Easy Way To Cut Calories

We all know by now that calories are essential to weight loss, right? If you’re still not acquainted, a quick primer: Energy balance determines how much you weigh. If you consume more calories than you need, you’ll gain weight. If you create a caloric deficit (by eating less than you need) you’ll lose weight.

Weight loss is ultimately a numbers game. A deficit of 3,500 calories equals 1lb of weight loss. Therefore, to lose 1lb per week, you need to create a daily deficit of 500 calories by reducing your intake. How do you reduce your calorie intake without sacrificing the food that you love, or worse, feeling famished? Here are some easy ways to cut back.

Try zoodles. Zucchini noodles, that is. A small, specialized peeling tool allows you to create zucchini noodles, boosting your intake of micronutrients and fiber with practically no calories. You get a larger serving size and cut out needless calories from pasta.

Give up the wine. As well as beer, and other sources of alcohol.  Alcohol does not help you stay full, and it can increase your risk of breast cancer. A mere 5oz of wine (just over ½ cup) contains 120 calories. Have a glass three days a week and that’s an extra five pounds in a year.

Use the 75% rule. Instead of changing what you eat (giving up the foods and tastes you love), you can change how much you eat. Try eating ¾ of your typical portion size of grains, fats, and protein, and fill up the remained of your plate with low-calorie vegetables.

Try open-faced. Open-faced sandwiches are a Scandinavian tradition. By eating a sandwich on one slice of bread instead of two, you can trim your meal by 100 calories.

Stop snacking! America’s endless grazing has grown out of control. Snacking was rare in the 1970’s when we first began tracking weight data but has grown more and more common as obesity trends have emerged. Now, we consume about 500 calories a day in snacks alone! Trade out all your snacks for sliced veggies, sans sauce or dip. You can also find some low-calorie snacks and treats at our store.

The post-Easy Way To Cut Calories appeared first on Nashua Nutrition Blog.

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