Bizarre-but-Legit Weight-Loss Advice: Eat Like an Animal

Penguins, whales, and monkeys definitely know a thing or two about staying in shape.

Will Eating Like an Animal Really Help You Lose Weight?

In the human world, we often rely on crazy dietsand strict eating programs to drop pounds in a hurry. But the real answer to your weight-loss goals might actually lay the animal kingdom. Random? Yes. But just hear us out: Birds and beasts spend three-quarters of their waking lives acquiring and consuming food—but never get fat. Sooo, who better to go to for diet advice?

Here's what you can glean from five friends lower on the food chain.

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Eat Like a Penguin

Take a Break from Food

These aquatic birds fast for a month or more, but you need to aim for only a nightly 12-hour vacay from noshing.

The reasoning: People who stop eating earlier in the evening take in nearly 250 fewer calories per day, on average, than those who nibble late at night, according to Northwestern University research.

"When you fast, your body also uses up its preferred fuel and starts burning fat stores for energy," says Dana Hunnes, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., a senior dietitian at UCLA Medical Center.

RELATED: 9 Ways to FINALLY Lose That Stubborn Belly Fat

Eat Like a Whale

Don't Fear Fat

When young, these mega mammals subsist on milk 10 times fattier than what's in your carton. In the human realm, studies show that women who chose high-fat dairy were 8 percent less likely to become overweight or obese than those loyal to low-fat.

One theory: When you limit fat intake, you often eat more sugar and carbs, which are less filling.

Full-fat foods are higher in calories, but your body breaks them down slowly, so you feel satiated longer and eat less, says Kristin Kirkpatrick, R.D., wellness manager for the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute.

Eat Like a Sheep

Chew—a Lot

Really chomping your grub as if it's cud (we're talking around 40 chews) before swallowing may lower levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin, make you feel more satisfied, and reduce how much you eat later, says a review in Physiology & Behavior. (Attack your weight-loss goals with Women's Health's Look Better Naked DVD.)

"Chewing more makes you pay closer attention to what you're doing," Kirkpatrick says. When you take note of flavors, textures, and sensations—known as "mindful eating"—you take in about 300 fewer calories per day, researchers say.

RELATED: Chewing Obnoxiously May Help You Lose Weight

Eat Like a Cow

Guzzle Water

Staying as well hydrated as our bovine friends (who gulp more than 2,000 ounces of H20 daily!) can keep you from confusing thirst for hunger, Hunnes says. Plus, water takes up volume in your stomach, so you'll feel fuller.

Per a study in Obesity, downing 16 ounces of water a half-hour before each meal led to an average loss of 10 pounds in 12 weeks.

RELATED: 5 Ways Drinking More Water Can Help You Lose Weight

Eat Like a Monkey

Snack on Fresh Produce

Monkeys are the original locavores, grabbing fruit and leaves hanging nearby. Cornell University researchers found that women who do the same (set fresh produce out in the open) were 14 pounds lighter than those without a fruit bowl in sight.

Even when you're using the fridge, says Hunnes, "Cut up fruits and vegetables and pack them in small, clear containers so you're more likely to reach for them during the day."

RELATED: The 7 Best Weight-Loss Snacks That Aren't Fruits or Veggies

Along with produce, she suggests preportioning snacks that combine fat, protein, and fiber, such as hummus with whole-grain crackers, and carrots or celery with peanut butter and raisins.

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