13 Easy Ways To Reduce Daily Calorie Intake
Cutting calories sounds like a lot of work.
Afterall losing weight isn’t an easy thing to do, and dieting can be a challenge of both
time management and will power.
When you’re really busy things like meal prepping and getting in an extra walk can
seem almost impossible day to day.
Well, we here at Bestie want to make your life a little easier, and your weight loss
goals attainable.
Before we talk about how to lose those calories, let’s talk about all the knowledge you’ll
gain by clicking the subscribe button and ringing the notification bell, too.
First we want to say that all diets should be paired with a good amount of exercise.
Remember you want to lose weight the healthy way, and not hurt your body in the process.
Alright, let’s get started with some super easy ways you can cut the calories.
The first and one of the most important…
STAY AWAY FROM “LOW FAT” FOODS Although it may seem to be exactly what you’re
looking for what you really want is to avoid low fat and go for real, whole foods.
They’re better for you and you’ll feel fuller for longer.
Plus with the idea that this food doesn’t contain many calories, you’ll probably end
up eating more than you normally would thereby not actually cutting any calories at all.
FIDGET This is one way you can burn a few extra calories
in a day.
Sitting all day long isn’t doing your body any favours, so getting up and walking around,
tapping your foot or just making an effort to move more often during the day will have
a surprising effect on your calorie totals.
Plus it’s good for your headspace to get your body moving during the day.
You might find you’ll boost the number of calories you burn, and your productivity at
the same time.
SKIP THE EXTRA LUMPS You’re probably sweet enough, you don’t
need the extra sugar!
Sugar pops up unexpectedly in food all the time, so whenever you can avoid adding to
your daily intake of sugar the better.
This is a big one if you like your coffee or tea with a little sweetness.
It’s really only a few small calories per cup, however those add up.
You could be looking at 100 less calories by the end of the week with all that extra
sugar.
Speaking of the hot beverage department, do you get whipped cream on your coffee when
out with your pals?
You’ll want to avoid any of those sugar additions if you’re trying to cut the calories.
Speaking of cutting out sugar...
SWAP THE SODA Skipping the soda pop is a really easy way
to save almost 200 calories per can.
If you’re a soda drinker this might be hard at first but if you swap out the sugar fizzy
drink for some carbonated water instead, you’ll still get the satisfaction of a bubbly drink
without the calories.
Just make sure it’s fizzy water that has no added flavours or sugar added.
If you’re unsure, best to stick with regular H20.
Not only will you save a ton of calories each day, but your body will thank you for the
extra hydration.
CALORIE COUNT This is a sure fire way to eat less calories
and also keep track of your progress!
It may seem daunting in the beginning, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll find
it’s actually pretty simple.
Start with a food journal and just jot down what you’re eating in a day.
It’s a great way to check in with your body too, as you can actually take stock of what
you’re putting into it each day.
Who knows it may even inspire you to eat healthier.
You can also use this journal to keep track of how certain foods make you feel.
For example; if you ate a handful of nuts did they give you an energy boost?
Maybe some of the food you ate today made you feel really full, some left you feeling
hungry.
The more information you have the better you can plan your calorie tracking journey.
GET ENOUGH SLEEP This is just a good rule to live by in general.
Getting enough sleep can really help you in your day to day routine.
You’ll feel good, be more motivated to tackle that to-do list and you’ll be happier overall.
Stress is a big factor when it comes to getting enough sleep at night so making time and implementing
a proper sleep schedule can help you to battle this problem.
Setting a regular bedtime, cutting down on caffeine and creating a bedroom that you’ll
love going to sleep in.
Once you’ve got that sleep routine down...
START YOUR MORNING OFF STRONG Getting a proper sleep will really help with
this next point.
If you’re well rested you’ll be bright eyed and bushy tailed the next day.
This will make it easier to really start the morning off strong, with a little bit of exercise.
Studies have shown that women who exercise first thing in the morning had positive results
with reducing their appetite and they wanted to work out more!
Keep in mind, working out will only subdue your hunger for a short while, but if you
eat proper, healthy food after a workout your body is more likely to use those nutrients
to grow muscle rather than store it as fat.
Speaking of eating...
CLEAN OUT YOUR KITCHEN Sometimes all you wanna do is curl up on the
couch and eat junk food.
However, if you don’t actually have junk food at home...it’s much harder to eat it.
Avoiding processed, sugary foods at the grocery store can have a huge impact on what you eat
at home.
Out of sight out of mind, right?
It may be hard to cut these foods from your diet in the beginning, but soon your body
will adjust and you’ll no longer crave those foods that offer no real nutritional value.
Since you’re cutting calories anyway, you need food that’s going to give your body
energy, not just upping your calories with no benefits.
Now that your kitchen is full of yummy whole foods...
TRY COOKING AT HOME MORE OFTEN This one might be tricky if you’re not a
master in the kitchen, but hopefully your new diet will inspire you to get in the kitchen.
Not only will you reduce the amount of calories by using less oils, fats and salts that restaurants
use, but you’ll save money too!
Plus cooking can be a wonderful pastime and stress reducer.
Now once you’ve cooked yourself a delicious and healthy meal...
EAT WITH THE WRONG HAND Sounds silly, we know but according to research
eating with the wrong hand can disrupt the regular flow of your eating routine.
Therefore making you more aware of how much you’re eating.
It’ll also slow you down, which allows your stomach to take stock of how much food you’ve
actual eaten.
It might make for a funny dinner activity to eat with the wrong hand, but you can also
try using chopsticks or eating in a different room than you normally do.
Switch it up a bit.
KEEP YOUR HOUSE COOL Studies have shown that keeping your house
anywhere between 62 and 77 degrees fahrenheit (16 - 25 degrees celsius) can help your body
burn more calories naturally.
Your body will have to work that much harder to keep its average temperature up, therefore
burning off a few extra calories.
It may not be much, but every little bit helps.
Drinking chilled water right after a workout can also give the number of calories you’ll
burn a boost.
Speaking of drinking water...
CHUG WATER BEFORE EACH MEAL Drinking water before any meal will help you
feel fuller and more satisfied before you even start eating!
Water is something we need constantly so you’re basically giving your body what it craves
anyway.
Healthline says drinking about 2 cups of water before any meal could lower your calorie intake
by up to 13%.
USE YOUR SENSE OF SMELL One of the downsides to cutting calories,
at least in the beginning, is that you’re probably going to get a bit hungry from time
to time.
This is where your nose can really help you out.
You know how the smell of fresh baked cookies or a nice home cooked meal can really send
your hunger through the roof?
Well it turns out it can actually work both ways.
Smelling certain foods can help suppress your hunger.
It’s a strange phenomenon that scientists don’t fully understand yet.
So what are these magical foods who’s scents make us less hungry?
Bananas, green apples, vanilla and peppermint are some of the main ones.
And that’s our list on easy, helpful ways to cut calories.
We hope this helps you on your weight loss journey and will inspire you to stick to a
healthy routine.
It takes real comminement and a balance of exercise but sticking to the plan will help
you see results before you know it.
Did you find this video helpful?
Were there any tips that really surprised you?
Do you have some of your own tried and true methods for cutting calories that you’d
like to share?
Why not let us know in the comments section below your favourite ways to cut calories.