It's no secret that losing weight requires you to consume fewer calories than you expend. However, it can be difficult to make big lifestyle changes and keep them up long enough to see the pounds come off. But you don't need to change your life to cut up to 500 calories a day. A few simple swaps and a little more activity at work and home will help eliminate calories throughout your day without you feeling too hungry or tired. Eating Step 1 Get seven to nine hours of sleep a night. A study from the University of Colorado found that people who got less than five hours of sleep overate carbohydrates, ate more at dinner and gained weight. Step 2 Eat breakfast to avoid getting hungry later in the day. Swap out skim milk for whole milk and low-fat cooking spray and margarine to save 70 to 100 calories. Step 3 Swap out mixed nuts for pistachios. While it's true that nuts contain heart-healthy fats, they also pack on the calories -- about 175 for an oil-roasted handful. If you must snack, pistachios contain less than half the calories, and they take a few moments to shell, which cuts into your snacking time. Step 4 Start with less food on your plate than you think you want. After you finish, wait for 10 to 15 minutes, and go for seconds if you're still truly hungry. Use slightly smaller plates -- think 8 to 10 inches instead of 12 inches in diameter -- to make your smaller portions seem bigger. If you limit your 600-calorie dinner by just one third, you'll cut 200 calories. Step 5 Exchange lattes or mixed coffee drinks for black coffee. You'll save an average of 250 calories, depending on the drink. If black coffee is just too bitter, add skim milk and low-calorie sweetener. Step 6 Choose foods with a high water content, including soups, fresh fruits and vegetables. While a small bag of dry kettle-cooked potato chips contains about 300 calories, 2 cups of whole strawberries contain just about 100 calories -- and a healthy dose of vitamin C and antioxidants -- saving you 200 calories without sacrificing flavor. Aim to fill at least half your plate with fruits and veggies at every meal. Step 7 Educate yourself when you go out to eat. Find out how many calories are in your dish, and if possible, ask the chef to use vegetable stock instead of oil to flavor your food. If you find out your large portion of pasta has 700 calories, take half home with you in a doggy bag to save 350 calories. Step 8 Eat several mini-meals throughout the day, and never let yourself get really hungry. Mindless snacking and fast-food binging happens when you're just too famished to look for healthy options. If you normally eat 2,500 calories a day, eat five meals of about 400 calories each to cut 500 calories without getting hungry. Step 9 Eat at the table, not in front of the TV, which can cause you to eat more without paying attention. Focus on your plate, and leave the food in the kitchen so you have to physically get up from the table to refill your plate. If you skip the seconds, you could easily save 300 to 500 calories. Step 10 Minimize or eliminate your alcohol intake. Alcohol is often called "liquid fat" because it contains 7 calories per gram -- almost as much as a gram of pure fat. Cut out two glasses of wine a night and you'll save 250 calories. Exercise Step 1 Walk or bike to work, if possible. If you must drive or take the bus, park at the end of the lot and walk, or take the stairs instead of the elevator You'll burn extra calories without really thinking about it. Step 2 Stand whenever you can instead of sitting. At work, stand up as you take calls or answer emails. Stand as you watch TV at home or as you surf the Internet. Just bearing your own weight will help you burn extra calories. Step 3 Use a fitness ball instead of a desk chair at work. The bounciness of the ball will keep you moving to maintain your stability, and you'll have to tighten your core to keep your balance on the ball. Step 4 Incorporate at least 150 minutes of calorie-burning cardio, such as jogging, biking, hiking swimming and elliptical exercise, every week. You can break up your exercise into as little as 10 minutes at a time to fit it in on your lunch break or morning routine. Thirty minutes of swimming will burn 255 calories, while a jog will nix 295 calories. Source
