Over two-thirds of America is currently considered overweight or obese. Losing weight can be one of the most difficult undertakings an individual must overcome. In fact, over 95% of all diets fail. This is the time of year that many people put weight loss as their number one resolution. Unfortunately, this specific New Year’s resolution often falls flat before February rolls around.
However, losing weight doesn’t need to be difficult. As a matter of fact, it may be easier than you think if you follow some simple calorie-cutting tips like the ones presented here.
10 Easiest Ways to Cut Calories from Your Diet
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Use Low Calorie Condiments
A lot of times people think they are eating a healthy meal when in fact they are not. Take a salad for example. It may be packed with loads of healthy nutrient-rich vegetables, yet covered in fatty, creamy, sugary dressing. Condiments such as ketchup, dressing, BBQ sauce, and mayonnaise may add hundreds of additional calories to your meal. That salad might not be so healthy after all. Using low-calorie condiments such as mustard, hot sauce, and buffalo sauce will give you all the flavor without the calories.SEE ALSO: 7 Foods that Make Your Crap Look Weird>>
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Drink More Water
Thirst can be mistaken for hunger in certain circumstances. When the body is severely dehydrated, the brain senses the signals it’s receiving as hunger. It’s critical to drink enough water in your diet to prevent this from occurring. Drinking a full glass of water before each meal will also help limit overeating. Before a big meal, make sure to down a glass of that high quality H2O.SEE ALSO:How Much Water Do You Need?>>
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Drink Coffee Black
Coffee, when consumed in its purest form, contains only 5 calories per cup. Add in some cream, a few sugar packets, and that’s an entirely different story. In fact, your cup of coffee could end up having more calories than your morning bagel. Getting a latte from a national coffee chain might as well be diet suicide. Keep your coffee black and full of antioxidants. Your waist will thank you later.SEE ALSO:Think Coffee is Bad for You? Think Again>>
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Limit Alcohol
So you decided to go out and have a few drinks with the boys. A few turned into a handful, a handful turned into a dozen. Before you know it, you’re ten drinks deep, chomping down on some cheap delivery pizza. Each and every drink you consume will have a minimum of 100 calories, whether it be a shot, a beer, or a glass of wine. If you really want to get lean, eliminating alcohol is a great place to start.
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Use Portion Control
You know what they say- big plates mean one thing… big meals. Instead of grabbing that huge plate filled to the brim, grab the smaller plate. Go back for seconds later if you’re still hungry. People are much more likely to consume food when it’s right in front of their faces, leading to overeating and eventual weight gain. Focus on the quality of the food on your plate, not the quantity.
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Don’t Eat from the Bag or Box
Chips, crackers, cookies all come in large sized bags that should last through several sittings. However, when if you’re watching the latest episode of your favorite show there’s a chance you might get carried away. To avoid overeating, put a few on your plate and put the bag away. You could save several hundred calories by keeping the bag slightly out of reach.
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Go Easy on Oil or Butter When Cooking
Many recipes call for oil for cooking purposes. Just a single serving of oil may have nearly 200 calories and 16 grams of fat. A quarter of your daily recommended dietary fat intake may be consumed before taking a bite of your meal. Use zero-calorie non-stick cooking sprays to avoid those additional calories.
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Eat More Veggies
Vegetables are a low-calorie food rich in micronutrients. The high dietary fiber content will fill up your stomach without many added calories. Diets rich in vegetables aid in preventing diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. Fill half your plate with veggies. Get full without feeling guilty.
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Read Serving Sizes
People tend to neglect reading the serving sizes on the boxes of the foods they eat. The bag of chips may say 100 calories but that is based on a serving size of just 10 chips. Misreading nutrition labels can be a cause of concern as people may fail to see the actual caloric value. Read the bag and make informed choices.As we head forward into 2016, keep your weightloss goals in focus and do the little things in your diet that will lead to big results. Cut calories the easy way by following these steps without drastically altering your entire diet.
10 of 10
Stop Drinking Calories
The most popular beverages consumed by Americans are bound to make you gain weight. Soda, juice, iced tea, even milk are all packed with calories. Just one soda may have up to 200 calories. Over the course of a year, this is the equivalent of over 20 pounds. Drinking calories does not provide the satiety benefits that come along with chewing food and therefore will not satisfy your hunger. Keep the caloric beverages to a minimum. Stick to water and low calorie drinks.SEE ALSO:Drinking This Type of Juice Can Enhance Workout>>
A lot of times people think they are eating a healthy meal when in fact they are not. Take a salad for example. It may be packed with loads of healthy nutrient-rich vegetables, yet covered in fatty, creamy, sugary dressing. Condiments such as ketchup, dressing, BBQ sauce, and mayonnaise may add hundreds of additional calories to your meal. That salad might not be so healthy after all. Using low-calorie condiments such as mustard, hot sauce, and buffalo sauce will give you all the flavor without the calories.
Thirst can be mistaken for hunger in certain circumstances. When the body is severely dehydrated, the brain senses the signals it’s receiving as hunger. It’s critical to drink enough water in your diet to prevent this from occurring. Drinking a full glass of water before each meal will also help limit overeating. Before a big meal, make sure to down a glass of that high quality H2O.
Coffee, when consumed in its purest form, contains only 5 calories per cup. Add in some cream, a few sugar packets, and that’s an entirely different story. In fact, your cup of coffee could end up having more calories than your morning bagel. Getting a latte from a national coffee chain might as well be diet suicide. Keep your coffee black and full of antioxidants. Your waist will thank you later.
So you decided to go out and have a few drinks with the boys. A few turned into a handful, a handful turned into a dozen. Before you know it, you’re ten drinks deep, chomping down on some cheap delivery pizza. Each and every drink you consume will have a minimum of 100 calories, whether it be a shot, a beer, or a glass of wine. If you really want to get lean, eliminating alcohol is a great place to start.
Use Portion Control
You know what they say- big plates mean one thing… big meals. Instead of grabbing that huge plate filled to the brim, grab the smaller plate. Go back for seconds later if you’re still hungry. People are much more likely to consume food when it’s right in front of their faces, leading to overeating and eventual weight gain. Focus on the quality of the food on your plate, not the quantity.
Don't Eat from the Bag or Box
Chips, crackers, cookies all come in large sized bags that should last through several sittings. However, when if you’re watching the latest episode of your favorite show there’s a chance you might get carried away. To avoid overeating, put a few on your plate and put the bag away. You could save several hundred calories by keeping the bag slightly out of reach.
Go Easy on Oil or Butter When Cooking
Many recipes call for oil for cooking purposes. Just a single serving of oil may have nearly 200 calories and 16 grams of fat. A quarter of your daily recommended dietary fat intake may be consumed before taking a bite of your meal. Use zero-calorie non-stick cooking sprays to avoid those additional calories.
Eat More Veggies
Vegetables are a low-calorie food rich in micronutrients. The high dietary fiber content will fill up your stomach without many added calories. Diets rich in vegetables aid in preventing diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. Fill half your plate with veggies. Get full without feeling guilty.
Read Serving Sizes
People tend to neglect reading the serving sizes on the boxes of the foods they eat. The bag of chips may say 100 calories but that is based on a serving size of just 10 chips. Misreading nutrition labels can be a cause of concern as people may fail to see the actual caloric value. Read the bag and make informed choices.
As we head forward into 2016, keep your weightloss goals in focus and do the little things in your diet that will lead to big results. Cut calories the easy way by following these steps without drastically altering your entire diet.
Stop Drinking Calories
The most popular beverages consumed by Americans are bound to make you gain weight. Soda, juice, iced tea, even milk are all packed with calories. Just one soda may have up to 200 calories. Over the course of a year, this is the equivalent of over 20 pounds. Drinking calories does not provide the satiety benefits that come along with chewing food and therefore will not satisfy your hunger. Keep the caloric beverages to a minimum. Stick to water and low calorie drinks.
