Excersise is for fitness
Diet, or what you eat, is for losing weight.
I know this sounds strange, but hear me out. Yes, it's true by exercising you burn calories, and hense reduce calorie consumption which impacts your weight. However, if your diet is high in calorie intake, you won't lose weight. Excersise is important, and I do cardio 2-3 times a week, but I do it to stay in shape, not to lose weight. Keeping or losing your weight is more about what you eat on a daily basis. So, in this article I will focus on how to "slightly" modify your eating habits to lose weight and keep it off. I believe the key is just being more cognizant of what you consume, and slightly modify your eating habits so you reduce calorie intake and thus lose weight. Here are some tips:
Cooking Oil - instead of using 1 tablespoon of oil for cooking per serving (which would be 3-4 for a 4 person family), use 1 tablespoon per 4 servings. 1 tablespoon is 120 calories, so you split 120 calories among 4 people, rather than have each person consume 120 calories. Imagine if this is done every day, how many calories you cut out.
Alcoholic Drinks - I love alcoholic drinks, but they can have ton of calories. 1 Pina Colada has 650 calories! In the bar, drink a Mojito or Gin with Diet Sprite (instead of tonic water). Have Jack and Diet Coke instead of Coke. At home, you can do a lot more. For a Mango Mohito, have Bacardi, with diet tonic water and Fuze tropical punch. Use diet sodas or diet juices (with 0-5 calories) as your mixers.
Snacks - During the day, have 1-2 lower calorie snacks. Instead of M&Ms (240+ calories) or cake, have a chocolate chip gronala bar (only 90 calories). Also, trying drinking chicken brooth as a soup (only 10 calories) once or twice a day.
Breakfast - Have cereal such as Wheatabix or Total (only 90 calories), and have it with Vitasoy Lite Soy Milk (60 calories, 4 gram sugar) versus Low Fat Milk (140 calories, 14 gram sugar).
Lunch - Have a sandwich with whole wheat bread slices, 1 slice of cheese (or soy cheese, which is only 40 calories), with turkey, chicken, or roast beef. Avoid maynaise, and use mustard or humus. For Indian cookery, have only 1 whole wheat roti (no butter), with a "normal" serving of vegatables (subzee) or tandoori or baked chicken cooked with little cooking oil.
Dinner - For curries, put only 1 tablespoon of oil per 4 people. Be light on the yogurt, and definitely don't use milk or coconut milk. Have 1-1.5 roti, and put no butter on it. Have salad on the side, with lemon, salt, and pepper as the dressing (avoid other dressings). Meals that are delicious and lower in calorie include tofu spinach with masala, tofu with masala and 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, tandoori/baked chicken, and whole wheat pizza with soy cheese and vegetable pasta sauce.
Deserts - Make sweets the exception rather than the norm. In fact, I suggest not having deserts stored at all in the house. Instead, have fruit (berries, strawberries - low in sugar but high in fiber), low calorie ice cream (made with Splenda), or sugar free Jello. For Indian sweets, they are just terrible, the worst things you can eat on the planet. As a substituion, if you must, make custurd with Splenda (instead of sugar).
Beverages - Avoid juices, such as orange juice or apple juice, as they are high in calorie content. Instead, drink water. Also, avoid regular soda and drink diet soda as a substitute.
Starbucks - Many coffee drinks at Starbucks, Tully's or Peets can be terribly high in calories. One medium frapachino at Starbucks is 380 calories! Avoid speciality drinks such as Pumkin Spice lattes or Peppermint mochas. Drink regular coffee. If you must drink a latte, have it with low-fat milk, and avoid having on a daily basis. These coffees add up in calories, so try to stick to normal black coffee.
Bottom Line - If you are more aware of what you eat/drink and do the slight modifications I suggest, you will cut out 300-400 calories a day easily. In just few weeks, you'll see weight loss with these simple techniques. If you also exerise, you will lose even more weight. Send me an email to let me know what you think of this article.