They keep saying, “Cut calories! Cut calories! Cut calories!” but usually forget to add how. Well, we’ve stepped into their shoes and bring you advice on how to cut down the number of calories you consume in a day. The best part is you do it in a manner that won’t cause you too much grief and suffering. Excited to know more? Read on.
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1. Don’t Go Nuts
An ounce (about a handful) of mixed nuts, oil roasted, has 175 calories. If you are in the habit of popping a few ounces every day, that’s a whopping 525 calories. Ideally, you should cut out on nuts completely, but if you must have them, switch to pistachios. Two handfuls amount to only 159 calories. Your best friend in dieting, I’d say.
2. Avoid Having Meals in Front of the Idiot Box
Research done by University of Massachusetts has discovered that eating while watching television can cause you to eat up to 288 calories more. So, two meals with your favorite soap opera and you are shoveling in an excess of 500 calories. What’s the solution? Eat at the table, duh!
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3. Watch What You Put into Your Salad
Gorging on that huge bowl of salad and congratulating on your healthy meal? Think again. All the goodies you added into your salad – croutons, crumbles, caramelized nuts, dried fruit, vinaigrettes, bacon, and avocado – have turned it into a powerhouse of calories. Choose only one topping for your salad and use half the dressing you normally would. Fortify the salad by adding more greens and veggies like grilled onion, roasted peppers, or mushrooms.
4. Go Easy on the Smoothie
If a large glass of smoothie is your idea of a breakfast on-the-go, you should know that it “smoothly” adds about 800+ calories per day. 800 calories??? And how many times a week do you guzzle down a smoothie? 3-4 times? Wow, that’s 3000+ calories already! Keep that figure in your head when preparing breakfast the next time and replace the smoothie with something low-cal like oatmeal with banana slices and brown sugar along with black coffee.
5. Oil It out!
When eating out, ask if you can have your meal cooked with stock in place of oil. Alternatively, you could choose poached or steamed entrées. Guess how many calories you save? 120+ calories for each tablespoon of oil. Do yourself another good turn - ask the chef to skip oils, such as chive or basil oil, that are added at the last minute. That’s another 40 calories per teaspoon.
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6. Fill Yourself up with Less
Have two poached or boiled eggs for breakfast. This keeps you feeling satiated for longer and you end up having 400+ calories less throughout the day. Similarly, before lunch and dinner, drink a cup of low-cal soup. That is another 130 calories less...for each meal. Do the math and find out how much you’ve saved.
7. Think Small for BIG Weight Loss
Love your desserts and after meal sweet treats? I won’t ask you to skip them altogether. I have a heart, you know. But, instead of the 12-ounce size of full fat ice-cream choose the smaller 5-ounce size. And for that gigantic double chocolate decadence you are eyeing, find out if they have a mini version of the same. You get to eat your favorite dessert and save up to 500+ calories.
On this sweet note I end this calorie-saving enterprise. Which one of these are you going to incorporate into your routine? One of them? Some of them? Or, all of them?
Top image source: rantsfromamadman.com
