The warmer the weather gets, the more you start to feel your body's flaws. Your clothes cover less and less of your skin, and your flaws are more and more on display. Join the club! Of course, working out and staying active are hugely important parts of losing weight and being able to describe yourself as "slim and sexy" on your internet dating profile. But the most important part of slimming down is, of course, watching your calorie consumption.
Most of us could probably consume far fewer calories than we actually do. Fortunately, you would probably be surprised at the number of calories you can save with a few simple changes to your habits-- and without ever having to actually go on a diet.
10. Eat your salad first.
When you go out to eat, ordering a salad instead of your usual greasy sides can, of course, be one of the easiest ways to cut down your calories (as long as you don't use heavy dressings, of course). But you can cut those calories even more by being sure to eat your entire salad before the rest of your meal. Not only will the nutrients in those raw veggies be absorbed more easily on an empty stomach, you'll also fill up on salad, and so eat less of your main meal.
9. Don't snack straight from the package.
When you want a snack, you should never, ever just grab a big bag of chips or a carton of ice cream and eat from it-- even if you're planning to have just a little. Instead, portion yourself out just the amount that you need, and put the rest away. If you're like most people, you'll eat up to 50-75% less this way.
8. Bring popcorn to the movies.
You know those nice big containers of greasy popcorn at the movies? There's almost nothing harder to say no to. But that tub of popcorn has almost 1000 (yes, 1000!) calories. Want to still indulge but save on calories? Pop up a bag of healthy microwave popcorn at home and bring that with you, instead. You'll also save a ton of money while you're at it.
7. Make an open-faced sandwich.
With most breads, once slice of bread is nearly 100 calories, and doesn't add much in the way of flavor to your sandwich. So cover one slice of bread with plenty of your favorite toppings, and then simply forget the top slice of bread. Sure, you'll need to eat it with a knife and fork, but if you do this every day you'll save 700 calories in a week. Those calories really do add up.
6. Steam instead of sauté.
When you sauté them in oil, some vegetables, like eggplant and zucchini, absorb tons of oil, and tons of fat. Want a sautéed flavor without all the fat? Steam your veggies and then toss them in a pre-measured quantity of olive oil. Same flavor, far fewer calories.
5. Skip the cheese.
In general, I'm as pro-cheese as they come. But on some foods you don't even notice the cheese. Next time you make a burrito, a complicated sandwich, or even a hamburger, leave off the cheese. You'll hardly notice it's gone and you'll save over 100 calories a slice.
4. Sit far away from the buffet.
If you're trying to lose weight, a buffet is a poor idea in general. But if you can't help but go, sit as far away from the buffet table as possible. People who face away from the food and sit far away eat hundreds of calories less than people who are right in front of all that chow.
3. Take your time.
When you eat fast, you're doing one of the worst things you can for your weight and your health. Why? Because eating quickly doesn't give your stomach enough time to talk to your brain. By the time it tells your brain "hey, I've had enough," you've overeaten and taken in more calories than you need to. Slow down, chew, and enjoy your food. The more you take your time to enjoy your meal, the healthier that meal will be for you. A double advantage.
2. Use a smaller glass.
There's nothing like a glass of red wine with a meal. But when served in a traditional red wine glass with a large bowl, it's far too easy to serve yourself several servings at a time. Either measure out the correct ounces or milliliters on your wine glass, or use a champagne glass instead.
1. Use starches as a "condiment."
As a total pasta addict, this is one of my favorite ways to eat healthier and keep the calories down. Instead of making pasta (or rice, etc.) the main element of your dish, add about half as much as you normally would and make up the rest of the bulk with vegetables. When you add a nice sauce on top, like a flavorful marinara, you have a completely satisfying meal with far fewer calories and lots of heart-healthy veggies.
