Cut Out The Calories: 10 Great Tips
Wanting to see faster results from your diet and exercise program? Shaving off calories at every meal can make a huge difference. If you were to cut out 100 calories per day, about the amount that you would burn in a brisk 20 minute walk, that would add up to 10 pounds per year that don’t settle on your hips, thighs, and butt. Calorie cutting is extremely easy. Here are 10 great examples:
# 1: Take The Stairs
Pretend the elevator no longer exists in your world. Whether you are going to work or visiting a friend, head straight for the stairs.
# 2: Bring Your Inside Chores Outside
Return daily phone calls while walking around the yard. Catch up with other family members over a game of catch. Do you have a good book on the go? Download the audio version and walk around the neighborhood with your iPod.
# 3: Change Up Your Caffeine
If you are normally a big coffee or soda drinker, mix it up a little with a cup of green tea, or a tall glass of unsweetened ice tea.
# 4: Go Light
Many of the foods that you eat all the time are available in lighter versions. For example, go for low-fat yogurt, light maple syrup, sugarless gum, light salad dressing, and sherbet instead of ice cream.
# 5: Keeps Snack Food At Your Desk
If you are one of those people who get the urge to snack in the afternoon, skip the trip to the vending machine down at the end of the hall. Instead, keep healthy alternatives right at your desk, such as celery sticks, baby carrots, and dried nuts or fruit. They will give you the boost of energy that you need to get through the rest of the day.
# 6: Get Outside
Instead of making plans to hook up with friends for drinks after work, take a brisk walk instead. Your body, if not your friends, will thank you for the healthy choice later.
# 7: Bike Or Walk To Work
This will likely not work if you live 30 miles from the office, but if your morning commute only takes a few minutes, grab your running shoes or your bike helmet, and enjoy the fresh air along the way. If this is really just not possible, try parking your vehicle the next block over from the office and briskly walking the rest of the way.
# 8: Mix Up Your TV Experience
Don’t be a couch potato. Instead of channel flipping during the commercials, take the dog for a walk, or do some sets of push-ups or crunches.
# 9: Curb The Booze Cravings
If you are out for a night with your friends or significant other, skip the sweet cocktails and choose a glass of wine or a light beer instead. You could also ask to have your alcohol put into a smaller glass.
# 10: Get Plenty Of Sleep
Getting enough sleep is beneficial in many ways to the body. It lowers stress, increases creativity, and also helps to increase your metabolic rate.
