There are two ways to lose weight – burn more calories or eat less of them. It sounds simple right? So why is it so difficult to lose weight?
Well, with these top 10, easy-to-follow tips to trimming calories painlessly, there are no more excuses...
1. Switch to low fat, low calorie versions of the foods you normally eat.
For example, switching from whole milk to semi skimmed milk will save you around 56 calories and 6.5 grams of fat a day of you use ½ pint a day. Over the course of a year this simple change could save you five pounds of body fat.
2. Snack smart.
That means planning what you eat between meals. Don’t leave it to chance and end up having to eat whatever is in the nearest vending machine. Bring your own snacks with you. Opt for low fat, low calories snacks like cereal and milk, crackers and breads, popcorn, rice cakes, fruit and low fat yoghurts.
3. Eat breakfast.
It might sound strange to say ‘eat to cut calories’, but research indicates that eating breakfast can prevent excessive eating throughout the day.
4. Watch how you cook.
Cut way back on fried foods and use the minimum of oil when you sauté or stir fry. You don't have to say goodbye to your favorites -- simply cook them in the oven instead of in fat! Boiling, steaming and grilling are also low fat ways to cook.
5. Choose leaner cuts of meat.
Limit your intake of processed meats like bacon, sausages, and sausage type luncheon meats like pepperoni or salami to cut calories. Choose the leanest cuts of meat that you can afford and always remove the skin from poultry and choose white meat whenever possible.
6. Have a smarter starter.
Begin each meal with a large salad or a bowl of veggie-packed soup to fill you up and prevent you eating too much at the dinner table.
7. Reduce your portion sizes.
Try cutting down by a third. The chances are you don’t need the extra calories and you don’t need to feel quite so full. It will help to try to eat more slowly so that you will begin to feel full as you eat. This will take a bit of getting used to but you will. Obviously, the number of calories you save depend on what you are eating, but over time this could save you pounds.
8. You don’t have to finish what’s on your plate.
Cancel your membership in the clean plate club, especially when you are eating out or eating take always. You don't have to waste half your meal - doggie bags are the perfect way to enjoy two fair-sized meals instead of one pig-out portion!
9. Be food aware.
Start reading food labels. Sometimes it can be difficult to know which foods are laden in calories and it’s easy to get caught out by clever marketing. Read articles on food and nutrition in your newspapers, magazines, on the net and here at eDiets. You can’t cut calories without nutrition know-how.
10. Watch what you are drinking.
You’d be amazed how much drinks can add to your daily intake of calories. Take a typical day – a glass of orange juice for breakfast (72 calories in 200 ml), a coffee with sugar at break time (20 calories), a can of coke through the afternoon (129 calories) and a couple of glasses of wine with dinner (approximately 200 calories). Not excessive exactly, but the total is around 420 calories! Watch the serving sizes when drinking juice or milk and try to stick to water as much as possible. Try giving up sugar in your tea and coffee and switching to low sugar drinks for a week. It will make a big difference to your calorie intake.