How to Lose Weight With Gum

People are always trying to find alternate ways to help them lose those extra pounds. For some time, it was believed that chewing gum may be a supplement in aiding weight loss. Clinical studies have confirmed that chewing gum can minimize the intake of calories but not by a significant amount. So, if you're looking to use chewing gum as another tool in the fight for weight loss there are several things to keep in mind.

Instructions

• 1

  Chew a piece of gum 30 to 60 minutes before a meal or a snack. According to Worldwidehealth.com, chewing gum for 15 minutes of each hour for three total hours before eating an afternoon snack helped reduce hunger and calorie intake in a clinical study. The adults in this study ate 36 less calories than those who were allowed to snack without chewing gum. Thirty-six calories isn't an astonishing reduction but chewing on a piece of gum before each meal and snack will save you from those extra calories meal by meal.

• 2

  Switch out those high calorie snacks for low calorie fruits. As stated, chewing gum won't be solely responsible for a reduction in hundreds of calories. Instead, combine your gum chewing regimen with snacks under 100 calories such as: one apple or grapefruit; a cup of strawberries or baby carrots; half a cup of low-fat yogurt or a couple of tangerines. Now, instead of eating half a bag of potato chips or a bar of chocolate, you're chewing gum to reduce your appetite and supplementing it with a low calorie snack. The potential calorie difference can very well add up and contribute toward your weight loss.

• 3

  Use it during stressful situations. This is particularly important for those who are prone to snacking on foods and beverages when feeling stressed out. Replacing a 100 to 200 calorie quick snack of refined sugars and fats with a 5 to 10 calorie stick of gum could really help prevent setbacks to your weight loss goals. The chewing will relieve some pent up energy and keep you from grabbing those snacks nearby.

• 4

  Take advantage of the placebo effect. In most clinical studies of any kind there is often a placebo group, or a group who have been given a treatment that neither improves nor decreases their state of health. Often, those who have a high self-belief that the treatment will aid them experience positive benefits by being more consciously mindful of additional things that may help them toward their goals.

• 5

  Understand that chewing gum is only another supplement. Chewing gum is not the definitive answer to weight loss, at least not until a gum that actually makes you burn more calories is developed. The point of chewing gum in this case is to prevent you from eating high-calorie snacks, to help potentially suppress your appetite and to act as a placebo effect.