You're finally starting up your diet plan to shed a few pounds for the summer … But the question is where do you begin? I'm a firm believer in taking it slowly when starting a diet instead of eliminating all "bad" for you foods right away. In fact, by taking baby steps you may end up with a much more successful weight loss goal than you expected because you took your time.
One of the easiest ways to begin is by cutting out calories with a simple strategy by swapping certain foods for others. You will be surprised by the number of healthy alternatives there are out there when you see our suggestions!
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Eating healthy doesn't have to be a big challenge especially if you slowly start to add nourishing and filling foods to your diet. You would be surprised to know how many calories you could shed from your daily food intake if you switch up some of your favorite foods for healthier replacements. Every calorie counts and by simply shedding 50 calories in a meal, you'll be doing your waistline a great favor.
So what are some easy ways to cut out calories daily? Check out our eye-opening tips!
Soup: If you're craving a creamy soup like broccoli cheddar or cream of mushroom, go lighter by switching to minestrone. You'll save over 260 calories during your meal.
Sandwich: If you're having a sandwich for lunch, it's best to switch up that bread for a whole-wheat pita. Not only will your ingredients fit perfectly into the pocket, but you'll slash 50 calories out of your meal.
Mayonnaise: Dump this calorie packed condiment and replace it with some hummus. Hummus will give your meal extra flavor that you won't need much of it. Plus you'll be cutting out over 67 calories.
Juice: Instead of drinking apple or orange juice, eat the whole fruit instead. You will stay fuller longer and cut out 50 calories by indulging in the fresh stuff.
Yogurt: Opt for plain or vanilla flavored yogurt to consume 20 calories less than a fruit flavored one. The fruit flavored ones tend to be filled with excess sugar that will only sabotage your diet.
Alcohol: It's inevitable that you're going to want to drink during happy hour. However what you drink can make a big difference in your calorie intake. Choose red wine or chardonnay instead of a sugary cocktail. You'll be cutting out 55 calories by doing so and still satisfying your need for a drink.
Dessert: Dessert isn't off limits, which is why it's great to go for a couple of squares of dark chocolate instead of scarfing down that chocolate cake. After all with the amount of sugar and calories the cake has, it's not worth ruining your diet for it.
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