Glance at any magazine while standing in the grocery store and they tease you with losing weight and not regaining it is a challenge facing millions of people worldwide.
It’s crazy when you think about it. I know I fall into the trap especially when I am on prep. Losing weight is constantly on my mind even though it is body fat that I need to be focused on.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), obesity rates have nearly tripled since 1975. There were 1.9 billion adults overweight in 2016. Of those people, more than 650 million were obese.
Why do diets fail?
The message in many diet plans is that certain foods or food groups are making us fat and so we have to avoid them.
However, the diet industry continues to be focused on which foods we should eat. While this appears to be a successful sales and marketing approach, it doesn’t educate people about the negative effects of consuming large quantities of foods (and sugary drinks), a primary factor in ongoing global weight gain. There’s no way of getting around it—a person who eats and drinks too much is going to gain weight, and a person who seeks to lose weight must limit calorie intake.
Small changes can make a difference
Three reasons why small changes may work:
- Small changes are more realistic to achieve and maintain than large ones.
- Even small changes influence body weight regulation.
- Small, successful lifestyle changes improve self-efficacy.
9 ways to cut calories
The following tips on cutting calories :
Be aware of breakfast starch overload. Many people treat themselves to a special bagel for breakfast, along with cream cheese, coffee or juice. Since a bagel today is equivalent to about five slices of bread, try a breakfast of egg whites, fruit and a half bagel instead.
Bulk up meals with vegetables. Fill half your plate with vegetables. It is an excellent way to increase your vegetable intake while cutting back on higher-calorie foods.
Don’t keep junk food in the house. If you keep junk food within easy reach, it’s much easier to eat. To stop you reaching for unhealthy snacks, keep them out of the house.
Change your cooking methods. Cooking your own meals is a great way to keep your meals healthy and your calorie intake under control. To cut back on the extra calories, choose grilling, baked, air frying, boiling or poaching instead of frying in oil.
Plan for parties. Before attending social events, dinner parties or catered events where there will be rich, high-calorie foods, eat a light protein-based snack.
Find a balance with favorite foods. It’s common to overindulge on favorite foods. Identify yours and commit to enjoying them, but don’t overindulge.
Don’t eat the skin. Eating the skin on your meat adds extra calories to your meal. For example, a skinless roasted chicken breast is around 142 calories. The same breast with skin contains 193 calories, or 50 extra calories.
Send the bread basket back. When you’re hungry, it’s so easy to reach for the pre-dinner nibbles at a restaurant. However, this can add hundreds of calories to your meal, especially if you’re eating pieces of bread and butter.
Fresh instead of dried fruit. Switch from a half-cup of dried fruit to a cup of berries.
What tips do you have to cut calories?
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