Tips For Cutting Calories

You don't have to starve yourself in order to lose weight. In fact, actually eating is the key to losing weight, since it revs up your metabolism!

Here are some tips for making dieting easier, and more pleasurable

1. Make Sure Your Refrigerator is Fully Stocked With Healthy Food

If you don't have healthy food on hand at your home or in the office fridge, you are more likely to get fast food or other unhealthy eats.

2. Eat Great Tasting Foods

The key is to eat them in moderation. One slice of pizza is a lot healthier for you than a whole bag of large french fries

3. Drink a Glass of Water Before Your Meal

This will help you feel more full. Also, water consumption is essential to weight loss. If you drank an ounce of water per pound of body weight, you would a bit of weight no matter what else you did

4. Limit Your Portion Sizes

This is where I have the most trouble. Sometimes we eat for pleasure, not to fulfill our hunger. It is possible to achieve both goals, but it is easy to confuse the two. In other words, we often continue to eat not because we are still hungry, but because the food tastes so good. By limiting portion sizes, we resist the temptation to overeat.

5. You Do Not Have to Cut Out Margarine

Margarine was once believed to be healthier than butter, then we were told to eat butter instead. That was because margarine was filled with trans fat, which are much worse than animal fats. But now, there are many types of trans fat free margarine, which is better than butter

6. Mix Vegetables Into Side Dishes

For many people, a meal is not complete without some type of carbohydrate-based dish. The problem is that they are loaded with starches. The next time you make rice, mix in some fresh veggies, or mash some carrots with your mashed potatoes. You will get half the starch, yet you will retain the flavor.

7. Limit Drinks With Empty Calories

Drinks like soda, alcohol, and even some fruit juices are loaded with calories that offer little to no nutritional value. Try limiting these as much as possible. Also, add some lemon or orange to your water. It won't taste exactly like a regular juice, but it is a good substitute.

8. Never Skip a Meal

The number one key to weight loss is eating every three to four hours. Just make sure you do not overeat! And never skip breakfast! If you do, you will end up feeling starved after a couple of hours, and that is when you are vulnerable to unhealthy foods.

9. Brush Your Teeth

Most people do not want to eat food after brushing their teeth, so this might help keep your cravings at bay.