What do YOU do to save those little extra calories?

I'm just curious to know what other people do throughout the day to save a few extra calories. =) Here's a few things I do:

1. I sometimes eat my cereal dry and drink a ton of water in between, that way I can save those extra 90 calories from 1 cup of fat free milk

2. I substitute splenda/twin sugar for regular sugar when I bake (I'm well aware of what some people may think about artificial sweeteners, please don't preach to me because I don't care =P)

3. I use the single packets of 5 calorie juices instead of real juice (unless it's orange juice or a natural juice that actually has REAL nutritional value and not just a bunch of sugar), and diet soda instead of regular

4. I chew gum in between meals; the chewing pretty much keeps me busy and I don't even know I'm hungry sometimes

5. Sleep! I try to get in as much sleep as possible (even though my 2 month old keeps me up most of the time!) because if I'm sleeping, I can't eat... and, usually, when I wake up from a deep sleep or nap (or even a catnap), I'm usually not as hungry as I was before I slept =)

6. When I go out to eat with family/friends/hubby, I order one meal that I can share with another person, that way I'm only eating half of one order and I'm not tempted to eat the other half

What do you do?

I measure everything... I pack my lunches 3 days out in advance for work (same thing for all 3 days, measured and logged in calorie count in advance)

When eating my 1/2 cup fiber one in the am's I use 1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk & 1/4 cup ice cold water & 1 tsp instant coffee. (the bitter from the coffee flavor I have learned kills my sweeth tooth and my want for more food).

I read the nutrition labels on products I've never eaten at the store... in fact I stay there an extra hour or so just browsing and then buying new stuff to see if the lower cal alternative is worth it.

If I get late night cravings I have a hot cup of tea... usually curbs my apetite.

I try to remember that the same hormone which causes drowsiness causes hunger, and that the brain has a hard time distinguishing between the two sensations... so chances are I am more than likely sleepy rather than hungry.

I compare everything with a fudge brownie. If a fudgey brownie = 300 cals and that's my favorite food then would I rather stuff my face mindlessly on 300 cals of hors D'vouers in the break room in 3 bites or slowly enjoy a super fudgey chocolate brownie? I usually say I'll save up for the brownie and then by the time I can actually get out and buy one I don't remember or I don't want it anymore.

When I go out to eat I reference the menu on a website. I find the lowest cal or best meal available. That way if I eat the whole thing I don't feel bad. . Plus I think it's funny when people see me eat an entire platter and ask me "how the hell are you so tiny? Where do you fit all that food??" and I just act like I have no clue

Or (kinda a bad habit) but if I'm really hungry but I have already ate, and especially if I have been doing well and I'm about to do something rash... I'll take a good grip on my fattest area and hold on tight... it's a nice reminder when you can grab onto 2-3 lbs of body fat that you need to step away from the muffins bc they are NOT worth it... and mistakes liek that keep you from becoming bikini-clad next summer.

Original Post by mztenderheart02:

I'm just curious to know what other people do throughout the day to save a few extra calories. =) Here's a few things I do:

1. I sometimes eat my cereal dry and drink a ton of water in between, that way I can save those extra 90 calories from 1 cup of fat free milk

i drink skim milk for a snack, because it's nutrition-packed and low in fat and calories.

2. I substitute splenda/twin sugar for regular sugar when I bake (I'm well aware of what some people may think about artificial sweeteners, please don't preach to me because I don't care =P)

i don't bake.  i don't use artificial sweeteners.  a 5lb bag of sugar lasts me 5 years (or more).

3. I use the single packets of 5 calorie juices instead of real juice (unless it's orange juice or a natural juice that actually has REAL nutritional value and not just a bunch of sugar), and diet soda instead of regular

i drink water.

4. I chew gum in between meals; the chewing pretty much keeps me busy and I don't even know I'm hungry sometimes

gum makes me nauseous.  if i need something to tide me over before a meal, i eat 6 almonds.

5. Sleep! I try to get in as much sleep as possible (even though my 2 month old keeps me up most of the time!) because if I'm sleeping, I can't eat... and, usually, when I wake up from a deep sleep or nap (or even a catnap), I'm usually not as hungry as I was before I slept =)

sleep is good.  i wake up at the same time every morning, regardless of when i go to bed, so i try to be asleep by 11 (an hour ago).  but i'm a great napper.  i do the 20-minute nap like nobody i know.

6. When I go out to eat with family/friends/hubby, I order one meal that I can share with another person, that way I'm only eating half of one order and I'm not tempted to eat the other half

i don't eat more than i need, and i don't take a doggie bag.

What do you do?

 

 

1. I only drink water. I'll have diet soda for a treat and low fat milk with cereal..but NO MORE BEVERAGE CALORIES FOR ME!

2. I eat my sandwiches without cheese-- I've gotten used to it and don't even miss it.

3. I eat my sandwiches without mayo...I use mustard instead.

4. I brush my teeth when I feel like I might get cravings, or after a meal when I get that "I'm full, but I still kind of WANT more..." feeling.

5. I use egg whites instead of the whole egg (or egg beaters).

6. I eat veggie soup or tomato soup for a lot of snacks..both are low cal and filling.

 

Just a couple things that have been important to my weight loss.

I use a non stick pan so I cut out all cooking fats!

Also making omelettes, I'll have one egg with yolk left in, 2 with just egg whites no difference to taste!

1.  I only drink skim milk and water.

2.  Fat free cheese.

3.  Herbs/spices/vinegar instead of fattening, sugar-loaded condiments.

4.  I don't eat fruits or vegetables, so that cuts my carb intake down to half of most peoples' (but I do take a multivitamin).

5.  Instead of chips for a snack I have a Jolly Time 94% Fat Free mini-pack (quite filling), canned tuna, or cottage cheese.

6.  When those chocolate cravings come along I have my Double Dutch chocolate protein shake :).

I keep a journal post on this exact topic..lol

I don't eat the crust at the edge of a slice of pizza.  I bet that part of the crust is equal to the part that is under all the gooey cheese, sauce & spinach!

I make my grilled cheese sandwich without any spread on the outside.  It browns just as nicely and I don't feel guilty eating it.  :)

• Egg whites instead of eggs
• Lemon juice in my water instead of other kinds of high-sugar juices
• 'Vegetarian Day' 3 - 4 times a week. Portabello mushrooms, grilled as a substitute for beef or chicken in just about everything. It's my tofu! lol. Try em in quesadillas, wraps, enchidadas, on burgers instead of patties, etc.
• Becel 0 calorie spray or NOTHING in pans for saute-ing. low-sodium chicken broth if I need to soften veggies.
• Instead of a full serving of rice / grains - prepare 1/2 of what you usually would than bulk it up with diced zucchini, tomato, celery, mushrooms, etc to make a nice medley but cut way back on carbs. (and get more veggies!)
• No Sugar Added fruit Jam or spread stirred into in oatmeal instead of sugar or molasses or instead of throwing in a whole fruit which I usually do. (nothing wrong with fruit, just have to stay under my cals so I'll save it for a snack on it's own.
• A 1/2 a toasted whole wheat pita, broken up into chips, served with a 1/3 cup salsa or 2 tbsp tzatziki for dipping - great 100 cal alternative to a bag of chips or nachos. 
• Don't eat out as much - have friends in for dinner, so you can cook. Tomorrow night, friends are coming for spinach blueberry salad with stuffed tomatoes and baked chicken w/ mango salsa. Not bad, eh. It'll be a 400-cal meal for those who don't dip in to the bread basket.

Pack my own lunch and snacks. Lunch is a salad. Measure the 1 teaspoon of olive oil rather then eyeball it. Only bring the portion of chocolate, rather than the whole bar - I cannot be trusted to only eat 20 grams if it is available, this I know.

Measuring portions in general helps.

Mostly just drink water or green tea during the day (a skim - instead of full fat - cappucino is an occassional treat) unless it has a purpose. I do drink a pre-workout protein shake, and a glass of unsweetened soy milk with whey powder post-workout. Those would be drinks with a purpose (protein!).

Air pop popcorn and add vinegar or hot sauce to make topings stick instead of butter.

Cook for myself.

 

• I've swapped most of my meat for quorn, each sausage saves 60cals
• iv swapped crisps for popcorn, which fills me up a lot more with less cals and a lot less fat
• I only drink water now, with cadbury's highlights (40cals) as a treat when i want something hot
• I bulk out carbs with a tin of ratatouille (chopped veg)
• I use frylight instead of oil, but only if i cant find the non stick pan :)
• I discovered skinny cow ice cream - enough said lol
• I check the menu before i go out for dinner, and make sure i get the healthiest thing on the menu :)

cinnamon tea tree oil tooth picks, every time i get "fake hunger" i chew on one of those and it goes away!

Those are some awesome ideas. I'ma steal some from yall! =)
Best of luck to everybody!

Love and Alohas to you all,
Ihilani Kapuniai

I can't think that far ahead. You guys are pretty elaborate. I only buy things that are clean, healthy foods (for the most part) and I treat every meal like my life depends on it because really, it does!

I also play this game with myself "if you REALLY want it, wait and have it tomorrow". It works most of the time when I'm sitting here thinking "boy I could really go for a double Whopper right about now"

Became a recluse. Nearly every social engagement has some caloric fiesta quality to it, at least, amongst my crowd, so I turn down as many as possible.

I believe in moderation, not self-denial.  Self-denial leads to giving up and/or bingeing, at least for me.  

1. Half-portions in restaurants.  Cut all servings in half.  Or remember the motto- "a serving is the size of your palm."  What restaurants consider "servings" these days is about three servings anywhere else in the world.

2. "Dip and spear" method for salad dressings (when in restaurants or elsewhere when I can't control my dressings.)  I learned this at Hilton Head Health Institute.  Instead of pouring dressing on the salad, order it on the side, then dip your fork in and spear a piece of salad.  Takes some getting used to, but you will consume a fraction of the dressing you would if you put it directly on.  I'm someone who loves my balsamic vinagrette dressings to drown my salads, so I never thought this would work for me - but I've actually come to prefer salads this way.  This also works for sauces on things.  Order all sauces on the side and "dip and spear."  You can save hundreds of calories this way, without losing flavor.

3. Write down or keep a running tally in my head of the day's calories.  I round up slightly most days, and do it in my head when I'm on the run.  That keeps me from indulging in something that will blow the day - or, if I do indulge, lets me assess what the damage is and figure out how to fix it (have a balanced snack instead of a full meal for dinner; cut back a little the next day; etc.)

4. Read labels and be aware of portion sizes.  Many labels will read "Only 100 calories a serving!" - but you will look closely and find that there are 3 servings in a small package.  

5. Note the first ingredient on every label.  If it's sugar or processed flour, avoid it.  Trans fats are deadly.

6. Eat frequent small meals to keep metabolism up (as well as avoid hunger.) Snacking is not necessarily the enemy. Great between meal appetite satisfying "tricks" include 4-6 raw almonds... skim cappucino w/sugar free flavor...Starbucks coffee light frappucino (tall only!)...half a protein bar...small container of nonfat cottage cheese w/a small amount of fruit or sugar free preserves...handful of soynuts....South Beach diet's 100 cal package of chocolate covered soynuts...whey protein shake...etc.

7.  Have all my grains and most carbs except vegetables in the morning; none at night.

8.  Drink tons of water w/meals; or my favorite - unsweetened ice tea.

9.  When the need to "binge" on something sweet strikes (and fruit won't cut it), diet jello is amazingly low on calories and can really fill you up and satisfy your sweet tooth.

10.  Keep cut carrots & celery sticks and raw vegetables w/in easy reach at home AND at work. I'm lazy; I buy them cut up or buy packages of baby carrots or things like raw peapod packages.

11.  Don't give food too much power.  There's no such thing as "bad" food and "good" food - only how you either use or abuse it!

 

 

 

Original Post by mztenderheart02:

I'm just curious to know what other people do throughout the day to save a few extra calories. =) Here's a few things I do:

1. I sometimes eat my cereal dry and drink a ton of water in between, that way I can save those extra 90 calories from 1 cup of fat free milk

I always eat my cereal dry but drink a protein shake with 1/2 cup Soy Slender added. Breakfast is the major key nutrition for the day.

2. I substitute splenda/twin sugar for regular sugar when I bake (I'm well aware of what some people may think about artificial sweeteners, please don't preach to me because I don't care =P)

I use generic Splenda.

3. I use the single packets of 5 calorie juices instead of real juice (unless it's orange juice or a natural juice that actually has REAL nutritional value and not just a bunch of sugar), and diet soda instead of regular

Except for special occasions, I'm not a juice or pop drinker but if I do, it is sugar free or diet type. I drink water

4. I chew gum in between meals; the chewing pretty much keeps me busy and I don't even know I'm hungry sometimes

I drink water in between meals.

5. Sleep! I try to get in as much sleep as possible (even though my 2 month old keeps me up most of the time!) because if I'm sleeping, I can't eat... and, usually, when I wake up from a deep sleep or nap (or even a catnap), I'm usually not as hungry as I was before I slept =)

A good night's sleep, at least 8 hours, is recommended and we burn calories sleeping.

6. When I go out to eat with family/friends/hubby, I order one meal that I can share with another person, that way I'm only eating half of one order and I'm not tempted to eat the other half

I usually order what I want and usually take a people bag home for 1-2 more meals.

What do you do?

In general, look for low density foods that are nutritious.  If I get a craving, I turn to Slim-Fast bars or Apex diet brownie.

 

I don't do a lot to try to skim calories off my day, but I do a few things that save both calories AND money...

I dish my cereal out of the box with a measuring scoop so I don't accidentally overfill the bowl (saves money too because the further that box goes the better!)

I only drink water, even if we go out to eat, because I hate diet sodas and regular ones have way too many calories for what they are (also saves pennies because iced water is free and soda costs money!) If I really want some soda I have a few sips of my husbands - I'll be satisfied with about four ounces just to get the taste.

I very rarely bake, because if I bake it we'll eat it far more quickly than we should! And I never buy cookies or cakes any more - we don't need the extra calories and they cost too much.

I don't use butter or margerine on bread, potatoes etc. I either eat it plain or put a little Hellmann's light mayonnaise on it if I'm making a sandwich.

I guess I am a minority, I actually have to eat things late at night to catch up on my calorie intake.  The secret is pretty simple.

I do not eat anything fried.

I drown my salads in lemon juice, dried basil and other greens (which I like a lot) and it keeps the sweet tooth away. An enourmous bowl of greens with tomatoes and cucumbers is less than 150 cals and I can barely fit anything else after that.

I also don't eat high fat foods, as a matter of fact, after 2 weeks on this kind of diet, the smell of fatty burgers makes me nauseous.

Carbs I cannot cut,otherwise my brain goes to slow mode, so I eat apples mostly, sometimes sour apricots and plums.

I weigh everything, even if the package states that for eg. 7 cubes of true north almond clusters are 28 grams, in reality only 4 cubes weigh 28g.  That's almost half of what they suggest.

My easy, painless way to control calories when i'm not exercising enough is to only eat each day 200g of brown rice (weight uncooked! and very basic; with 2 large spoons of sour cream, tomatoes, spices, garlic, mushrooms) and then just drink water or light coke. So simple that after a few days i don't really think or wish for anything else. Of course it wouldn't do for too long, but a week or two of this regimen really helps me when i don't feel like running 10k or partying hard, my other two sure fire ways to lose weight.

I don't take diets as something that definite me, but as a tool to attain a clear objective and be done with it for a long time. Lifestyle maintains weight. Diet is just the tool to get somewhere. That's why I don't believe in complex diets, complex rules, they seem more like a long term hobby sometime.

The best trick I have found to curb a chocolate craving is a fudgsicle pop.  It only has 59 calories and all the flavor of chocolate ice cream!  Remember, the trick is to only eat one!  I also love popcorn.  Can eat a whole bowl for the low, low cost of 35 calories!

Here are my favourite tricks:

- I second the "dip and spear" method for salads / sauces. I only use a fraction of the dressing that I'm given.

- I bring my lunch to work, and a couple of healthy snacks for morning / afternoon, rather than buying food that I can't control. I don't think I've ever bought anything from the vending machines here or at my previous job.

- I've stopped putting butter and mayo on sandwiches. I don't miss them, and I taste the sandwich and bread more this way.

- In the morning, I have porridge rather than processed cereal. I have it with 1% milk with vanilla protein powder mixed in, which has an artificial sweetener but that's pretty much the only artificial sweetener I eat.

- I only drink water, coffee / tea (black), and 1% milk which is full of nutrients.

- I love my food scale. (It also gets used for weighing yarn for knitting *grin*)