10 Simple and Fast Tricks to Cut Calories and Help You Lose Weight

We're always on the go... which can come between our dieting and exercise time. But, even if you don't have time to workout during your hectic day, you can still manage to not splurge and in fact cut the number of calories you eat.

One thing that really affects the way I eat is the way others eat around me. 

Do you eat more while at work?

Working in an office setting can be good and bad. Good because you may have a group of people dieting who can give you that extra push needed and then bad because there seems to always be a group who constantly orders out (one day is Chinese food, the next day is Italian, and so on). 


To not fall into the ordering out with your co-workers trap, make sure to pack your own healthy snacks and goodies to keep in your desk draw. Also, prepare your own lunches so when asked to order food you can simply say, "No thanks, I brought lunch today!"

It may be tempting to eat what they order once you smell the take-out food, but remember how many calories it packs and that your lunch is healthier!

You'll be surprised at how many calories you can cut while at work. And pass on the candies that everyone passes around. Candy calories are not worth it and they quickly add up! 

Mind what you put in your mouth! 

Other tricks to cut calories (from fitbie) are:   

#1 Eat pistachios

Researchers from the University of Eastern Illinois believe that people who eat pistachios two times a week are less likely to put on extra pounds than those who don't enjoy this simple snack.

#2 Enjoy sliced food

Slicing food into petite portions helps decrease how much people eat. It also makes you believe that you've eaten more since many sliced pieces appears to be a lot of food. In a study by Japan's National Food Research Institute, researches discovered that people believed that cut portions of meat and vegetables were 27 percent bigger than food that was not cut.

#3 Weigh yourself every day

Numerous studies have proven that getting on the scale regularly aids in weight loss efforts. A study in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity found that those who log their daily and weekly weight lose up to 18 pounds more than people who weigh themselves less often.

#4 Brush your teeth right after dinner <<< This actually works!

Brushing your teeth immediately after dinner prevents you from wanting to eat anymore because it is traditionally a sign to discontinue eating. Furthermore, peppermint toothpaste has additional benefits since there have been reports of peppermint extract curbing the appetite.

#5 Eat aerated food

Whipped foods have more air in them per volumetric unit, so you are consuming less calories when you eat the same size portion of the non-whipped variety. Eating aerated food can easily be done by replacing regular yogurt and butter with the whipped kind.

#6 Use acupressure <<< I don't know about this one, lol.

Using ear acupressure is a quick, easy way to stop hunger in its tracks. When you get a craving for junk foods, try taking your thumb and forefinger and pinching the piece of skin by the ear canal. Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, says that stimulating this pressure point could assist in cutting cravings.

#7 Use hummus instead of mayo <<< I recently became a HUGE fan of hummus!

Skip the mayonnaise, and use hummus as a replacement, says Sari Greaves, RD, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and Nutrition Director at Step Ahead Weight Loss Center in Bedminster, N.J. Hummus is a creamy chickpea condiment that will cost you about 70 calories less than mayo per tablespoon.

#8 Use measuring cups

Blatner recommends measuring portions over guessing, and I have to agree with that advise since I measure my food. It only takes 30-seconds to measure out 2-teaspoons of olive oil or 1-cup of ice cream.

#9 Create your own salad dressing

Some salad dressings turn a healthy salad into an empty calorie nightmare. Make your own quick and simple dressing by whisking together lemon juice and olive oil. Use 2 parts juice to 1 part oil. Transform your dressing into a spritzer for an even lighter dressing.

#10 Know where to sit at the dinner table

Cornell researchers studied the habits of those who ate at a Chinese buffet. They discovered that the heaviest customers tended to be seated toward the buffet; whereas, the thinnest ones sat in the other direction where they couldn't see the food.

  

Source: (Fitbie) 

Do you have any tricks you use to cut calories?