When you are trying to lose weight or follow a healthy diet, it should never be a temporary thing, and should be a life style change. It is never a good idea to say that you are going on a diet because diets end. And, what are you going to do after your diet is over? Go back to eating the way you were before your diet? Since it isn’t a good idea to go on a diet, there are many ways that you can cut calories out, and not even feel like you are missing out on anything. Some easy ways to cut calories are:
Decrease your portion sizes
You don’t have to be on a diet in order to eat smaller portions. Many people eat too large of portions because they don’t know what a correct portion size is. For example, many people could easily eat 2 cups of pasta, but a portion size is actually only ½ cup. A serving of grains is 1 ounce, which is 80 calories. By eating the correct portion size of pasta, you will save yourself 240 calories! This goes for all types of foods, and can really make a difference in daily calorie counts.
Use a smaller plate
Many people grew up being taught that they had to finish everything on their plate. Even though they are adults now, and no one is telling them that they have to, they still clean their plate out of habit. Although they were probably told that to make sure they were getting proper nutrition, in reality, now they are probably overeating. Using a smaller plate for your meals is really just a way to trick yourself, but really can cut down on a lot of calories if you are someone who eats everything on your plate.
Don’t drink your calories
It is important to stay hydrated, but what you are drinking can really make a difference too. Water is calorie free, and is a much better choice to high calorie juice, soda, alcohol and energy drinks. Some people don’t like the taste of water, but adding lemon to your water can make it much more enjoyable. You might even want to consider giving up your morning latte as some of them contain over 200 calories! Freshly brewed coffee or even replacing the milk with fat free milk and leaving out the whipped cream is a much better option. See also:
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Stop eating when you are full
Sometimes food is just so good that you can’t help but take a couple more bites, even after you are already full. When you are full, your body is trying to tell you something – to stop eating! By listening to your body and not taking those last couple bites, you will not only be saving yourself some unwanted calories, but you will most likely feel better after your meal because you will not have overstuffed yourself.
Avoid any unnecessary fat
Have you ever ordered a pizza and when you lift it up to take a bite, the grease just drips off? Have you ever tried to blot the grease off, and 3 napkins later, the pizza was finally ready to eat. Blotting the grease didn’t really change the taste of the pizza did it? And, it probably made it less messy to eat too. Extra fat adds extra calories, so removing added fat from our food removes extra calories without changing the taste. You can do this by cutting the fat off of meat or removing the skin from poultry before eating it. Even when you go to a movie and ask them not to add any butter to the already buttered popcorn can make a difference. So, whenever you have the option to eliminate unnecessary fat, it is a good idea, and can actually save a lot of calories.
Eat healthy snacks
Some people get hungry between meals, causing them to overeat at their next meal. Planning healthy snacks between meals can help prevent you from getting so hungry. You may want to prepare snacks ahead of time so they are available when you are hungry. Low calorie snacks such as a piece of fruit or yogurt are good choices.
Try to cook at home more often
It’s no secret that fast food or even restaurant food can be very high in calories. It is so easy to stop at McDonald’s on your way home from work and pick up a hamburger and fries. Then you don’t have to cook when you get home. It’s easier, but is really going to add a lot of calories. When you cook at home, you know what you are cooking and how you are cooking it, so can probably figure out how many calories you are eating. You can even look for recipes for your favorite meal that you would have gotten at a restaurant.
If you do eat out, choose lower calories options
Sometimes it just isn’t an option to cook at home. Maybe you are away from home or really don’t have the time, so you have to eat out. Try to make better choices by choosing something lower in calories if you do have to eat out. Avoid foods that are fried, contain a lot of cheese, are breaded or battered, or contain cream based sauces or creamy dressings. Look for foods that are baked, grilled, or steamed. You can also order appetizers for a smaller portion and ask for sauces or dressings on the side.
Try to avoid empty calories
Avoiding high calorie foods that don’t add any nutritional value to your diet is a very simple way to cut calories, and you don’t have to be on a diet to do it. These would include foods such as cakes, cookies, chips, etc. You know which foods you should try to avoid. You don’t have to completely cut them out of your diet, but cutting down on the amount you eat can save a lot of calories.
Eat to live, not live to eat
We all like food and like to eat, but the reason we eat is to keep ourselves alive and keep our bodies functioning properly. Think about that when you are eating. You need to fill your body with good, healthy foods that are lower in calories because you want to keep yourself alive and healthy. Eating unhealthy foods because just because they taste good and you like to eat is not going to benefit you in any way. It is going to add calories, cause you to gain weight, which can lead to a whole list of health problems. Try to make it a habit to eat foods that are good for you.
These are just some of the ways you can cut calories out. Even just cutting out 100 calories a day can make a huge difference. That adds up to almost 1 pound in a month and almost 10 pounds in a year!
