Imagine a world where you can eat anything you want without worrying about calories. Dream life yea?
Sadly, that is not our reality and when it comes to weight loss, there is usually a simple formula involved – being in a calorie deficit position which simply means burning more calories than you consume.
As simple as this sounds, the struggle to eat less calories is real because food is so sweet and before you know, you have overdone it. It can be a challenge, but it is achievable especially if you want to lose and maintain a healthy weight.
Below are 8 tested and trusted tips that can help you ensure that you eat less calories, and achieve your dream body.
Tip 1: Limit your use of oil
Did you know that 1 tablespoon of oil no matter how healthy contains over 100 calories? Simply cutting down the quantity of oil you use to cook is one of the fastest ways to eat fewer calories.
You can achieve this by minimising deep frying and exploring other cooking methods like air frying, oven grilling, boiling, and pan frying with little oil. You can also reduce the quantity of oil added to food especially for my African people that like their food looking ‘palm oil red’, use little oil and add red bell peppers (tatashe) or a little turmeric for colour.
Tip 2: Cut down on soda
Soda drinks are usually high in calories and contain loads of sugar which makes you get hungry faster. They usually have no nutritional value and are referred to as ’empty calories’.
Bro and sis, please make your calories count eh? I know you like to “wash down” your food with one chill soft drink after a meal. But if you know the quantity of sugar you are consuming, you would just drink water which is great for your body and is calorie-free.
Tip 3: Eat more protein & fibre rich foods
You can incorporate more protein and fibre-rich foods in your diet, because these foods keep you feeling full for a long period, and if you feel full then you most likely would not be reaching for the next meal or snack in a short period. So you eat less and automatically cut down on your calories.
Examples of high fibre foods include whole grains (Fonio (Acha), Oats, Ofada Rice, Bulgur, Millet, Guinea corn) , legumes which are also a good source of protein (Beans, Bambara, Peas, Lentils) tubers (yam, potato), whole fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
However, nuts and fruits like avocado are high in calories, so watch your portions for them and all meals
Tip 4: Stock up on healthy foods
Remember those late nights walking to your fridge to eat that remaining slice of pizza, cake, or soda drinks? Well, imagine you replace those with vegetables/fruits like cucumber/apple and a little nut butter – that is if you must eat late at night.
Because if there is junk food and soft drinks in your fridge yes you may avoid it for a while but you will eventually have a moment of weakness and before you know it you are sipping on a drink with pizza at the side. ‘Hear word oh’
Tip 5: Eat from a smaller plate
Yes we know you are the man of the house or woman of the house and of course the size of your plate should show that. However studies show that eating from a smaller plate can trick your brain to believe it is a large meal and you feel full faster than when eating a small meal from a large plate. This will help you watch your portions. Try it, it works.
Tip 6: Bulk up meals with vegetables
Fill half of your plate with vegetables available in your area. And then 1/4 protein and carbs in the other half. You will be surprised at how fast you get full and stay full because vegetables are full of fibre. And feeling of fullness = less eating times = less calories.
Tip 7: Read your labels
Please ensure to read the labels of the food stuffs you purchase and plan to consume take note of the serving size and calories per serving before you eat your future in one day. The calories contained in some “small snacks” or “small food” will shock you.
Tip 8: Cook your food
Tie your aprons, put on your chef hats and enter the kitchen because cooking your own food allows you to as much as possible control what goes in it. This makes it easier to keep track of your calories, and you can easily apply some of the tips above when you are cooking your own food.
Bonus tip: Exercise is a good way to burn more calories and keep your body active. Keep moving!!
We hope you found these tips helpful and will be implementing them. If you have further questions, please drop them in the comments section below and we will respond. Thank you for reading and feel free to share this post with anyone that needs it.
Cheers to living healthy and wholesome lives.
