Did you know that knowing certain facts before you eat might help you eat fewer calories?

Next time you are in need of a fast-food fix (once a year, right?), check the restaurant’s nutrition guide before ordering. People eating comfort foods after a bad day ate 69 percent less when they checked the calorie content before digging in.

“Unhappy people eat more fattening food because they believe it’ll make them feel better,” says lead author Nitika Garg, Ph.D., of the University of Mississippi.

“But knowing how unhealthy foods are takes away from the pleasure of eating them.” Decrease your binge risk by always seeking the facts.

But checking the calorie content every time you eat may be time-consuming and is not always practical. No worries, according to a recent study, you can cut your workout in half and still sprint away from fat.

In an Australian study, people who cranked out 20 minutes of high-intensity interval training 3 days a week dropped 10 percent of their body fat, while those who exercised longer but at a lower intensity didn’t lose any.

Ignite your weight loss by performing the study’s exercise-bike routine: Sprint for 8 seconds, then slow to an easy pace for 12 seconds. Repeat for 5 minutes. Go for longer as the sessions become easier. [source: Men's Health]