Calorie Cutting Ideas

Let’s face it:  We are a nation obsessed with dieting and weight loss. It’s repetitive, really. We make a resolution at New Year’s to lose pounds and shape up, then burn out after a few weeks to slack off for the rest of the winter months.

Then, as summer approaches – and with it the threat of having to wear a swimsuit – we take up the cause again in a frenzy. Sound familiar?

So why do we fail? Trying to do too much at once is usually the culprit. Jumping right into a crash diet and rigorous gym routine is what causes burn-out; best to start small by cutting a few calories first.

And that doesn’t mean having to go hungry. There are a few tricks you can employ to shave calories off your diet and not even notice:

• Switch to all natural sweeteners like stevia, xylitol, or turbinado sugar. Try to avoid artificial sweetener like Splenda or Truvia. because they are not healthy options.
• Replace soda with healthy options like herbal teas and even carbonated waters like LaCroix. Diet soda, or a low-calorie drink like Crystal Light should not be your top options for healthier drinks.
• Read labels at the grocery store – compare everyday products and choose one with fewer calories; you’d be surprised how fast it adds up.
• Leave the salad dressing to the side – dip each bite into it instead; it cuts the amount in half!
• Have a couple of nice, cold crunchy pickles with your sandwich instead of potato chips – don’t laugh, it works!
• Having dessert? Cut the bottom crust off of pie or the bottom layer off the cake – you won’t even know it’s gone, and you’ll save yourself about 100 calories!
• Swap beef for chicken – and make sure it’s skinless.
• Use butter-flavored cooking spray to prepare food in the skillet instead of oil.

Little changes like this add up in a big way; you can take a 2,000 calorie diet down to 1,500 without even feeling it, losing a couple of pounds gradually in a way you can keep it off.