One of my particiapats in my Weight Loss Transformations program asked me "Do you think the 2 mugs of coffee with cream and sugar are making any difference in my ability to lose weight?" After determining the "recipe" for each mug of coffee = 2 Tablespoons of half and half and 2 teaspoons of sugar, this is how I answered:
Each Tbsp (T) of half and half contains 20 calories and each tsp (t) of sugar 21. So if you drink 2 mugs of coffee, each with 2 T half and Half and 2 t of sugar, that adds up to 164 calories per day, 1,148 per week, 59,696 per year. If you took both of those items out with out changing anything else, theoretically you would lose 17 pounds in one year. If you substituted the regular half and half with a fat free variety, you save 40 calories per day or 14,600 per year ( 4+ pounds) or by switching to no sugar or a stevia you could save another 84 calories per day or 29,565 per year (8.5 pounds).
Of course the other participants quickly chimed in assuring her that you can reduce the sugar gradually until you don't even miss it, in fact after a while you won't even like it. And fat free half and half tastes the same as the regular. Imagine these simple changes resulting in 12.5 pounds of weight GONE with out much effort, without having to feel deprived!
Here are some other ways to save calories that are pretty easy.
Calorie Savings Plan
With these simple changes you can cut calories and lose weight without feeling deprived!
|
Food |
Substitute |
Calories Saved |
|
bakery bagel |
Thomas Lite WW English muffin |
240 |
|
2 T cream cheese |
2 T lite cream cheese |
30 |
|
dressing served on salad at restaurant, 4 T |
2 T lite dressing served on the side |
300 |
|
Snickers bar (2 oz) |
1 oz dry roasted peanuts with a few dark choc chips. |
91 |
|
8 oz 2% milk |
8 oz SimplySmart non-fat skim milk |
30 |
|
1 cup regular ice cream in a waffle cone |
3/4cup lite ice cream in a dish |
200 |
|
corn on the cob with 1 tsp butter |
1 cup green beans with spray butter |
155 |
|
Total calories saved |
|
1256 |
There are many other ways to trim some calories out of your daily diet. If you like to cook, try modifying some of your favorite recipes. Think about your daily diet, or track your food intake for a few days and then circle items that you could swap out for something a little lighter or just cut the portion size a bit. Check out my article on my favorite product also found in KJ's Health Blog. If you have questions about some additional ideas, post a comment in the forums section of my website at www.bodybykj.com/forums or send me a note on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter. The links are found on the meet KJ tab.
