Easy Ways To Cut Calories In Your Diet

There's no magic formula for weight loss. But there are some proven ways to help with your battle of the bulge. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Chicago Tribune offer the following healthy eating tips.

Eat Until You're Satisfied, Not Stuffed. Overeating is one of the leading causes of weight gain. You'll be surprised that is usually doesn't take a whole lot to satisfy your appetite.

Take Smaller Portions. Reducing those heaping portion sizes helps keep you from overeating. Of course, if you're still hungry, you can get seconds.

Make Painless Cuts and Substitutions that save hundreds of calories. If you want dessert, forego the pre-dinner cocktail--or vice versa. Substitute sherbet or nonfat frozen yogurt for premium ice cream. Opt for mustard instead of mayonnaise on your sandwich. Bake, broil or roast meats instead of frying and choose lean cuts.

Consume The Bulk Of Your Calories Before Dark. You burn more calories during the hustle and bustle of the day than you do snacking in front of the TV at night, so try to eat two-thirds of your calories before 5 p.m. Limit dinner to 500 calories if you want to lose weight.

Eat Breakfast. It gets you going and keeps you from overeating at lunch since you won't be starved out.

Drink More Water, Less Soda. Your body needs at least eight, 8-ounce glasses of water a day to run smoothly, in every sense of the word. Having water with your meals instead of soda helps you consume less calories, caffeine and sugar.

Prepare Home-Cooked Meals More Often. Studies show that people eat more calories when dining out, probably because you have less control over how your food is prepared and more calorie-laden options.

Don't Bring Junk Foods Into Your Home. Your know the old saying, "Out of sight, out of mind." You won't eat what's not around.

Find Easy Ways To Put More Fruits And Vegetables To Your Diet. Snack on raw vegetables instead of potato chips. Add fruit to your cereal at breakfast. Use the salad bar when you go out for lunch or to the grocery store, and load up on juice instead of the usual coffee, tea or soda.

Keep A Food Diary. Do you consume the bulk of your calories at morning, noon or night? Do you snack when you're bored, stressed or depressed? Are you skimping on fruits and vegetables? Track your eating patterns for at least 3 days to increase your awareness of your diet and reveal and redflag habits.

Don't Deprive Yourself. Most diets don't work because they aren't realistic. Eat the foods you like, just in moderation. And exercise, which is a key to lasting weight loss.