6 Simple Tricks To Cut Up To 500 Calories From Your Diet Every Day

It doesn’t take rocket science to figure out that the quickest way to lose weight is by cutting calories. But how many calories does it really take to make a difference?

An average woman would have to cut about 500 calories each day to lose a pound a week—and just a couple of simple changes can help you lose 10 pounds by next month!

500 calories a day may sound like a lot at first, but you’d be surprised to learn just how easy it can be by doing a few simple foods swaps.

Try a couple of these calorie-trimming tricks each day and watch as the pounds just melt away:

1. Stop eating nuts: Although nuts offer plenty of health benefits, they’re also very high in calories and fat. Research shows that people will continuously snack on a large bowl of nuts when given the opportunity—and they really add up! If you’re really serious about slashing extra calories, then cut out nuts for a couple of weeks and see the difference on the scale.
2. Don’t eat in front of the TV: Mindless eating is one of the easiest ways to gain weight quickly. In fact, recent research from the University of Massachusetts shows that we eat about 288 more calories a day in front of the TV. Before you sit down for your favorite show tonight, eat dinner at the table. Without TV as a distraction, your body will be able to tell you when you’re full faster.
3. Be more restless: There’s a reason antsy fidgeters are so skinny—they’re constantly moving! You could burn up to 350 calories a day just by moving throughout the day. Tap your feet at your desk, walk around the house while talking on the phone, and get up to move around as often as you can to burn extra calories without changing your lifestyle.
4. Use smaller plates: Do you feel obligated to fill up your plate at dinner? Many of us don’t feel like we’ve eaten enough unless our plates are completely covered in food. It’s a hard habit to break, so the easiest way to trick yourself into eating fewer calories is simply by filling up a smaller plate. Try swapping your 12-inch plates for 10-inch plates to cut calories throughout the day. Your eyes will barely notice the difference, but you’ll start eating about 20-25% less food every day.
5. Skip family style dinners: There’s a reason you always go back for seconds when you’re at a big family style dinner—the food is right in front of you! It would be hard for anybody to deny another plate of food when you barely even have to extend your arm to grab another helping. You’ll consume a lot fewer calories every meal by serving yourself all the food you plan on eating before sitting at the table.
6. Fill up with less: Skip your usual three-egg scrambler and try two hard-boiled (or poached) eggs for breakfast instead. Without the added oils, butter, or cheese, your meal with still satisfy you with tons of protein—but not the extra calories. Another trick? Eat a small cup of low-calorie soup before lunch and dinner. Research shows that you’ll eat about 134 calories less at each meal.

Do you have any calorie-trimming tricks to add? Let us know in the comments!

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