Post-Holiday Season: 5 Chefs Share Smart Weight Loss Tips

We all occasionally experiment with different diets, especially during times 'prone' to weight gain like Passover.

While many start extreme diets, 5 chefs from around the world provide 5 winning tips for moderate and responsible weight loss that lasts over time.

American chef Jamie Oliver recommends choosing fresh ingredients and avoiding 'diet' labels. "Many products labeled as diet add sugars that are also very fattening and not healthy at all. I recommend sticking to as close to nature as possible and as fresh as possible, like vegetables, legumes, and fresh herbs, where the magic begins."

Another chef, Alisa White, recommends filling half your plate with vegetables. "Make sure your plate is always filled with vegetables, at least half of it. When vegetables are the base of your plate, it's not just colorful and beautiful, it's also healthy and helps with weight loss."

Chef Yotam Ottolenghi says to invest in textures that provide a dining experience because, beyond fulfilling hunger, we want to enjoy our food. "It's good to prepare it yourself at home and not buy outside. At home, you can control the amounts of fat and sugar."

Chef Rachel Ray states that seasoning with a lot of lemon and vinegar helps burn calories faster, and for fresh salads, it's better to skip the oil entirely and add vinegar instead.

Chef Thomas Keller says it's important to eat slowly and pay attention to every bite, to eat less. "In a busy and fast-paced generation like ours, with screens surrounding us from every angle, it's easy to be distracted when eating. If you want to lose weight, leave the screen aside while you eat and learn to enjoy mealtime. Pay attention not just to what you're eating but to how you're eating and how it feels."