In weight loss, people tend to look at the big picture, which is to shed those extra pounds, and losing those pounds focuses on diet - more specifically, on what to eat, and what not to eat. However, weight loss is more than just that. As Oprah Winfrey told People magazine: "My greatest failure was in believing that the weight issue was just about weight." Weight loss is a very complex matter. As such, even little things may make a big difference in your weight loss.

Brushing your teeth may help you lose a few extra pounds. If you think you cannot stop eating or unable to resist the temptation to continue eating, brushing your teeth will change the flavor in your mouth, and thereby instrumental in ending the binge eating. Brushing your teeth earlier before bedtime may also change your mind about snacking before going to bed. Always take travel-size tooth brush with mint-flavor tooth paste wherever you go. This may help you shed a few extra pounds.

Spices may help weight loss by making you eat less. For one reason, when you eat a hot chili pepper or hot curry, you tend to drink more water, and water gives you a feeling of fullness, which may curb your appetite. For another, spices help you stop your sugar cravings. When you cook dessert, such as baked apples, pears, and sweet potatoes, always add clove, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and vanilla. These spices may satisfy your sugar cravings without giving you the fat, sugar, and calories that will add to your weight.

Studies have shown that people have a tendency to eat much more (about 40 to 70 percent more than they normally do) when eating with a group of people. The explanation is simple: people tend to follow the eating behaviors of the majority; on these occasions, the mealtime is usually protracted with social conversation and interaction, conducive to an environment of drinking and eating. To overcome this eating behavior, be the last person to start eating; let others start the high-calorie appetizers, and leave them to finish what is left on the dining table. Adopting this simple eating behavior pattern will help you reduce many unnecessary calories.

If you love chocolate and cannot resist the temptation of chocolate, simply switch to dark chocolate, instead of milk chocolate; this switch will save you hundreds of calories.

People who have a weight problem usually love to eat, and those who love food always prefer different varieties to satisfy their palate. Accordingly, food manufacturers have come up with a variety of flavors to lure consumers into trying each and every one of them. For example, one leading manufacturer of snacks produces as many as 150 different types of chips with different flavors and different texture in different packs, while another soda drink company offers hundreds of different flavors. Avoid falling into these traps. Stick to only one flavor - your favorite one. Don't even attempt to try every other flavor, thinking you will settle for the one you like best. The reality is that you may end up loving several ones, and this only gives you the excuse to eat more.

Trying different varieties may also apply to the combo in fast food restaurants. Go for a burger (the advice here is to avoid eating one totally) only, and not the fries and the milkshake. A cheeseburger with large fries and a milkshake will give you a whopping 1800 calories - more than what you will need for the whole day.

Going to bed 15 minutes earlier than you normally do may also help you lose weight. The reason is that sleep deprivation may reduce your body's production of leptin, a hormone that suppresses your appetite. By going to bed before your normal bedtime may help you get more sleep to increase your leptin. Also, you burn calories while you sleep.

Weight loss is more than just eating less. Every little thing you do may help you lose more.

Copyright (c) 2009 Stephen Lau