Thursday, September 15, 2011

Five Painless Ways to Cut 500 Calories

If you’ve been sticking to a healthy diet and have seen results, that’s great! But after a while, you may experience something that is all too common on a weight loss journey — a plateau. Don't stress! A slowdown in weight loss is totally normal at this stage in the game.

There are many things you can do to get past a plateau. Ramp up your exercise routine by adding an additional gym day each week; look for ways to squeeze in extra cardio during your normal day; or consider making a slight change to your eating habits. Cutting a few hundred calories a day is a good place to start, and you may not even notice that they're gone! By eating just a bit less at each meal, you’ll also be practicing healthy appetite control. Here are some ideas:


  • Downsize it! Order a small instead of a medium. Go for the smaller-sized tortilla instead of the large. Grab a smaller handful of nuts. All these little changes add up in big ways!
  • Avoid the fat. Fat calories add up quickly, so cut them when you can. Buy tuna packed only in water. Skip the oil entirely if you're sautéing onions or mushrooms. Use herbs and spices for flavor instead of butter, margarine, or spreads. You won't even notice the difference!
  • Don't clean your plate. Leave behind just a few bites from every meal. You'd be surprised how just a few bites of food can suddenly become hundreds of calories saved!
  • Go for whole! Fruit and vegetable juices can be loaded with calories, especially if they contain sugar! Choose the whole fruit or vegetable instead. Not only will you save tons of calories but you'll get a lot of valuable fiber! Now, that's smart eating!
  • Skip the extras. Dressings, croutons, cheese, mayo, sour cream: All these extras — even the low-fat varieties — can add up, even in small portions. Forget about them! You can do it!

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