Crazy ways to lose weight: fact or fiction?

You made your New Year’s resolution a week ago but despite fighting for a treadmill on three consecutive mornings and politely declining a coworker’s birthday cupcake one afternoon, that needle on the scale is just not budging.

Sound familiar? Who’s ready for a shortcut? We’ve scoured the four corners of the web to figure out if some of these wacky weight loss tricks actually work. Here’s what we found:

• CLAIM: SWAPPING YOUR COFFEE FOR MATCHA TEA CAN SHED POUNDS

Popular for centuries in Eastern countries, this neon green antioxidant-rich tea saw a popularity boost here in the states last year. In November, one woman told Harper’s Bazaar she lost almost 15 pounds over three months after changing up her diet and dropping her morning coffee in favor of matcha. She also sipped the tea in the afternoon as a mid-day snack. According to Yahoo Health, the secret ingredient is metabolism-boosting epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) that’s also found in green tea. However, a mug of high-quality matcha tea contains the same amount of EGCG as TEN cups of green tea! The folks at Panatea sell monthly subscriptions to the stuff, which comes in a concentrated powder rather than bags. They say its jitter-free energy boost make it the “healthy espresso of green tea.”

Our verdict: FACT … MAYBE. It wasn’t lost on us that the lady in the Bazaar article “changed up her diet” in addition to guzzling the matcha. So who knows what really caused her to drop those pounds. However, subbing in a cup of matcha for your afternoon candy bar might help curb those sugar cravings and get you through the rest of the workday, which we would call a win.

•CLAIM: A TABLESPOON OF COCONUT OIL BEFORE MEALS CAN TRIM YOUR WAIST

More than 20,000 people have shared a story from the The Healthy Home Economist that says taking coconut oil 20 minutes before mealtime will help reduce appetite and make you feel fuller with a smaller portion of food. The article suggests mixing hot water with two tablespoons or less of the oil (depending on your weight), to reap the benefits of metabolism- and energy-boosting medium chain saturated fatty acids (MCTs). Some people even put it in their coffee. However, the Mayo Clinic says only a few studies have found that coconut oil helps reduce waist size, and it still doesn’t lead to significant weight loss or improved body mass index (BMI). Also, the Mayo Clinic says coconut oil has more saturated fat than lard (!!). One tablespoon of the oil contains 13.6 grams of fat and 117 calories.
Our verdict: FICTION. Look, for that many calories, we’d rather have a skinny vanilla latte than a spoon full of oil that some commenters said made them so queasy they had to add herbal bitters just to keep it down. That said, we were intrigued by the concept. Please let us know in the comments if you successfully used coconut oil to lose weight.

• CLAIM: CHUG LEMON WATER TO DROP WEIGHT

Celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow swear that drinking hot water spiked with lemon keeps them slim and trim. But does that claim hold water? Women’s Health spoke to a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics who said the only way you’re likely to notice a difference in your waistline is if that citrus-infused H2O is replacing a soda or some other sugary drink you’d otherwise be having. However, Fit Day touts lemon water as a mini-detox that, when sipped in the morning, jump-starts your body’s cleansing process for the entire day. Fit Day also said the no-calorie beverage can also help curb cravings.
Our verdict: FACT, with conditions. Any dietician will tell you that staying hydrated is an important part of staying healthy. Most recommend eight glasses of water a day to keep the body’s waste elimination systems in tip-top shape, and that’s important for slimming down. If a squeeze of lemon in your water makes it more palatable, then go for it.

Of course, there are hundreds more weight loss fads out there, but most experts say there’s no such thing as a healthy weight loss shortcut. Eating a balanced diet, drinking lots of water and exercising regularly are the only true way to slim down. For sensible ways to lose weight, check out this post we did last week with help from PartnerMD.