Being a picky eater can be a pain when you're trying to find something to eat, and even more so when you're trying to find something healthy to eat. But just because you prefer certain foods and can't stand others doesn't mean you're up a creek when it comes to weight loss. A few simple tricks can help you shed the pounds to help you meet your weight-loss goals.
Use Healthy Substitutions
Some of your favorite recipes might not be diet-friendly, but just changing a few ingredients or even the way you cook them can make all the difference. For example, if you use a lot of ground beef in your recipes, consider switching to ground turkey, which is lower in saturated fat and calories. Grill, broil, poach or bake your food instead of frying it in oil. Switch to low-fat or fat-free dairy products like skim milk, cottage cheese and yogurt. Chances are you either won't notice a difference, or you'll get used to it in no time.
Drink More Water
One of the easiest tricks for losing weight can be easily adopted by the picky eater to help you eat less of your favorite foods: drinking more water. Since water is calorie-free, you can drink virtually as much as you want without it affecting your weight loss. Drink an 8 oz glass of water before each meal to curb your appetite. When you feel hungry throughout the day and want to reach for your favorite snack, have a large glass of water first, then decide if you still want to munch. Drink water instead of fruit juices and soda which contain empty calories.
Increase Fruit and Vegetable Intake
Even if you stick to your favorite two or three fruits and vegetables and don't branch out, you're still doing better than most people when it comes to balancing out your diet. Find new ways to prepare your favorite fruits. If you like bananas, consider adding one to a protein shake for a delicious smoothie. Add your favorite fruit to a salad to give it some pizazz. Grill your vegetables with a little bit of olive oil and some spices rather than just boiling them to give your dinner plate some variety of taste and texture.
Count Calories
You may be worried about the amount of your favorite foods you eat throughout the day, but it doesn't have to be that way. Counting calories is actually pretty simple once you know where to look. Make a list of your favorite recipes and look up the calorie amounts of each ingredient, then divide by the number of servings in the recipe. Keep a small notebook with you to keep track of everything you eat during the day, even if it's a small snack. Once you get in the habit, it will become second nature. You can still eat your favorite foods, but write down how much you eat to keep it in check. Keeping track of your calories will help ensure you don't eat too much and keep you on track for your weight-loss goals.
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