Switching to whole grains can melt away your belly fat. Penn State researchers compared two groups of overweight dieters: One group swapped white bread and pasta for whole-wheat products, while the other ate the same number of calories as the first group but did not make the switch.

Although all the dieters lost about 10 pounds in 3 months, the whole-grain eaters dropped twice as much belly fat.

The study authors credit the extra fiber and antioxidants in whole grains, which help control inflammation and insulin (a hormone that tells your body to store belly fat). (more…)

New diet dishes and flatware promise to make weight loss easier. But do some serve up self-hate instead?

The Diet Fork This sporklike utensil, Diet Fork, features tiny prongs that fit less food in every bite, forcing you to pace yourself. Coincidentally, a study from the University of Rhode Island at Kingston found eating slowly can help you consume less and enjoy your food more.

A fork that ups the yum factor for every meal while preventing overeating? That is cool! But would you ever use the Diet Fork? Are you going to carry the Diet Fork with you when you go out to eat? Probably not.

Personalized plate Customize your plate with a diet motto; write your own or select one of the sometimes shocking prefab versions “No seconds, fat ass” – hey, whatever works for you, but I think this one is a little mean. (more…)

You have probably never heard of the type of soluble fiber called glucomannan. According to a recent study, just 1 gram of glucomannan fiber may help your body slow the absorption of sugar after you have eaten a carb-heavy meal. (more…)

Stock up on Tabasco sauce. Eating hot peppers could help you lose weight, or so one Australian study claims. According to the study, overweight people increase their chances of burning fat after a meal that contains hot peppers.

How can hot peppers aid weight loss? It is all about controlling your insulin levels from going on a wild ride after consuming a meal. As you probably already know, insulin is a hormone responsible for fat storage in your body. In this study, participants who consumed hot peppers with a meal were observed to have significantly lower insulin levels. (more…)

1. Being unprepared Without healthy foods in the fridge, you are more likely to nosh on high-calorie foods. Stock up on low-cal foods like fruits and veggies, string cheese and yogurt and have an eating plan in mind. If you just grab the first thing that comes to mind, you are more likely to end up eating something unhealthy. (more…)

Are you a hot chick? Maybe you are, maybe you are not, but the question is: Would you like to know how to eat like a hot chick? Do you even care what hot chicks eat? If you are a hot chick, it seems reasonable to assume that you know what other hot chicks eat or maybe you do not, in which case you may find How to Eat Like a Hot Chick informative.

Here are some meal ideas from NutriFit founder Jackie Keller, combined with fun tips from How to Eat Like a Hot Chick author Jodi Lipper and Cerina Vincent. The trick: Eat three balanced meals a day and have two smart snacks (like string cheese, yogurt with granola or fruit and almonds). (more…)

You could visualize yourself fitting into a dress two sizes smaller, but one of the best get-slim motivators may be cold, hard cash, according to a study in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Employees who were promised $14 for every 1 percent drop in body weight shed about a third more pounds than those who received just $7 and more than double those not given any cash. (more…)

Bob Harper, the Blue Team trainer on NBC’s The Biggest Loser, has heard every excuse in the book for gaining weight. But in his book, Are You Ready! Take Charge, Lose Weight, Get in Shape, and Change Your Life Forever, Harper reveals the reason most diets fail has nothing to do with eating and exercising habits.

“It’s about emotional roadblocks,” says Harper. “It’s having a self-defeating attitude and saying, ‘I can’t do it. I’ll never be able to change.’” And in Are You Ready!, Harper explains how to take control of the emotional and mental aspects of fitness. (more…)