At any given time, over 40% of women report being on a diet to lose weight. Many people are constantly looking for ways to become slimmer and healthier. And, while most of us now realize that there are no magic bullets, it's nice to know the little tricks that can help improve our success at losing weight and keeping it off.

One study reported by the UK Tea Council examined the effects of caffeine and green tea on weight loss and maintenance to see if either substance could provide benefit in losing weight and keeping it off.

The study evaluated 76 people who were either overweight or moderately obese. During the study, participants were placed on a very low calorie diet for a period of four weeks, after which they were placed on a weight maintenance program for three months. Some of the participants consumed caffeine and some did not.

During the weight loss period, the subjects lost an average of 5.9kg. Those who consumed caffeine lost more weight than those who did not. They also reduced their fat mass and waist circumference more than those who did not consume caffeine. During the weight maintenance period, all of the subjects received either a green tea/caffeine supplement or a placebo. They were instructed to continue their normal caffeine consumption.

During the weight maintenance phase, subjects who took the green tea/caffeine supplement continued to lose weight, even if the only caffeine they consumed was in the form of the supplement. Those who were high caffeine consumers did not see a significant effect from the green tea/caffeine supplement over what they were already experiencing from their caffeine intake.

This study showed using green tea can be an effective way to help you lose weight, even without additional caffeine consumption. This is important news for those who wish to lose weight, but have difficulty with caffeine. Because green tea is much lower in caffeine content than most other caffeinated beverages, it is better tolerated than many other forms of caffeine. For those who do tolerate caffeine well, nearly any caffeinated beverage seems to help you lose weight.

We have just begun to learn the health benefits of green tea, and more research is needed before we can have irrefutable evidence of exactly what benefits it provides and how. But, in the meantime, there is a lot of anecdotal evidence that suggests that green tea offers many benefits both in the area of weight control and other health issues.

In other studies, green tea has been shown to regulate blood sugar naturally, which could be of significant value in the fight against obesity and diabetes. Those whose blood sugar is out of control often have trouble losing weight and are often pre-diabetic, meaning that their blood sugar numbers are high, but not high enough to be classified as diabetic. If green tea can help regulate blood sugar, it may help those who are overweight and those who are pre-diabetic get their blood sugar numbers under control without medication.

Green tea also has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, another illness that often plagues those who struggle with their weight. It appears that green tea reduces the health problems associated with a high level of LDL cholesterol, one of the most significant factors in heart disease.

LDL cholesterol is the "bad" cholesterol that turns into plaque and sticks to our arteries, causing narrowed arteries. Narrow arteries mean restricted blood flow, which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Green tea appears to prevent the LDL cholesterol from hardening; the process that causes it to stick to harden and stick arterial walls. If the LDL cholesterol cannot harden and stick to the arterial walls, then it does not pose the threat that it normally would.

Another important possibility that green tea may offer is the ability to prevent some forms of cancer. This also is good news for those struggling with their weight, as the overweight are at a higher risk of many forms of cancer than those who maintain a normal weight. Green tea has been shown to reduce the risk of breast, prostate, digestive system, lung and pancreatic cancers. We know that, in particular, the overweight are at a higher risk for breast and digestive system cancers.

If you're struggling with your weight, there's no substitute for a healthy diet and regular exercise. Only consistent effort to eat a healthy, low fat and high fiber diet along with an exercise routine you can stick with will provide long term success in maintaining a healthy weight. However, understanding the tips and tricks that can speed your metabolism and burn more fat can help you reach your weight loss goals more easily and ensure that the excess weight is gone for good.