio and weight lifting as you progress.
10. Treats Allowed. Never allow yourself to feel deprived. This way you won’t “fall off the wagon” completely. If you are really craving chocolate…have a couple of bites and then stop. The key is learning how to limit yourself.

Bonus Trick: If after all the diet tricks and tips you are still having a tough time, its time to bring in reinforcements. Use an all natural diet supplement like Metabo-Speed. Metabospeed‘s unique proprietary results are laboratory designed to reduce weight by accelerating metabolism while reducing hunger. Increasing metabolic rate burns additional calories. More weight loss less hunger is a formula for success.

Jennifer Hughs is the pen name for the health and lifestyles writer who is compensated by Value Marketing, Inc. d/b/a Lab88. The author has 20+ years in the cosmetic and health industries and has worked with leading beauty and health publications.