How to Lose 50 Pounds Without Really Trying
When it comes to losing weight...
Sometimes it isn't what you're eating -- but how much and how often. By simply downsizing your portion or reducing the amount of times you eat something per day, week or month, you can lose weight without feeling totally deprived. To drop even more pounds, you can make simple swaps that will leave you satisfied and not miserable. The 10 tips that follow add up to a considerable amount of weight loss per year -- 50 pounds, to be exact. How many you follow may depend on how much weight you need to lose. However, if you aren't consuming any of these foods on a regular basis, the change might not be significant at all.
Once a week, skip the cheese on your hamburger.
Calories saved per year: 5,876
Weight lost per year: 2 pounds
Simply swap the cheese for a slice of tomato, onion and lettuce.
Consume 8 ounces, not 12 ounces, of your morning orange juice.
Calories saved per year: 20,384
Weight lost per year: 6 pounds
If you still want to drink 12 ounces of liquid, add seltzer to your juice.
Go for the 'tall' latte instead of the 'grande' on your daily Starbucks run.
Calories saved per year: 32,760
Weight lost per year: 9 pounds
To lose an additional 3 pounds, order your latte with non-fat milk instead of whole milk.
Drink two less glasses of wine each week.
Calories saved per year: 12,584
Weight lost per year: 4 pounds
Replace the wine with sparkling water, club soda or seltzer with a twist of lemon or lime.
Once a month, purchase a small popcorn instead of a large popcorn at the movie theater.
Calories saved per year: 13,680
Weight lost per year: 4 pounds
Once a week, top your salad with Italian dressing instead of Caesar dressing.
Calories saved per year: 7,696
Weight lost per year: 2 pounds
Once a week, downsize your burger from 8 ounces to 4 ounces.
Calories saved per year:16,016
Weight lost per year: 5 pounds
Try loading up on steamed veggies to make up for the smaller portion of beef.
Twice a week, choose an English muffin instead of a bagel for breakfast.
Calories saved per year: 24,960
Weight lost per year: 7 pounds
Once a week, eat half a cup of ice cream instead of an 8-ounce cup.
Calories saved per year: 11,960
Weight lost per year: 3 pounds
To lose an additional 2 pounds per year, switch to frozen yogurt.
Once a week, ditch the french fries, and opt for a baked potato.
Calories saved per year:12,064
Weight lost per year: 3 pounds
Top your baked potato with salsa, mustard or horseradish. If you add loads of butter and sour cream, you will most likely gain 3 pounds.
Keri Gans, MS, RDN, CDN, is a registered dietitian/nutritionist, media personality, spokesperson, and author of The Small Change Diet. Gans's expert nutrition advice has been featured in Glamour, Fitness, Health, Self and Shape, and on national television and radio, including The Dr. Oz Show, Good Morning America, ABC News, Primetime, and Sirius/XM Dr. Radio.
