10 Easy Ways to Cut Calories

Have you recently been packing on the pounds? Thinking about going on a diet? Maybe you don't have to! These 10 easy ways to cut calories may be just the push your body needs to start dropping those pounds.

1. Eat breakfast. It seems counter-intuitive, but research shows that people who eat breakfast eat less calories over the course of a day than those who skip it. Short on time? Grab a piece of fruit and eat it while you're traveling.

2. Don't drink your calories. Beverages such as sodas, specialty coffees, and sports drinks can have a huge caloric impact. Even "healthy drinks", such as juice, may be quite high. The worst part is that these are just empty calories. They do absolutely nothing to fill you up. Stick with water or another calorie free beverage.

3. Choose fat-free or low-fat versions. Many condiments such as mayonnaise and salad dressings are extremely high in fat, and thus high in calories. Switch to the low fat versions and you'll drop calories without even realizing it.

4. Want a snack? Try fruits and vegetables. When you're hungry in between meals, it's best to reach for a piece of fruit or some raw vegetables as a snack. These foods are significantly lower in calories than the usual candy bar.

5. Plan ahead. Not planning ahead ruins many diets. If you know you're going to be out of the house for awhile, make sure you bring a snack with you. If you're going out with friends and know that there's going to be a lot of fattening food around, eat a bit beforehand so that you're not quite so hungry.

6. Eat less meat. Meat has a lot more calories and fat than vegetables. By eliminating meat from a few of your weekly meals, you'll also be eliminating calories.

7. Fill up on soup or salad. If you eat salad (with low calorie dressing on the side) or soup (clear broth, not cream-based) before your main dish, then you'll have less room in your stomach for the higher-calorie foods.

8. Use smaller plates. Portion control plays a significant part in diet. By using a smaller plate, you will trick your mind into thinking that it's eating more food.

9. Use sprays. There are many low-calorie sprays out these days which can help you reduce calories while still giving your foods a taste of the high-fat version. Look for butter sprays and salad dressing sprays.

10. Stop eating 3 hours before your bedtime. Most people do a lot of their snacking late at night. If you set a goal of not eating anything three hours before you sleep, you will begin to eliminate these late night binges.

Not everyone requires a serious diet in order to lose weight. By cutting just a few calories here and there, you may be able to lose weight without feeling deprived.


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Ways to Cut Calories and Still Enjoy Your Food

The following are ways you can effortlessly shave calories from you daily intake without feeling deprived. Eating healthy is about making conscious choices when you go to the grocery store, plan you meals or sit down to eat.

Eat breakfast! You have heard it said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If you do not feel hungry in the morning you could drink a healthy shake. It will not feel like you are eating a meal but will break the fast of the night's sleep and jump-start your metabolism. If you skip the morning meal you will be ravenous by lunch time and end up eating way too much food at one time.

Eat like a bird. It is better to eat little meals during the day rather than wait and eat one huge meal. Eating too much food at one sitting is way to hard on your digestion. You body has to work hard to break down huge amounts of food. If you eat little meals spread out during the duration of the day you will have a steady high energy level and maintain your blood sugar at a consistent and safe level. If you do plan to indulge in alcohol you will not be putting it in an empty stomach.

Move your body. Keeping your body in motion keeps your metabolism working for you. this will not only keep you in a better mood but will go a long way toward burning off ingested calories. A body in motion also aids digestion.

Cheating. If you do choose to cheat with alcohol or extra desert you can tell yourself this is okay but does mean an extra half hour at the gym. The choice to take in extra empty calories needs to be balanced out with extra activity.

Drink Water!! Water is like a wonder drug. If you let your body get dehydrated you will suffer from many ill effects. If you blood pressure runs low and you let yourself become dehydrated it can cause you to pass out. Spring water is probably the best choice and adding a little squeezed lemon will raise the PH balance which does wonders for your body. One trick you can try to keep from overeating at a meal is to drink a large glass of nice cold water 15 or 20 minutes before eating. You can add sugar-free flavoring to your water if you don't like drinking plain water. Remember, even though coffee is made with water it does not count toward hydration and certainly no pop drinks count!!

Snack time. Life gets pretty busy for most of us and finding time to eat a proper meal can be a challenge. You do not want to go too long between meals so little snacks do wonders to keep your metabolism working. Carry a healthy snack with you that is not loaded with fat or sugar. Women need to keep a snack between 80 and 100 calories and men between 100 and 120.

Think ahead. If you are eating out choose a place where you know you can get a healthy balanced meal. When in the grocery store only purchase foods that you know are healthy, good choices. If there is no junk food in the house you will not be tempted to indulge in empty calories.

All you can eat buffet. This is a dangerous place to eat. The food all looks so good and even taking small amounts of a few choices will overload your plate in a hurry. Then there is the temptation to make a return trip. NO, NO... do you really still feel hungry? Wait 10 minutes before grabbing more food. If after waiting for your food to digest a little and getting your mind off the steaming yummy foods behind the shield you still feel a little hungry then go ahead but only one or two very small tastings. If you feel you must have dessert then choose a little fruit or something sugar-free. Remember sugar-free desserts usually have added fat content to make up for the missing sugar rush so eat a tiny portion.

Avoid empty calories (like junk foods). Eat foods that have nutritional value and fiber content. Empty calories do not stop hunger, add tons of unnecessary calories, and cost a lot. If you eat foods that have actual food value it will keep you feeling full longer and fill you up quickly. This way you can eat less food effortlessly.

Enjoy your food. Part of enjoying others and their company is sharing meals. Enjoy the food you eat but don't forget to think about healthy food choices when you order or fill your plate at a party. It is not necessary to be afraid of food. Food is something to be enjoyed. If you know you have made a good choice of foods then you can relax and enjoy how the food tastes without feeling guilty. When you are full... STOP eating.

Dessert. Dessert is going to contain sugar, fat, starch and salt. Oh no! All this means yummy but also means lots of empty calories. Eating dessert is okay but keep the portion a taste rather than a honking huge portion. If you eat pie, for example, you can save calories by leaving the crust. If it is cake you can leave the frosting. Plain ice cream without added fudge topping or whip cream will save a lot of needless calories and still satisfy your sweet tooth. Probably the best way to satisfy that sweet craving is eating a piece of fruit.

Little plate. If you use a small plate for your meal you can fill it and still have a smaller portion. Leave a border around the edge of the plate and don't pile it up high. One piece of pizza does not mean a piece the size of have the pie!

 
Sit down to eat. Do not eat in front of the TV or eat on the run while driving. Eating is a time to relax, enjoy your food and savor the flavor. Eat slowly to aid digestion and let your stomach fill naturally. If you are gulping down your food you do not have time to taste it nor know when you have had enough. One you feel full... STOP!

Cutting portions. To cut down on the amounts you eat you can eat meals you would normally eat but break it up into separate meals. For instance, if you decide to eat soup and sandwich you can have a sandwich for lunch and then a couple hours later eat a bowl of soup as a snack. This gives your body time to digest the food and keeps you full all day with smaller meals and ultimately less food consumption throughout the day.


Eating healthy and making healthy food choices is easy if you know how. To learn about healthy eating please visit my website http://newyearstraditionalfoods.blogspot.com/ This is the first day of the rest of your life. Make it a healthy one!

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Ten Simple Ways to Cut Calories

Seemingly healthy foods can be a surprising source of calories. Follow these ten fantastic ways to cut calories to help you reduce the calories (and yes, fat) that you eat.

One: Limit your alcohol intake. Alcohol may be fat free, but it still carries 7 calories per gram, or about 70 calories per ounce. The higher the alcohol proof, the more calories it contains. Also, lets not forget the fact that if you're partying and drinking alcohol, you can much more easily be persuaded to eat foods that you normally wouldn't want to.

Two: Simple switching to a smaller plate size can greatly reduce your caloric intake. You will find yourself eating portions more close to those suggested in your diet - which will help you count your calories as well.

Three: Down size - Don't Super Size. If you ARE eating at your favorite fast food restaurant, try ordering for yourself from the kids menu - or get the smallest popcorn at the movies. This way, you're not always denying yourself some treats - but your also not over doing it with those huge super-sized servings,

Four: Forget "Family Style" Eating: Fill your plate in the kitchen and eat in the dining room. Or just fill your plate at the stove and bring it to the table. Having bowls and platters on the table with you, is just asking for the temptation for seconds. Besides - think of all the dishes this will save you from having to wash!

Five: Eat Slowly. It takes 20 minutes for your brain to register the fact that your stomach is full. Try putting your fork down and taking a drink of water between bites. Don't put the next bite on your fork until you have swallowed the previous bite. Do whatever you can to just slow down your eating.

Six: Eat of plates. Never nibble from the package or bag. Measure out a serving and put it on a plate. Nibbling can add up in calories very quickly. Eating only from a plate or a bowl allows you to see exactly how much you are eating and helps you to do better portion control.

Seven: Fill up on plant food. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains (no sauces, butter or oils on them), takes up room! It makes you feel fuller and you'll be less likely to snack on something high in calories. A 1 inch cube of cheddar cheese has the same caloric count as 8 ounces of bran flakes.

Eight: Switch to lower fat dairy products. Dairy is one great area where the lower fat types are the best. Low fat or no fat cottage cheese tastes the same but has significantly fewer calories. For example, an 8 ounce glass of whole milk contains 150 calories, but the same amount of skim milk has only 85 calories.

Nine: Dull is Better. At the salad bar, shiny means that a thick coat of oily salad dressing has been applied. Vegetables that shimmer usually have butter added to them and muffins that leave a grease slick on your napkin have more calories than ones that don't.

Ten: Cook the 'B' Way. Broil, barbecue, bake (on a rack) or braise meats. This will save you lots of calories over frying, sautéing and stewing because the fat has a chance to drip away from the meat.


Following these ten tips should help significantly with your weight loss goals. Check out more ideas and tips, as well reviews of the top internet diet plans at Fat Loss Reviews [http://www.annejamieson.com]

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