10 Easy Tips To Cut Calories

When dieting, it can, at times feel like you’re doing everything in your power to lose weight, but getting nowhere. It seems like results should be happening – you eat healthily, follow all the traditional dieting advice, such as not eating after 6pm, cutting carbs in the evening, eating a good breakfast, and choosing low-fat foods, but still, those scales don’t budge.

The trouble is, however, that a lot of traditional dieting tips on cutting calories simply don’t work.

Take choosing low-fat foods for instance. A lot of the time, low-fat foods are no lower in calories than the regular version, as the manufacturers simply add more sugar to make up for the lack of fat.

Not eating carbs in the evening is another good example.

You can cut carbs in the evening, but if you’re over-eating on protein and fat, you’ll still gain weight.

Not to mention the fact that cutting carbs is futile, and really serves no purpose in terms of fat loss.

With that in mind, here are 10 tips to cut calories that you may well be new to you. The first section revolves around the psychology of dieting, and the second section discusses healthy food swaps.

1. Eat Every Meal at a Table

This means not eating in front of a screen. When you have the TV on, or are staring at your laptop over a meal, you’re not really concentrating on what you’re eating. This leads to one thing – over-eating.

By sitting down at a table, you’ll slow down your eating speed and feel full a lot sooner.

2. Keep a Food Diary

Accountability and forgetfulness are two huge reasons why people over-eat. Keeping a food diary, it does two things. Firstly, you’re less likely to eat something not diet-friendly if you know you have to write it down later, and secondly, it enables you to look back at the end of each week and see where you could improve.

3. Be Mindful of What You’re Eating

Every time you take a bite of food, think about exactly what it tastes like. Try to savor each mouthful, and chew your food slowly. Just like eating at a table, this makes you slow down, and appreciate your food more.

4. Look at every food you eat, and ask – “Does this fit my goals?”

There’s nothing wrong with having the odd high-calorie meal, or eating food that some would deem “junk” but it’s important to make sure that everything you eat has a purpose and place within your diet. If, for instance, you’re debating whether to have a piece of cake, be honest with yourself, and ask if it fits with your plan?

If you’ve been doing really well, and weight loss is occurring at a rapid rate, then a small piece is well-warranted. If, however, you know you’ve been slacking, and need to exercise some discipline, then perhaps it’s time to implement some self-control.