Katherine's Diet Tip #6: Sing in the Shower!

Today is Katherine's Diet Tip #6 for your spring awakening and pound shedding. Follow me in The Georgetown Dish every Monday with proven strategies to lose weight, improve your health or just increase your knowledge about nutrition. Through spring, we'll be losing weight together, so you'll be ready for the warmer days to come!

How does singing in the shower help you lose weight? Actually, yelling is more like it. And believe me, when you crank up that cold water, you'll hear some yelling!

There are bath people and shower people in the world. Some of us (me, for example), are "bi" - I love to relax both ways. I spend so much time submerged in water that I hit upon an intriguing way to lose weight.

When you're finished scrubbing and are ready to exit, crank up the water to as hot a temperature as comfort allows. Luxuriate for a moment, then turn it all the way to cold. (Pause for yelling) Stay under the cold spray for at least ten seconds. You'll actually feel your body temperature change and your body will turn to jelly.

Why in the world would I suggest such torture? Very simply, it's one of the most relaxing treats imaginable. Regular baths and showers help you relax. But this hot-and-cold finale will give you an unbelievable surge of energy.

The next time you get the urge to eat, even though you realize you're not hungry (it often happens in the evenings), you can assume that you're anxious about something. Now's the time for your bath or shower. You'll feel more relaxed and in control, and less likely to binge unnecessarily.

When I was working out my "nervous snacking" problem, some weekends I'd be in the tub five times a day! I felt it was better than indulging in non-hunger, nervous eating.

Use a daily bath or shower to get you over snacking urges, and you could potentially save 250 to 300 calories a day, and lose 26 to 31 pounds over the course of a year!

Excerpted from "Diet Simple: 195 Mental Tricks, Substitutions, Habits & Inspirations" (LifeLine Press) by Katherine Tallmadge