How to Lose Weight Fast with 10 Weird Habits
Do you mind being a little weird if that’s what it takes for you to finally lose weight and keep it off?
One of my favorite questions to ask people is:
“What are you willing to do—which you aren’t doing now—that would help you lose weight for the rest of your life?”
Most people can probably come up with something on the spot, but the fact that they aren’t already doing that thing is proof that they aren’t actually willing to do it! If they were honest, they’d say:
"I don't want to do anything. Why can't I lose weight doing things exactly the same way I want to do them for the rest of my life?"
A lot of people are looking for a shortcut, but that’s not how it works. The body you want requires a different behavior than the body you have right now. If you want to get out of the ditch, you need to be willing to do things that people in the ditch might think are strange.
Here are 10 “weird” habits that will absolutely help you reach a healthy weight:
1. Go to Bed
When it gets late, stop what you’re doing and just go to bed. I know some people may say:
"But Joe, it’s not time for bed."
And well, guess what? It’s not time for eating either! Yesterday around 10pm, a loved one literally said to me:
"I could just go ahead and go to bed right nowor I could eat a little more."
I thought, “Just go to bed!”
2. Go to Bed Hungry
This is the consecutive part to the first habit, and some people really hate it when I say this one.
You may feel like it's ridiculous to not eat something if you’re feeling hungry, regardless of the time. In reality, it’s absolutely fine and actually normal. As a matter of fact, it’s actually better than going to bed feeling full or gorged!
Think about that and remember that unless you’re literally deprived of food and starving, hunger is not an emergency for you. It’s just a feeling and it’ll go away. You gotta learn how to embrace that hunger instead of running away from it. If you’re struggling with understanding this particular fight, read our Weight Loss for Dummies that breaks everything down into simple, repeatable steps.
3. Brush Your Teeth Early
For the people out there who don't brush their teeth, start doing it now. For those who already do, use this as a nighttime trick.
If you know that you’re prone to snack later in the evening—regardless of how much you’ve eaten that day—this could be a great trick for you. In the evenings and at night, food is just for entertainment, an escape, or an emotional bandaid. You don’t need it and your body is better off without it!
Brush your teeth early in the evening and don’t touch an ounce of food after that. This will serve as a signal that trains your brain to know when you’re done eating. Like Pavlov’s dog in reverse!
4. Say “No” to Free Food
I love this one, but man, I know it’s so hard. You go to your favorite place, and they’re walking around giving everybody a sample of cookies. Or you walk in to some restaurant or store and they say:
"You have these points on your card and can get a free cookie today."
That is so hard to pass up! It’s a normal reaction to think:
"It’s free, so I feel kinda obligated to enjoy it. Plus, I’m not paying for it. It doesn’t cost me anything!"
Who the heck cares if it’s free?! They ought to have to pay you a lot of money just to eat it.
If you’re trying to lose weight, why in the world would you eat a big ole slab of something just because it’s free? We’ve got to start thinking differently. Shift the way you think about the real meaning of free food. It’s not “free.” It does come at a cost. The cost of your commitment, your discipline, your goals, your health, etc.
5. Reverse the Drive-Thru Mindset
If you’re sitting in the drive-thru, you’re the perfect target for an upsell. How often have you heard:
"For eight cents more, we can supersize that for you."
You say “yes,” and then you get enough french fries to swim the English Channel. Why?!
Change your mindset. Just because you can get it double sized—even if it’s cheap or for free—doesn't mean you should still do it! If it only cost you 8 cents, would you double your weight overnight? Of course not!
This is how you should respond:
"Hey, you over there behind the microphone… I am overweight. And I don't want to be, so thanks for the offer, but I’ll pass!"
That’s a switch. I know it’s a little weird to think like that, or speak like that, but until you change your mindset, you won't transform your body. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck in the diet cycle forever! If that cycle has defined your life up to this point, read my journal entry on how to stop dieting.
6. Throw Away Half
I have to share this story about a guy who once said the following:
"One thing I do when we go out for a treat—because I love ice cream—is to go and ask the person for a kitty cup. And as they're getting ready to put ice cream in it, I say, 'Not too much.'"
Then he turns to the people he’s with and asks:
"Does anybody want half?"
If nobody wants half, he scoops half off and throws it right in the trash or the garden. And people hate that.
They typically say:
"How could you waste food? You could have given that to your dog."
But until you hate being overweight more than you hate throwing away a quarter's worth of ice cream, you’re never going to do the right things that will help you get a better life. Your health is of more value than virtue signaling about food waste!
7. Have an Apple Instead
If you’re thinking about eating something, simply have an apple instead. Now, I mean this for when you’re in these types of situations:
You’re having an unnecessary craving.
You’ve already had enough food to eat.
You can’t decide whether you want a candy bar or a pop-tart, you just know you want something.
People sometimes push back and say:
"Well, apples have sugar. They have carbs!"
Truth is, it’s just not the same as what you were going to eat. How many people are walking around with apple bellies? Because I haven't found them yet.
8. Learn The Magic Words “No, Thank You"
You can be both a really nice person and someone who says ‘no’ to every piece of cake.
I had a client named Paul who comes from a big traditional Italian family. He and his wife followed my program and she ended up losing about a hundred pounds while he lost about eighty-five. He once told me:
"Joe, we were visiting my mom and she’s Italian, so she always keeps bringing out food saying, 'Eat that! Eat that!' I was in the middle of changing the way I think, and finally, I just looked at her and said, ‘Mom, do you wanna kill us?’”
He said it in a joking way, but we’ve got to start thinking about the truth in that attitude. Are you really willing to go around with knee pain, fatty liver, heart problems, and diabetes just for the sake of being polite to others?
9. Bring Your Own Food
This one is next-level weird.
I was with a client named Sherry who had lost about 180 pounds. We went into a restaurant, and she pulled out her own salad dressing and stevia right from her purse.
What a champ. What a weird champ. She wasn't going to settle for what the restaurant had, so she came prepared.
So many of us choose to become victims of our circumstances. We say:
"I went to this party and there really wasn’t any other option but pizza and donuts. What was I supposed to do?"
You have to use your prediction skills to get ahead of yourself and bring your own food. If you need help shifting out of that victim mentality where you’re consumed by food noise and feel like you can’t win, try using distractions and other mental tricks for weight loss to regain control.
10. Leave a Bite on Your Plate
Leave a single bite of food on your plate at the end of a meal. Avoid paying attention to those who say:
"You’re wasting food! I could’ve done something with that."
It’s strange that a single piece of bread on your plate gets on some people’s nerves. When you leave food on your plate, it shows that you aren’t a compulsive eater and it proves that you’re in control. Every time you eat an extra bite that your body doesn’t actually need, you’re wasting it anyway.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is going to bed hungry safe?
Yes, going to bed slightly hungry is far better for your body and your weight loss than going to bed full or completely satisfied. It gives your digestive system a rest and allows your body to use stored fat for fuel.
How do I handle people who get offended when I say no to food?
Be polite but firm, your real friends will always support the decisions on your health journey. If you ever need to give them a short reason, just say, "I’m on a strict plan for the next month, but thank you so much for offering." Be polite, but firm. This is your body, not theirs!
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