Any good weight loss routine needs to be sustainable. It shouldn’t be something that happens quickly. You need something that forms new, good habits that you adopt for the future. Developing new habits takes time and that’s why success comes with slow and steady. This translates into a slight calorie reduction, most days over long periods of time. For example, a 300-500 calorie reduction each day over three to four weeks is likely to result in 1-2lbs of weight loss each week or 6-10lbs each month which is not insignificant. If you want to shed a few pounds, here are some easy ways to cut 500 calories from your day: so easy, you’ll barely notice.
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1. Reduce Your Coffee Size
If you like a latte or a cappuccino in the morning, then that is 60-100 calories right off the bat. Opting for a ¾ size cup rather than a full cup can actually save you up to 50 calories without even feeling like you have cut back on anything! Ditching the sugar and using an alternative can help you to save even more calories on top of that.
2. Switch Your Choice of Bread
Big, thick slices of bread like sourdough or focaccia can literally double the amount of calories in your sandwich. Swap out your normal lunch sandwich for something a little lighter like a tortilla wrap, a sandwich thin or even pita bread. You can still have all of your favorite fillings but you will be cutting calories by using healthier bread options! As much as 100 calories!
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3. Reconsider Sauces and Spreads
Did you know that a single teaspoon of mayo can be as much as 100 calories? Or that a spread’s worth of butter or margarine can be 30 calories? Before you reach for the sauces and spreads, have a think about whether you really need that extra layer of flavor, or if there are healthier alternatives that you can use instead to achieve the same effect.
4. Cut Your Meat Portions
We have become so unaware of normal meat portions thanks to the huge plates we get at restaurants these days. If you can stand to halve the size of your daily meat serving, then you could be saving as much as 150 calories per meal, and you can always make up the space on the plate by adding more salad and veg!
5. Ditch Filler Carbs
Things like pasta, white rice and couscous are things that we often add to meals as a ‘filler’ when we could have easily gone without them. Getting out of the habit of thinking that you need a carb portion for every meal can save you up to 150 calories a day.
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6. Grab One Less Snack
It is processed snack foods that are the worst for adding on sneaky calories to your daily diet. Force yourself to cut your snacking by one measly item each day and you could see returns of up to 100 less calories per day. Not bad for a single snack!
7. Go for Portion Controlled Snacks
If you buy a whole bag of popcorn for a movie on the couch, chances are you are going to eat that whole bag. However, if you buy an individually sized snack bag, then you can still eat the whole thing without having to worry about over indulging!
8. Swap One Fruit for One Veg
Even though both are great and healthy, there are more calories in fruit than in vegetables, so make the conscious effort to swap out one fruit snack for a veggie snack like carrot sticks to cut out up to 100 calories.
9. Choose Low Calorie Alcohol
Beer and wine can be the worst things for hidden calories going into your body. Avoid this by actively seeking out ‘lite’ and low calorie versions of these beverages; lots of advancements have been made to the point where you can no longer even tell the difference in taste!
You should find it easier to do these things than to simply deprive yourself and eat low calorie meals. If you want weight loss success, give it time and effort.
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