Here is one of my favorite “diet hacks.”

Scotch. Scottish Whiskey.

You’re probably wondering how this is a diet hack.

Simple.

It’s because it will save you lots of calories.

An ounce of scotch contains about 70 calories. That’s less than a glass of wine (about 120 calories) or a bottle of beer (about 140 calories) – but that’s not the real “hack.”

Let’s say you go out for drinks with your friends. The guys order beer, the girls order wine, and you order a scotch.

Most people assume that an ounce of scotch has a lot more alcohol content than a glass of wine or a bottle of beer, but that isn’t the case.

This is where the “hack” comes in.

You can nurse your glass of scotch for an hour, and no one will ask you if you’re on a diet – and no one will push you to keep up with their drinking.

Your friends could down three beers or half a bottle of wine, and you’ll still be nursing your first ounce of alcohol.

If you’ve had two ounces of scotch while your friend has had six beers, you’ve saved yourself more than 500 calories – as well as a lot of bloating and a bad hangover.

Of course you could just have water, but with this “diet hack,” you get to enjoy a scotch slowly, the way it should be enjoyed, and you drink only about 70 calories while your friends drink hundreds. And you’re still able to be “social” and drink with your friends.

Again, the obvious ultimate “hack” is to drink water. But if you’re going to drink socially, you may as well drink the good stuff.

There are some people you shouldn’t trust to give you good weight loss and muscle building advice.

Your friends, family members, and even trusted fitness personalities might mean well, but the advice they offer could lead you astray.

These people can be called the “Early Adopters.” Does this conversation sound familiar to you?

“How’s that new workout you’re trying?”

“It’s great! The pounds are just disappearing!”

If you’ve heard that conversation before, you’ve been in the presence of an Early Adopter.

Early Adopters get excited about a new diet or a new workout routine – simply because it’s new.

They will give you great advice about the program, but only because they are still new to it.

A month from now, they may completely change their tune about their great new program, so you shouldn’t take their advice too seriously.

If your friend just started CrossFit and he thinks it’s the greatest thing ever, ask him about it again in six months. If your mother just started the Eat Stop Eat program and is really excited about it, ask her about it again in six months. If your brother says he’s gaining muscle because he’s getting more protein, see how he looks in six months.

Early Adopters will try to sell you on their new program any chance they get, but they’re not the best people to give you advice.

If you hear or read about something that seems too good to be true, you may want to ask yourself if you’re hearing from an Early Adopter.

Give them a little time. Let the newness of the program wear off. Then ask them for their thoughts again.

You may get a more honest response.

Here’s a trick to not eating more than you need to eat.

Throw it out.

Yes, you paid money for it. Yes, there are hungry people in the world. Right now, that’s not important.

If you can master this one trick, you’ll see tremendously better weight loss results.

Is your house full of candy on the day after Halloween?

Throw it out. You don’t need it.

Keep enough for the kids, and throw the rest away.

Is it the day after a birthday party, a retirement party, or a holiday gathering?

If you have leftover sweets, you’ll be tempted. Why do that to yourself?

I know it causes you guilt to throw food away, but you need to learn to win this battle.

If you keep the food, you’re paying to have more body fat than you want.

If you keep it, you’ll eat it.

Use this trick for leftovers too.

It’s OK to keep some healthy leftovers, but you don’t need to hang on to half of a two-day-old pizza.

This is one of the hardest Diet Hacks to learn, but it pays off.

“Treats” are for celebrations. Treats that are saved only lead to body fat.

Learn to throw it out.