Calorific Dilemma

Looking for ways to cut calories but don’t know where to start? For many people, cutting calories can seem like something that requires a dramatically radical lifestyle transformation. But that does not have to be the case! You can cut calories by making small, but significant changes in your daily lifestyle. Radical changes are rarely sustainable but incremental changes can have long lasting effects and are a more practical approach to achieving your weight loss targets.

These ten easy ways to cut calories will highlight small changes that you can make in your daily routine to reduce your normal calorie intake. It’s really quite simple!   

Breakfast

Start the day by tweaking your regular breakfast menu just a tad bit. Skip the OJ and opt for some freshly squeezed fruit juice to kick start your calorie cutting lifestyle! Instead of eating two whole eggs, cut calories by scrambling 4 egg whites. If you feel like you just cannot give up pancakes and waffles, you can have pancakes without butter, and waffles without syrup. Opt for sugar free toppings instead! Pop tarts may be delicious and a convenient breakfast item, but if you want to cut calories, you should opt for high fiber toast with strawberry jam instead of pop tarts.

Beverages

We all love those cool, refreshing beverages that lift our spirits and quench our thirst. Unfortunately, they too contain calories which can easily be reduced. The next time you buy yourself a regular soda, share it with someone so that you only get half the calories. Substitute a regular soda with a diet soda and believe it or not, you will cut down on a whopping 97 calories! Have chocolate milk instead of chocolate milkshake, skim milk instead of whole milk, and light beers instead of regular ones and notice the calories dropping!

Snacks

Nibbling on snacks is a normal part of the day for many people. However, snacking on crisps and chocolates will only add extra pounds on your frame. Use fresh, crunchy vegetables as an accompaniment to your favorite dip or salsa. When you crave French fries, make a batch of baked fries for a healthy, delicious snack! Deep fried onions are delicious, but they are also fattening! Opt for succulent grilled onions instead. Did you know that pretzels have fewer calories than regular potato chips? Moreover, substituting Swiss cheese with mozzarella cheese will save an impressive 108 calories.  

Meat

Eat lean meat and trim all the visible, excess fat before cooking or preparing the meat. Avoid deep frying your food as this only amplifies the calorie content. Make it a habit to boil, grill or broil your food and cutting calories will soon become just another routine activity.

Alcohol

Did you know that changing the type of wine glass you use can affect your calorie intake? Use a traditional wine goblet and you consume a lot more alcohol than if you used a champagne flute. You can save up to 100 calories by having your alcohol in a champagne flute! 

Pasta

Pasta with rich sauces and meat makes for an absolutely delectable food item. But all that meat and sauce also amplifies your calorie intake by several hundred calories. To cut calories the easy way, add steamed vegetables to your pasta

Cereals

Breakfast cereals form a part of almost everyone’s morning meal. Many branded cereals, despite their claims, still contain a relatively high calorie count. Read the nutritional label on the cereal box and buy the high fiber cereals that state that you will get 200 calories or less per serving.

Butter and Margarine

Keep regular butter and margarine in your diet and those calories will just keep piling up. Opt for light butter and light margarine which contain half the amount of calories of the regular variety. Moreover, you should spray your non-stick pans with cooking spray instead of using margarine or butter. Whereas the former only costs you 6 calories, the latter sets you back 100 calories!

Fish

Canned fish is available in numerous varieties. Opt for fish that is canned in water as opposed to fish canned in oil. Fish in oil contains more calories than fish in water!

Portion Control

If you love starchy foods such as rice and pasta, and don’t wish to cut them out of your regular diet, then you should limit your portions by reducing your helpings by one fourth. This can save you between 40 to 65 calories.

Conclusion

The problem of excess weight plagues many people, and while it is tempting to undergo drastic transformations, it is often not practical. Bring about incremental changes in your diet by using these easy ways to cut calories!