Tuesday's Health Tip

How to Cut Calories

You may exercise, you may work out, and you may go on a diet. There are basically a dozen ways you can cut down your calories. But would you rather lose calories with minimal effort, or with an intense program? Below is a list of some calorie busting techniques that will not take a bucket of sweat to accomplish.

1. Keep it balanced.
It is a given scientific fact that calories are the body’s fuel. This little thing gives us our energy – awake or asleep. We need more calories, depending on our lifestyle pace and activity. Too much of calories however, are transformed into fat.

The key to losing weight is keeping your calorie intake at a low – don’t deprive yourself of calories, just consume few amounts. Too much of everything is bad, and too little, is bad, too. Too little calories slow down the body’s metabolism, thereby decreasing the ability of the body to absorb vitamins and essential nutrients.

2. Start the day right.
Eating right sets the tone of the day. Start your low calorie diet in the morning. Study shows that skipping breakfast causes binge eating at lunch, thereby eating more fat. Breakfast food gives you the starter carbs and minerals like iron, which you basically need.

Eating right means eating smart. Choose oatmeal or cereal instead of bagels or muffin. Bagels and cream cheese doesn’t just feel enough, it also gives you a whopping 500 calories. Oatmeal, or cereal on the other hand contains necessary amounts of fiber, calcium, carbohydrates, and all your essential nutrients at an amazing 400 calorie or less meal. Try cutting down on your fatty foods, too. If you can’t eat without eggs or bacon, open up just two eggs instead of your usual four, or just fry 2 strips instead of the usual 6. Eating fruits in the morning instead of the juice cuts down around 60 calories of your diet as well, and a cup of black coffee is 150 calories less than a cup of latte.

3. Be a smart shopper.
Stock up on healthy options. Junk the junk food. Choose vegetables over cream cheese, and try out whole wheat bread. Foods that contain more fiber are better than white bread, as fiber helps in burning calories and in digesting food.

Thinking about soup? Choose minestrone above any cream of what not. Whole-wheat pita bread is a better option, too. Don’t just think of your house; buy some snacks for work, too. Avoid those tempting machines and those fast food counters. Thinking of meat? Opt for tuna, it has better protein sources and is a good source of omega-3, a heart aiding fat.

4. Be mindful.
Think. The key is thinking. Be mindful of the decisions you make, especially at the dining table. How you eat dictates the amount of calories you take in. If you eat a whole cup of soup, try eating half a cup a day. That’s three and a half cups in a week. Imagine the calories you stayed away from. Try eating just one egg a day instead of two, or maybe try an egg every three days or so. Drinking from a champagne flute instead of a goblet really helps a lot, too, as you save 100 to 150 calories per glass of wine.

5. Understand your cravings
After a day of calorie control, you’ll surely feel the urge to eat something at night, one time or another. Ask yourself this two things: “What do I crave?” and “Why do I crave it?” After you do successfully answer this, find that food and satisfy yourself. You may also find a calorie-match for your cravings. For example, you crave for chocolate chips and eat fruit instead; you get to eat as much until you feel content. A few slices of apples are way healthier and more satisfying than a single bite off that chocolate chip cookie.

6. Use a few tricks.
Nope, no magic tricks here. Just fool your stomach, as what they say. Eat some low-calorie salads that fill you up before your main course not only makes you eat less, it lets you consume fewer calories than you’re supposed to. Better yet, do what the folks in the International Journal of Obesity did – they hid their candies.

7. Squeeze in exercise.
Sweat it out, even once in a while. Exercise doesn’t have to be in the gym all the time. Those extra steps you make, the extra half-mile walks will do. If stuck in a long line, do some tap dancing or maybe some stretching. Put some groove when listening to your iPod – dance while you’re at it. If you need to get something, get it yourself. A few ten minutes of sweat burns more or less around 50 calories, adding up to around 350 calories a week.