The world today runs on screens. From students to the people working in the office, everyone is living a sedentary lifestyle. It means most people today are doing little to no physical activities, hence burning no additional calories other than their BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). In the modern-day scenario, where we are always on the go, it becomes challenging to cut down the calories. This article will help you figure out the easiest ways to cut down on 1000s of calories with ease.
BMR is the number of calories burnt in a day while at rest. BMR varies from person to person depending on their height, weight, and gender. For example, for a 21-year-old woman weighing 160 cm tall, weighing 58 kg, the BMR would be 1314 calories/day and, for a 21-year-old man weighing 160 cm tall, weighing 58 kg, his BMR would be 1480 calories/day. It means that they burn 1314 calories and 1480 calories at rest in a day, respectively. Age is also a factor determining the BMR of the person. For example, a 60-year-old woman with similar body measurements would have a BMR much lower than 1300 calories/day.
But do we eat only around 1300-1400 calories a day? No, we eat much more. If you are consuming more calories than you are burning, that leads to a calorie surplus. Positive calories that are stored in your body as fat leads to weight gain. A sedentary lifestyle might increase the stress level, hence leading to binge eating.
People nowadays are getting conscious about their lifestyle. They want to get in shape and stay fit. Weight loss or maintaining a healthy lifestyle is becoming a priority. But the fact is that most of us do not know or are wrong about consuming calories. We might eat healthy, but not in an acceptable manner. We must eat nutritionally dense food. Eating calories without understanding nutrition might lead to additional 1000s of calories. Exercise alone can not help us shed those extra kilos. We need to know about the food that we eat. Proper research or consulting a certified nutritionist might help us enhance our conversance concerning the food we eat.
Cutting down on those extra calories and mindful eating shows a significant improvement in overall health.
12 Diet Tips to Cut 1000s of Calories
Here are 12 easy diet tips that would help you cut 1000s of calories and maintain your health:
1. Do not drink your calories
Eating a bowl of fruits or vegetables keeps us satiated for a longer time. It is because fruits and veggies contain fibre. If you prefer to have a fruit smoothie or a bowl of soup, it means you are drinking your calories. Consuming calories in the form of liquids not only adds up to your calorie intake but also increases your appetite, and you might end up overeating. Avoid drinking your calories to see a visible change in your fitness level.
2. Use smaller plates
A survey says, on average, we eat 44% larger meals than what people had in the ’80s. To make meals smaller, you need to serve yourself on smaller plates. For example, serving the main course on a dessert plate or a bowl is prudent to cut down on excesses in a buffet. Surprisingly, you won’t overeat. This tip is practical, simple and very beneficial.
3. Eat slowly
It takes approximately 20 minutes for the brain to register and send signals that you are full. People who eat faster tend to overeat. The people who eat slowly give ample time to the brain to understand and send out signals of being full, and they would end up eating less.
4. Serve a quarter of what you can eat
We are used to serving ourselves by filling our plates, but; we need to be mindful of the serving size. Eating smaller portions is what we require.
5. Add protein to every meal
Diet lacking in protein might make you crave more snacks in no time. Also, it leads to overeating. Therefore, it is vital to include protein in every meal, especially the main meals, i.e., breakfast, lunch and dinner.
6. Learn to read food labels
If you go for convenience food or packaged food items due to the unavailability of cooked or fresh food, learn to read and understand the ingredients. For example, avoid the foods that contain sugar or its alternatives, or vegetable oil or salt as its first 3-4 ingredients.
7. Maintain a food diary
To cut down on unnecessary calories, keep track of them. It makes you accountable for what you eat and, you are mindful and responsible for what you eat to stop binging out of boredom and stress.
8. Take half food home when eating out
We tend to eat more when we eat out. It is because the restaurants have a standard serving size that might be larger than what you eat. Therefore, people who eat out very much have a higher chance of overeating. However, study shows that people who maintain their weight either share their food or order half of the portion or eat half of the food and take the other half home.
9. Limit toppings and dressings
A salad is a go-to choice to lose weight. A colourful salad is what many people prefer because vegetables keep us satiated for a longer time. But those extra toppings might add extra calories. It will lead you to have lesser chances of losing weight. Instead of adding several toppings, add one of your favourite toppings as a dressing to your salad and cut it down by half.
10. Opt for good fats
Fats are as necessary as proteins and carbs. Eating fewer fats would help you in your journey to cut down on extra calories, unlike the other two. Choose nuts of your choice over chocolate, as they are high in minerals. They will also help reduce sugar cravings.
11. Cheat your cheat meal
If you generally eat out and have cheat meals, you got to cheat your cheat meals. Eat nutritionally dense food or a smaller portion of a meal before going out to eat and, you may not be hungry enough to eat a lot and cut down on hundreds of calories.
12. Get enough sleep
Apart from the balanced nutrition, you need to get yourself enough rest to cut down on hundreds of calories. Lack of sleep makes you crave sugary and fatty foods. People getting enough sleep are more satiated and mindful of what they eat and in what quantities. Fix a sleep schedule to see the differences in your food choices.
These are some tips that you can follow and see the difference in your lifestyle. We hope this helps you in achieving your health goals!
