100 Ways To Leave Your Blubber

Here are 100 easy ways to cut calories and slim down.

Breakfast

1. If you want a bagel, choose a store-bought one that comes with a food label so you know how many calories it has rather than one from the bakery that may have double the calories.

2. Use all-fruit, no-sugar-added jams for bagels or toast. This helps to get rid of the extra sugar and calories. Smuckers makes a 100 percent spreadable fruit line.

3. Replace bacon at breakfast with reduced-fat turkey bacon or Canadian bacon.

4. Indulge in modified French toast. Use nonfat milk and egg whites instead of whole milk and eggs.

5. Eat breakfast every day. People who skip breakfast are four times more likely to be fat than people who don’t skip breakfast! Research suggests that those who lose weight are better at keeping it off if they have breakfast in the morning.

6. Don’t reach for the bacon, eggs, and pancake special (lots of bad things found here), rather a 200- to 300-calorie protein-blueberry shake is a good brain-healthy way to start the day.

7. Top your cereal with low-fat or fat-free milk instead of 2 percent or whole milk.

8. Use a nonstick pan and cooking spray (rather than butter) to scramble or fry eggs.

9. Try my favorite butter substitute: Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread With Olive Oil. It has no trans fats and cuts about 20 calories per serving compared to real butter or margarine.

10. Eat only the egg white and toss away the yolk to trim about 60 calories.

Lunch

11. Replace 1 tablespoon of regular mayo on your turkey sandwich with 1½ tablespoons of reduced-fat mayo.

12. Add more vegetables, such as cucumbers, lettuce, tomato, and onions to a sandwich instead of extra meat or cheese.

13. Accompany a sandwich with salad or fruit instead of chips or French fries.

14. Choose vegetable-based broth soups rather than cream- or meat-based soups.

15. Stop putting butter, margarine, or mayonnaise on your sandwiches. Use mustard instead.

16. Use water-packed tuna instead of tuna packed in oil.

17. Skip the slice of cheese on your sandwich to save about 100 calories.

Dinner

18. Steam veggies instead of sautéing them in butter or oil.

19. Switch to boiled shrimp instead of steak on shish kebabs.

20. Broil or bake foods instead of frying them.

21. Try lemon juice to flavor vegetables.

22. When having pizza, choose vegetables as toppings and just a light sprinkling of cheese instead of fatty meats.

23. Modify recipes to reduce the amount of fat and calories. For example, when making lasagna, use part-skim ricotta cheese instead of whole-milk ricotta cheese. Substitute shredded vegetables, such as carrots, zucchini, and spinach for some of the ground meat in lasagna.

24. Eat sweet potatoes, which contain cellulose and hemicelluloses, insoluble fibers that help you feel full faster so you eat less.

25. Using fresh herbs and garlic whenever possible adds a lot of flavor with little to no calories.  

26. Brown and basmati rice are a good carbohydrate fix because as little as a half cup is very filling and has a much higher nutritional value than white rice as well as a lower glycemic index factor. Mixing pinto beans with rice creates a complete protein and a low-calorie alternative to meat. Adding a little low-fat cheese to rice and beans mixed with fresh herbs, garlic, and salsa or low-salt Italian diced tomatoes is delicious.

27. Trim the fat from all meat and avoid eating the skin on poultry.

28. Make your own salad dressings, such as balsamic vinegar with a little fresh garlic and some stevia. In restaurants, use straight balsamic vinegar or lemon juice.

29. Vinegar, citrus fruits, and pineapple are great substitutes for salt and flavor on just about anything, and they add very low to no calories.

30. Spaghetti squash and zucchini are excellent substitutes for pasta. They have very few calories and taste like whatever you add to it.

31. “Clean your plate” is one of the worst habits we are taught. Stop eating when you feel full and save the rest for leftovers.

32. The best way to limit your serving size is to cook at home where you can control the amount of food on your plate.

33. If you must have a high-calorie food at a meal, eat the more nutritious, low-calorie foods on your plate first then you likely won’t eat as much of the high-calorie food.

34. Substitute lower-calorie fish for beef.

35. If you can’t live without fries, skip the oil and make baked sweet potato fries.

36. Say no to fried and breaded chicken and opt for grilled chicken instead.

37. If you must eat pizza, use a paper towel to blot away some of the greasy fat before you dig in.

38. Put less food on your plate than you think you need. You can always go back to the kitchen for more if you are still hungry, but you might find that you feel full with less food.

39. Never order salad with the dressing already tossed. Get it on the side, so you are in control of how much you eat, and dip your fork in it before you grab the salad mix. You will likely cut the calories from the dressing in half “” or even more “” and miss none of the taste.

40. When you use olive oil and vinegar on salad, liberally put the vinegar on first, then add just a few drops of olive oil. You will likely cut more than 100 calories from your meal.

41. Use less fat and sugar when cooking.

42. Change the proportion of ingredients so that the same amount of food has more vegetables and fruits, which are filling and low in calories.

Snacks

43. Switch to plain yogurt and add you own fruit. You can get the health benefits from yogurt and eliminate calories and unwanted sugar.

44. Bring low-calorie snacks to school or work. I like raw broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, snap peas, celery, and red bell peppers. I may also bring a measured portion of almond butter or mashed avocado with garlic powder as a dip. It is important not to let yourself get hungry.

45. Eat a medium-sized apple shortly after meals. The fiber will help you continue to feel full hours later.

46. When you make popcorn, put half of it away to eat for another time.

47. For people who have a sweet tooth like me, eat a small portion of something sweet, like an apple or dark chocolate, so that you can have something satisfying without feeling like you are depriving yourself.

48. Choose crunchy things. Scientists say the more you chew, the longer it takes to eat and the more time your body has to realize that it is full. Snacks that offer a big crunch include carrots, apples, snap peas, and nuts (processed carbohydrates like sugar cereals and candy don’t count). They keep your mouth busy longer so you don’t inhale your food like a vacuum cleaner.

49. Read the fine print. To get the real scoop on a snack, check out the back of the box. When you see a list of hard-to-pronounce ingredients, there is a greater chance something artificial is mixed in that is not necessarily waistline-friendly. A shorter list usually indicates a more nutritious and slimming pick.

50. Choose air-popped popcorn instead of oil-popped popcorn.

51. Go for dry-roasted nuts instead of the oil-roasted kind.

52. Avoid the vending machine by packing your own healthful snacks to bring to work. For example, consider vegetable sticks, fresh fruit, low-fat or nonfat yogurt without added sugars, or a small handful of dry-roasted nuts.

53. Every morning, prepare a ½-gallon sack of mixed raw vegetables and munch on them throughout the day. It will help keep you from snacking on random things due to uncontrolled hunger.

54. Avoid snacking in front of the TV because we often eat mindlessly when we are watching TV.

55. Have a single piece of dark chocolate after dinner instead of a whole dessert. A little bit of dark chocolate a day has healthy benefits, including increasing blood flow to the brain and decreasing blood pressure, but make sure you count the calories.

56. Have frozen blueberries with nonfat yogurt and a little stevia topped with fat-free whipped cream for dessert “” delicious and low calorie.

57. Satisfy sweet-tooth cravings with a cup of hot or iced fruity tea with a little stevia.

58. Fluff up your food. In one study from Penn State, 28 men drank one of three different kinds of milkshakes before lunch. All three milkshakes had the same ingredients, but some were blended longer to add air and volume. The men who drank the “airy” shakes ate 12 percent fewer calories at lunch. And they did not make up for it by eating more at dinner, meaning they kept those calories off. So if you must snack, trick your senses by filling up on an air-filled treat like low-fat frozen yogurt or butter-free popcorn.

Beverages

59. Switch to water first thing in the morning instead of fruit juice. Fruit juice is high in sugar and calories.

60. Stop drinking soda. Regular sodas are filled with sugar and caffeine. The artificial sweeteners from diet sodas may be harmful to your health, plus because they are up to 600 times sweeter than sugar they may activate the appetite centers of the brain making you crave even more food.

61. Replace sodas with real fruit-flavored water, just like you are at the spa. My favorite drink is water with lemon juice and a little lemon-flavored stevia, a healthier natural sweetener. It has no calories and it tastes like lemonade. You can do it with oranges, limes, watermelon, etc. This is an easy way to dramatically increase your water intake.

62. Don’t let the sport drinks and vitamin waters fake you out. The truth is most are just sweetened water.

63. Don’t let beverage labels pull a fast one on you. If it is not water, skim milk, coffee, or tea, it is dessert.

64. Limit alcohol, especially mixed drinks, which can have an outrageous number of calories. For example, one margarita can have as many as 700 calories! Plus, the alcohol decreases prefrontal cortex function, which means your judgment will be impaired, making you more likely to eat more high-fat, high-sugar, high-calorie foods.

65. Limit fat storage by drinking green tea, which contains the antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), shown to boost metabolic rate. In a recent three-month study, participants who took green tea extract lost 4.6 percent of their body weight without changing their diet. To get the benefit, drink at least three cups a day. My favorite is Tropical Acai Berry Green Tea by Celestial Seasonings.

66. Before meals, drink fiber “” such as Citrucel, Metamucil, or Miralax (with lots of water) “” because it fills the belly, so there is less room for food.”

67. When you get hungry, first drink a full glass of water and then if you are still hungry, eat. Many people confuse being dehydrated with being hungry.

68. Use almond milk instead of cow’s milk. Blue Diamond unsweetened almond milk contains only 40 calories for 8 ounces. Their unsweetened chocolate almond contains only 45 calories and is delicious. I actually like almond milk better than cow’s milk.

69. Using stevia is a great no-calorie way to sweeten drinks, like coffee and tea, and most foods. The best part about stevia is that it is 100 percent natural, and it has no effect on blood sugar.

Eating out, parties, and events

70. Split meals with your spouse or friends when you eat out.

71. If you are eating out by yourself, put half your meal in a “to go” bag before you even start eating. That way, you won’t be tempted to clean your plate.

72. In restaurants, ask if you can substitute a broth-based soup or a green lettuce salad for French fries or chips as a side dish.

73. When eating out, have a cocktail or dessert instead of both during the same meal.

74. After family gatherings, immediately give away or discard any foods that are not on your everyday diet. If the food is perfectly good, take it to your local food bank.

75. Eat a snack or a light meal before you go to a party so you won’t be hungry when faced with high-calorie hors d’oeuvres.

76. Skip the bread they serve before meals in restaurants.

77. Don’t order appetizers before your entrée.

78. Tell your waiter “No croutons” on your salad.

Anytime

79. Use your brain to always think “high-quality calories in.” Focus on CRON (calorie restricted and optimally nutritious) foods when you are deciding what to eat.

80. Stay away from “anti-nutrition foods” “” such as trans fats, empty calories, or potentially harmful food additives “” even if they are low calorie.

81. One of the best ways to cut calories is to write down and measure everything you eat until you are confident that you really know how many calories you put into your body everyday. Seeing is believing.

82. Serve your food on smaller plates, which will help to shrink your serving sizes. According to a recent study, the more food you have on your plate, the more you will consume. The opposite is also true.

83. Substitute low-fat cheese “” such as string cheese, provolone, or mozzarella “”for high-fat cheeses.

84. Substitute lower-fat meats “” such as turkey, chicken, or lean pork “” for higher-fat, higher-calorie alternatives.

85. Lean on low-density foods to help you feel fuller faster, such as three ounces of strawberries vs. three ounces of potato chips. Eat more produce, whole grains, and legumes as opposed to fatty, sugary foods.

86. Chew each bite 20 times. Try to savor the food. In essence, you are performing a mindful meditation when you eat. This also makes your food taste sweeter. Saliva has an enzyme called amylase that breaks down simple carbohydrates, such as wheat or potatoes into sugar.

87. Eat with your fork in your non-dominant hand to reduce dexterity and slow down the shoveling of food into your mouth.

88. Put down your fork after each bite.

89. Cut down on the variety you eat, so that you actually know what is in your food. Gorillas tend to eat the same thing, over and over, and they are obviously strong and muscular. According to the National Zoo, here are the main ingredients of their diet: “The morning diet is generally made up of vegetables, which may include kale, celery, green beans, carrots, and sweet potato. Evening foods include more greens such as romaine, kale, cabbage, or dandelion along with the fruits and vegetables du jour. Bananas, apples, oranges, mango, grapes, melon, and papaya are often included. Onions, broccoli, turnips, white potatoes, squash, cucumbers, and beets are also included. Throughout the day, the gorillas are given additional forage items, such as popcorn, peanuts, or jungle mix. Browse (fresh tree trimmings) is given daily and includes bamboo, bradford pear, willow, mulberry, or maple.”

90. Learn to eyeball servings. After you spend some time weighing food, learn about serving sizes. A three-ounce serving of meat, poultry, or fish is about the size of a deck of cards, two servings of pasta or rice is the size of a baseball, a bread serving is the size of a CD case, and one serving of cheese is the size of four dice.

91. Eat at the table. Fifty-nine percent of young women eat on the go, a study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association finds, and on-the-run eaters consume more total fat as well as more soda and fast food. The less distracted and stressed you are when you dine, the more efficiently your body absorbs nutrients. Eat at the table and focus on your food not the TV or traffic.

92. For virtually no calories, adding spice to your meals can increase your metabolism. Different studies have shown that spicy foods can increase your metabolism by 8 to 20 percent for at least 30 minutes after eating. A little bit of cayenne pepper or cinnamon is all you need to add to your favorite recipes.

93. Eat veggies at every meal. When people eat vegetables with a meal, they consume a full 20 percent fewer calories overall while feeling satisfied, according to a study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

94. Eat raw fruits and veggies that are high in fiber. Your body has to burn a lot of calories to break these down, plus they will give you longer-lasting energy while fighting off hunger cravings, which means you can get skinny while your body burns fat! Researchers at Tufts University found that the more vegetables people eat, the thinner they are.

95. Increase your fiber. Eating fiber helps to prevent overeating because it makes you feel full. You will have an even greater feeling of fullness and higher energy levels throughout the day if you eat meals that are mostly made up of fiber, protein, and water. Fiber also slows down the digestion of foods you eat, keeping your blood sugar and energy levels in check and preventing you from getting hungry. Good sources of fiber are vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, and some cereals. The amount of fiber in a food product is listed in the nutritional facts found on most food labels. Fiber takes so long to be digested by your body, a person eating 20 to 35 grams of fiber a day will burn an extra 150 calories a day or lose 16 extra pounds a year.

96. Make sure you eat healthy fats with every meal. It helps with satiety and serves to curb your appetite between meals. An Australian study showed that eating a meal with healthy fats, such as olive oil, significantly increased fat-burning rate five hours later, particularly in subjects with more abdominal fat.

97. Measure the foods that you tend to overeat.

98. Buying a food scale to measure portion sizes and buying food in prepared-portioned sizes helps keep calories down.

99. Make sure you have enough calcium in your diet. Researchers have linked calcium with lower production of the stress-hormone cortisol (remember cortisol switches the body into a fat-storing mode). According to several studies, people who increase their calcium intake lose more weight than people with low calcium levels. Sources of calcium include yogurt, ricotta cheese, and spinach.

100. Consistently reduce your meal sizes by just 10 percent. You won’t even notice, and it will save an amazing number of calories.