How To Easily Cut Calories

Eat more than you burn in a day, and you will gain weight. Eat less than what you burn, and you will begin to lose weight. Simple! What most people don’t want to believe is that losing fat is a gradual and slow process. Forget the ‘lose 10 pounds in a week’ articles and ads that bombard our lives. Instead of making large changes that might shock your body, focus on making small changes that will cut the calories with minimal effort! Aim to lose 1-2 lbs per week for healthy weight loss that will stay off. Soon, you’ll start feeling more shredded, toned and lean!

How do you make these small changes? Here are a few ideas:

How To Easily Cut Calories

1) Change your carbs up:

Our bodies run on glucose, which is highly abundant in carbohydrates. Instead of cutting out carbs completely, choose a different source! Making smart substitutes in your carbohydrate intake can slash your meals’ calories in half! Here are a few healthy carb swaps:

1) Swap rice for cauliflower rice: You will save 170 calories!
2) Swap spaghetti for spaghetti squash: You will save 170 calories!
3) Eating a burger? Don’t eat the top bun. You will save 100 calories!
4) Swap tortilla wraps for lettuce leaves: you can save up to 300 calories!
6) Eat a slice of bread instead of two, and you can save 100 calories.

See how easy it is? With just 1 simple swap, you can cut out calories without even noticing.

2) Snack Swaps:

Instead of binging on potato chips and sugar-laden sodas, try these healthier alternatives that will put you on the right track to weight loss.

1) Swap potato chips for air popped popcorn – You’ll save 100 calories, and fat too!
2) Swap sodas for fruit-infused water – You’ll save up to 300 calories!
3) Swap a candy bar to a protein bar – You can save up to 200 calories, and have an added protein boost to keep you full.
4) Swap tortilla chips and salsa to chopped carrots and hummus – You can save up to 100 calories.
5) Swap ice-cream for low-fat Greek yogurt: You can save up to 200 calories, and get some protein!
6) Swap gummy bears for frozen grapes: Save up to 200 calories.

By simply changing up your snacks, you’ll be amazed at how many calories you can eliminate throughout the day.

3) Watch your add-ins:

Adding in spreads, sugar and cream are the culprit to turning that healthy sandwich or drink into a calorie-dense food.
That Americano can quickly turn into a calorie-rich drink! If you add sugar and cream, you can add up to 150 calories to your drink!

Next time you order tea and coffee, opt for low-fat milk instead of creamer. Save on calories and fat! Change your sugar to artificial sweetener. If you can, try to reduce your sugar consumption. Challenge yourself!
With regards to sandwiches, try to use Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise, and save up to 200 calories. Yogurt is an amazing substitute for sour cream, mayonnaise and crème fraiche.

How will this help me lose the weight?

Let’s use an example.

If you consume 2000 calories in a day, and burn around 2000 calories. You will maintain your weight.

If you consume 200 calories less a day, you will have created an energy deficit, causing your body to compensate by burning stored fat and carbs as a source of energy.

1 lb. of bodyweight is equal to 3500 calories. If you consume 250 calories less a day and burn 250 calories more, you can slash off a pound in a week. That’s 8 pounds in two months! A little goes a long way – when you lose weight slowly, it is less likely to come back on. When you suddenly lose 10 pounds in a week or two, you’ll find that the weight crawls back quickly as soon as you go back to your regular eating habits. Therefore, a small lifestyle change is the way to go when you are trying to lose that stubborn fat!

Begin by reducing one slice of bread a day, and after a couple of days, see what else you can substitute to eliminate more calories. Remember, small substitutions can create a large change in your body. It may take a little longer, but you’ll feel healthier and happier!