The best way to lose weight is to reduce the number of calories you take in and increase the number of calories you burn, through exercise. By making smart choices every time you plan a meal or reach for a snack, you can cut a lot of calories from your daily intake. Choose healthy snacks and meals that are high in fiber, and low in calories and fat, to improve your health and help your body shed the weight.
Cook With Fewer Fats
If you typically cook your vegetables and meats in olive oil or butter, cut it out to reduce calories. Instead, drizzle a little chicken broth in your pan and warm it up before tossing your food in. The broth will help prevent your food from sticking to the pan, just like oil or butter, but you can cut at least 100 calories from your daily intake quickly and easily. Each 1 tbsp. of cooking oil contains 120 calories.
Drink More Water
Sugary beverages, such as sodas, sweetened tea and juices, add a lot of calories. You don't get any nutritional value from drinking a soda -- just calories. Cut soda and sweetened beverages out of your diet to quickly cut calories. Instead, choose water, still or sparkling, with a twist of lime, or unsweetened tea. Even low-calorie diet drinks can contain about 10 calories per 8 oz. serving.
Make Smart Baking Substitutes
You can cut the most calories when you make your own food from scratch. Packaged prepared foods are often high in calories, so bake your own snacks and treats to control the number of calories in your diet. When your recipe calls for oil, replace it with the same amount of applesauce to cut calories and add fiber. In one brownie recipe, replacing the oil with applesauce could cut up to 900 calories. If you have a recipe that calls for eggs, use just the whites from the eggs to further curb calories.
Cut Wherever You Can
Read labels and think smart when you're shopping to cut calories from your diet. Choose skim milk over low-fat or whole milk. Buy low-fat or fat-free cream cheese and yogurt. Purchase whole-grain breads, crackers and cereals. And, watch your serving sizes. Use a small amount of cream cheese or mayonnaise on your sandwiches. Drizzle your salads with just enough dressing to barely coat the leaves.
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