It’s a low calorie drink, with only 2 calories per cup, and may even help you burn more calories!

Unfortunately, many people tend to load this popular drink with unhealthy creamers, artificial sugars and syrups.  Too much of these and you’ve turned a healthy low calorie drink into a fattening 300 calorie one.

But, that doesn’t mean you have to drink your coffee black!  In fact, you can take black coffee and make it even healthier AND taste delicious by following these three simple tips!

1. Black coffee can taste bitter to some, that’s why they load it with sugar! And those that rely on artificial sweeteners may be saving on calories, but the jury is still out on whether it’s healthy or not.  An all natural way to add some sweetness to your coffee is to add a little Stevia.  Stevia contains zero calories and carbs and it only takes half a packet to sweeten your coffee.
2. An easy way to give your coffee a sort of mocha taste without all the calories and sugar you’d find in coffee shop varieties is to add a little unsweetened cocoa!  Cocoa also contains a healthy dose of antioxidants and may even lower blood pressure.  If it’s still a little too bitter than add in the half packet of Stevia as mentioned above!
3. My personal favorite and another good way to increase your antioxidant intake, lower blood pressure and even slightly raise your metabolism is to add a little cinnamon to your coffee!  Both coffee and cinnamon can aid in weight loss, albeit very slightly. Though, if you’re replacing high calorie extras with cinnamon in your coffee, the reduction in calories, which could be as high as a few hundred per day, will definitely help you lose weight!

Do you have any tips to add flavor to coffee without adding hundreds of calories and extra sugar?  Let us know in the comments below!

Also check out:

1. Is it OK to drink coffee? Q: I keep getting conflicting information about drinking coffee.  It...
2. Healthy Holiday Eating Tips The holidays are a wonderful time full of family, friends...
3. Cameron’s Organic French Roast Whole Bean Coffee Contrary to popular belief, coffee is a great low calorie...

3 Tips To Healthy & Delicious Coffee

In fact, many people use it as an excuse to pass on healthy foods and skip exercising altogether.

But, not only can you eat healthy on a budget, you may even be able to save a little money by changing up your diet, getting regular exercise and losing weight!

Sound too good to be true?  It’s not!

Here are 10 ways to lose weight and save money at the same time!

1. Reduce Portions – Eating less will not only help you lose weight, but it can help you save money. For example, next time you go out to eat cut your meal in half and box it up right away for a meal tomorrow. You effectively get two meals for the price of one.
2. Buy Healthy Food – No, not the expensive prepackaged so-called “health” foods, but rather natural whole foods like chicken, salads, vegetables and so on.  In fact, the New York Times reported that you can feed a family of six for about half the price with a meal made up of a salad, roasted chicken and vegetables as you could from McDonald’s!
3. Skip The Gym – You don’t need to fork over hundreds of dollars a year to exercise in a gym when you can burn calories and get a great workout just about anywhere.  Plus, studies show that just by being more active each day (not including exercise) can help you burn fat!
4. No More Fad Diets – Diet programs that require you to eat their special, and pricey, prepackaged meals can cost you thousands of dollars a year!  That’s absolutely unnecessary!  If you’re looking for low calorie recipes then you can find them for free on this site!
5. Cook Your Meals – Not only is cooking your own meals cheaper than eating at most restaurants, you can control exactly what goes in your food!  This will help you keep tabs on the amount of calories, fat, etc.
6. Take Advantage of Leftovers – As mentioned above, eating half of your meal and saving half is a great way to cut back on calories and save money.  But, another advantage is that it helps save time!  Cooking multiple meals every single day can be tiresome, so cut your cooking time in half by always eating half and saving half for a later meal.
7. Save At The Doctor – Living a healthy lifestyle has another benefit that many people often overlook: It can save on co-pays!  The obese pay on average $1,429 higher than someone of a normal weight in annual medical costs according to the CDC!
8. The Great Outdoors – Instead of paying to take your kids to the movies, for example, walk with them to the park and play! Or take the dog for a walk.  The world is your playground and best of all it’s free!
9. Compare Prices – By spending a little time upfront comparing prices on your favorite healthy foods, you can find the best deals and save hundreds over the course of a year.  And don’t forget to check out local food markets for fresh and cheap produce.
10. Find A Hobby – Many hobbies like gardening will help save money on vegetables and other produce plus it will hep you burn calories and lose weight.

As you can see, with a little creativity you can not only save a few bucks, but lose weight and improve your health!  It’s a win-win!

Also check out:

1. 4 Tasty Ways To Cheat On Your Diet And Still Lose Weight Weight loss diets are loathed for many reasons, but none...
2. 10 More Ways To Lose Weight Without Dieting In our first aptly titled post The 10 Best Tips...
3. 4 Ways To Eat Slowly And Lose Weight Reducing the amount of calories consumed during a meal may...

10 Ways To Save Money And Lose Weight

And it can be extremely frustrating!

Just as some people have addictions to alcohol, gambling, etc, some of us are addicted to none other than food!

In fact, David Kessler, MD has theorized that salt, fat and sugar stimulate our senses, similar to those with other addictions, which leads many people to eat more to repeat the experience.

This leads me to a very common, yet important question I just received from a reader of this blog:

Hi Tory,
I would like to know how to effectively stop binge eating? I always have the feeling to snack on something after every meal. Despite my strict diet, I still cant lose weight, it’s just a plateau. What can I do?

This is an excellent question.  And I would like to thank this particular reader for raising awareness of this important issue.

First of all, you should identify why you’re hungry again right after eating. A few of the more popular reasons include:

1. You’re not eating enough protein or fiber at your meals. Fiber, and especially protein, help fill you up and keep you feeling full longer than both carbs or fat. By adding an additional protein source to your meals you may not feel the desire to snack right after.
2. You’r not eating frequently enough. I, personally, have found that if I wait to long between meals that I get ravenous and eat everything in sight! So, I always make sure to eat something every few hours while still staying within my caloric goals for the day.
3. Food is everywhere. Another problem that I’ve found can lead to constant snacking is having food out in the open. Instead of leaving snacks on the counter, keep them in the cupboards. Simply put, out of sight, out of mind!
4. This kind of follows suit with #1 above, but if you’re always snacking on processed foods like chips, etc, then you’ll find that it’s easy to go overboard and binge. These types of foods contain little to no nutrition and will leave you feeling hungry again a short while later. Instead, choose nutritious snacks that contain some protein or fiber.

With the above advice in mind, here are a few links to articles on the blog that touch on this very subject.

Why Am I Overeating?

Why A Short Binge Can Have Lasting Negative Effects

Do you find yourself binge eating from time to time? What have you done to effectively stop binge eating?

Also check out:

1. How To Stop Eating At Night No matter how strict we eat during the day, a...
2. Why A Short Binge Can Have Lasting Negative Effects A Moment On The Lips, Forever On The Hips! That...
3. 5 Reasons You’re Overeating…And How To Stop! Weight gain is a direct result of overeating.  While this...

How To Stop Binge Eating

Now, from experience, let me tell you it can be a hassle to try and add up every calorie in every ingredient in your favorite recipes.

Luckily, you don’t have to!

Below is a list of 500 calories or less meal ideas, with calorie counts already totaled, so you can be sure you’re staying within your caloric goal for the day.

*Tip:  Mix and match some of the 500 calorie meal ideas below with these to get a wide variety of foods while staying within your caloric goal:

• 100 Calorie Snacks
• 200 Calorie Meals
• 300 Calorie Meals
• 400 Calorie meals

500 Calorie Meals (Or Less):

Breakfast

Easy Stacked Breakfast Sandwich: 403 calories. Ready in minutes and full of fiber, protein and good fats!

Peanut Butter Wafflewich: 429 calories. Good source of whole-grains, good fats and protein, this waffle-sandwich weighs in at just over 400 calories with an 8oz glass of orange juice.

Stuffed French Toast: 430 calories. A delicious twist to a breakfast time favorite. Served with an 8oz glass of skim milk.  High in fiber and protein to fill you up.

Almond Joyous: 470 calories. Served with two slices of multi-grain toast, this delicious smoothie breakfast is high in protein, good fats, antioxidants and more!

Ezekiel 4:9 Organic Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal: 410 calories.  1 cup of the extremely nutrient dense Ezekiel 4:9 cereal in a bowl with 1/2 cup mixed berries and 1 cup skim milk.  Add a side of orange juice to round out this wholesome breakfast!

Find more breakfast ideas in our low calorie breakfast foods and low calorie breakfast recipes section.

Lunch & Dinners

Moroccan Vegetable Soup: 451 calories.  Hearty soup served with garlic and herb pita chips and whole gran rice pilaf!

Chopped Greek Salad With Chicken: 491 calories. A delicious Greek style salad served with 2 slices of pita bread!  Healthy and high in protein.

EatingWell Fish Sticks: 424 calories. Healthy, homemade fish sticks that are ready in no time.  Served with a side of cheesy broccoli mashed potatoes!

Thai Beef Salad: 440 calories.  This healthy Thai beef salad comes with a side of quinoa and a glass of red wine!  Great way to unwind after a long day!

Salmon Salad with Goat Cheese and Oranges: 465 calories. Served with an 8oz glass of skim milk, this unique and tasty salad is agreat source of omega 3′s and protein!

Looking for more low calorie meal and food ideas?  Check out our huge list of low calorie foods and low calorie recipes for an endless supply of healthy ideas to help you lose weight and feel great!

Also check out:

1. 400 Calories Or Less Meal Ideas If you want to make healthy lifestyle changes, it’s important...
2. 300 Calories Or Less Meal Ideas The 200 Calorie Meals post has quickly become one of...
3. 200 Calories Or Less Meal Ideas Eating 6 small meals a day with just a couple...

500 Calorie Meal Ideas

Imagine a salad without dressing?

Or chips without dip?

Unfortunately, most people don’t count, or even realize, the amount of calories, fat and sugar hidden in many popular condiments.

Let’s take a look at a few of the worst condiments out there and some of their healthier alternatives.

Condiments To Avoid

BBQ Sauce
Despite being one of my favorite condiments, BBQ sauce should be avoided due to its extremely high sugar content.  Ketchup is a slightly healthier and similar condiment due to its lycopene content, but it has similar problems, which brings us to…

Ketchup
While ketchup is a household favorite and is made from tomatoes, most varieties contain a large amount of sugar or high fructose corn syrup. The key is to use this in moderation, not drown all your favorite foods in it!

Mayo
Mayo is typically made with processed soybean oil and is high in calories!  In fact, a single tablespoon contains 90 calories! It’s best to use this condiment sparingly.

Many Salad Dressings
Salads are a great way to consume nutrient rich vegetables and can even help you lose weight when eaten at the beginning of your meal. However, many salad dressings can add a lot of fat and hundreds of unnecessary calories. It’s best to use in moderation and opt for healthier low calorie salad dressings like Newman’s Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger Dressing.

Chip Dips
A lot of the chip dips on the market have processed soybean oil as their first ingredient and are extremely high in calories! It’s best to pass on these altogether or choose one of the healthier options below!

Healthy Condiments

Mustard
A great alternative to ketchup and BBQ sauce is mustard!  It’s actually one of the healthiest condiments available that is low in calories, rich in antioxidants and contains no added sugar!

Hummus
Hummus is another extremely healthy condiment and makes a great dip for chips and vegetables, spreads for sandwiches and is even great by itself.  Hummus is made up of mostly chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil with a few other ingredients.  These ingredients provide a healthy mix of  protein, good fats and antioxidants.

Salsa
Salsa is mainly just vegetables, so it’s hard to go wrong, though you may want to read through the ingredients list since some brands like to sneak in a little sugar.  Salsa happens to be one of  my favorite healthy condiments which is obvious by the fact that I put it in just about everything from my chili, on top of my eggs, a dip for chips and so on!

Guacamole
Guacamole is made from avocado’s (which are extremely healthy) and is full of healthy fat’s, fiber, vitamins, antioxidants and more!  And it makes a great dip for chips and vegetable sticks like carrots or celery, on tacos, etc.

Ketchup
Wait, I thought you said ketchup was bad!  For the most part it is for the reasons mentioned above, but there are healthy low calorie ketchup options that have hit the market in recent years.  And you can even find all-natural, no sugar added options!

Hot Sauce
Hot sauce, for the most part, can be healthy.  In addition, the cayenne pepper in hot sauce can even provide a temporary metabolism boost.  But, just be wary of the high amount of sodium.  If you enjoy in moderation hot sauce can be a healthy way to spice up your favorite foods!

Also check out:

1. The Worst Drinks For Weight Loss People tend to focus on what foods they should and...
2. 13 Easy Baking Substitutes To Improve Health And Lose Weight A lot people abandon their diets not because they feel...
3. 10 Weight Loss Tips To Add To Your Daily Routine Most dieters fail because they jump on a crash diet...

The Best (And Worst) Condiments For Health & Weight Loss

Those famous little treats that are near impossible to resist are going on sale and if you’re like the millions of others, you’ll probably be buying a box…or five!

Don’t worry, I’m not here to slap those cookies out of your hand and tell you that you can’t eat them.

Nope, instead I want you to enjoy your Girl Scout cookies, but in moderation! And more importantly, to stay within your caloric goals so you don’t fall off the wagon and regain the weight you’ve lost.

In other words, you can have your cookie and eat it too!

To get started down the right path it’s important to know how many calories are in Girl Scout cookies. Knowing is half the battle and it will help you stay within your daily calorie range and may prevent you from eating an entire sleeve of cookies in one sitting. Are you guilty of that?

Calories in Girl Scout Cookies

Thin Mints
Serving size: 4 cookies
160 calories

Samoas or Caramel deLites
Serving size: 2 cookies
140 calories

Trefoils or Shortbread
Serving size: 5 cookies
160 Calories

Do-Si-Dos or Peanut Butter Sandwich
Serving size: 2 cookies
110 calories

Tagalongs or Peanut Butter Patties
Serving size: 2 cookies
140 calories

Thanks-A-Lot
Serving size: 2 cookies
150 calories

Dulce De Leche
Serving size: 4 cookies
160 calories

Lemonades
Serving size: 2 cookies
150 calories

Thank U Berry Munch
Serving size: 2 cookies
120 calories

Shout Outs
Serving size: 4 cookies
130 calories

Savannah Smiles
Serving size: 5 cookies
140 calories

The Savannah Smiles are the lowest in calories at 28 per cookie, while the Thanks-A-Lot and Lemonades are the highest at 75 calories per cookie.

ENJOY… as a sometimes treat!

Also check out:

1. Go Raw Freeland Chocolate Super Cookies Satisfy your cookie and chocolate craving with these nutritious super...
2. 200 Calories Or Less Meal Ideas Eating 6 small meals a day with just a couple...
3. thinkThin BITES 100 Calorie Cookies and Cream These delicious cookies and cream thinkThin bites are portioned into...

Calories In Girl Scout Cookies

There’s nothing wrong with waking up, and finally realizing that you aren’t content with how things are going with your weight or body image. After all, being within your goal weight will ward off many health issues and, in the long run, will allow you to enjoy life to the fullest.

One thing I must really stress is that you shouldn’t let a bad experience with a weight loss program in the past put you off. Sometimes, we all don’t have the correct mindset needed to achieve our goals, and it’s possible for us to relapse. However, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try again when you are ready. By taking note of the mistakes you made last time, you’ll guarantee better luck and determination the second time round.

Here are 5 lessons that I learned on my journey and I hope that they can help you find success in your weight loss goals.

1. Set small, frequent goals

Saying to yourself that you want to lose 50lbs in the next month won’t get you anywhere. You don’t know whether your weight loss technique is going to be adequate, or how your body will react to your latest regime. Because of this, you should take things day by day, or week by week. This way, as you reach the little targets, you’ll be able to see real progress, and develop your strategy if things aren’t going right. It’s all about remaining motivated and believing in you.

2. Exercise

We’ve heard it a million times, but it’s so true. Starting a good cardio exercise routine and will burn those nasty calories. But don’t forget about weight training. The extra muscle will tone your body, plus muscle burns calories faster than fat, even when you’re sitting down watching TV.

Personally, I find running the most rewarding exercise to burn calories. And since I also love electronics that feed you with data, a few years ago, I bought myself a Garmin Forerunner, which is a GPS system that gives you all kinds of information about your run. But the one feature that I love on my Garmin is where it tells you how many calories you’ve burned. This rewarding feature really proves the payoffs of exercise.

3. Think healthy first and weight loss will follow

Eating less shouldn’t be the approach you pursue to losing weight. Instead, you need to eat healthy. Make sure that the food you are eating gives you all of the vitamins and nutrients needed. Striking the balance between meat or fish, fruit, vegetables and the right fats (which can be healthy too!) ensures that you achieve the ‘balanced diet’ which we always hear about but don’t always understand.

4. Having some moral support along the way can be essential

After a trying day, it’s hard to keep up the willpower, and the temptation to undo all of the hard work invested so far can be overwhelming. This is why you need family and friends by your side to remind you of why you’re making the effort to build a new you, or a support mechanism that includes access to other people who are also losing weight.

5. Love food!

I know that you think that food is what got you overweight in the first place, but food is really exciting. There is so much to discover, with healthy soups and delicious, nutritious snacks for during the day. Have you ever considered broadening your horizons, going to cooking classes, learning more about the foods we eat and how to create wholesome, homemade dishes without just resorting to salty, processed meals and snacks?

If you really listen to and follow these five lessons, you’ll soon be on your way to losing weight and feeling so much better. You can enjoy food, enjoy life, and feel like a million bucks.

As an avid runner, Jacquie believes in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and she attributes running as one of the key factors in helping her sustain her goal weight. On Jacquie’s blog – Online Running Gear dot com, she tries to stay current with the newest trends in fitness by researching and writing detailed, informative reviews on products she recommends such as the Garmin 305 Forerunner and the P90X Workout Routine.

Also check out:

1. How John Goodman Lost 200 Pounds I often cringe when I hear that a celebrity just...
2. How Carrie Underwood Lost 20lbs – And How You Can Too! Every so often a news story will be published how...
3. Why Should I Lose Weight? Why should I lose weight?  This is a question asked...

Lessons Learned When I Lost 50lbs

That’s why I’ve compiled a bunch of delicious recipes and neatly organized them for you into these posts: 200 Calorie Meals, 300 Calorie Meals and now you have some fresh 400 calorie meal ideas!

Not only do these recipes save you from having to count calories, but if you’ve created a sample meal plan that you follow everyday (Learn more about creating a meal plan in our How To Start Losing Weight article) then you can just swap out these recipes below from day to day to add variety and still stay within your caloric goal for the day!

So, here’s a list of 400 calories or less meal ideas (between 301 and 400 calories) to help you reach your weight loss goals!

You may also want to check out:

• 200 Calorie Meals
• 300 Calorie Meals
• Low Calorie Salads
• Low Calorie Quick Meals (15 min. or less)
• 400 Calorie Fix Diet Solution

400 Calorie Meals (Or Less):

Breakfast

• Almond Joyous: 338 calories. This smoothie makes a healthy and delicious way to start your morning!  High in protein and fiber.
• Peanut Butter Wafflewich: 307 calories. Fill up with this breakfast time favorite!  Full of good fats, protein and whole grains.
• Stuffed French Toast: 340 calories. A healthier version of this popular breakfast meal.
• 3 Big Train Low calorie Pancakes, 1 glass of orange juice and 2 tbsp syrup: 305 calories. Lower calorie alternative to a breakfast that many grew up on!
• 2 scrambled eggs, 1 slice multi-grain toast and 1 glass skim milk: 350 calories. This classic breakfast is high in protein and whole grains.  Use egg whites to save more calories.

Get more breakfast ideas in our low calorie breakfast foods and low calorie breakfast recipes section.

Lunch and Dinners

• Garden Pasta Chicken Salad: 345 calories.  205 calories for the pasta and add a 3oz chicken breast (140 calories) to your serving for a delicious and complete meal!
• Italian Vegetable Hoagies with an orange: 326 calories.  Delicious vegetarian meal with sweet balsamic vinegar, artichoke hearts, red onion, provolone cheese and zesty pepperoncini. The hoagie by itself is 264 calories and the orange is 62 calories.
• Salmon Salad with Goat Cheese and Oranges: 374 calories.  A delicious low calorie salad with a tropical twist! Great source of protein, fiber and omega 3′s!
• Salmon Wheels: 342 calories. Full of good fats and protein!  Also makes a good finger food for parties.
• Grilled Chicken Sandwich with 1 sliced apple:  350 calories. Use 2 slices of multi grain bread and add a 3 oz.grilled chicken breast plus lettuce and tomato.
• Turkey And Sweet Potato Wrap: 330 calories. Delicious and unique wrap!  Perfect for holiday leftovers.

Get more lunch and dinner ideas in our low calorie recipe section!

Also check out:

1. 300 Calories Or Less Meal Ideas The 200 Calorie Meals post has quickly become one of...
2. 200 Calories Or Less Meal Ideas Eating 6 small meals a day with just a couple...
3. 500 Calorie Meal Ideas Planning your meals ahead of time is a great way...

400 Calories Or Less Meal Ideas

In light of the recent controversy involving Atlanta-based fast food chain Chick-Fil-A and Vermont artist Bo Miller-Moore over the “Eat Mor Chikin” slogan (Miller-Moore’s t-shirts advise us to “Eat More Kale,” not more chicken), now is as good a time as ever to review why eating more green, leafy vegetables is better for us than eating fried chicken. Or fried anything, for that matter.

So here are four great reasons to put more kale on your plate. You’ll be glad that you took the “kale plunge.” You may even start feeling a little healthier, too.

1. It’s a “superfood.”

Keeping in mind that the term “superfood” has no legal definition and that it gets tossed around somewhat arbitrarily, know that if there’s any food on earth we can legitimately call “super,” kale is that food.

Why? Because it’s chock full of just about everything that’s good for you. Vitamins A, K, and C, beta-carotene, magnesium, calcium, and the list goes on. They’re all in kale, and all occur in high quantities.

Kale is also a fantastic source of fiber. Eating more fiber helps reduce cholesterol and control blood sugar levels. If you need more fiber in your diet, a serving of kale every day is a great way to get it.

2. It’s low-calorie.

When it comes down to it, kale is just a leaf – like salad greens. But even compared to other nutritious leaves, it packs an enormous nutritional punch with only a small number of calories per serving.

Consider this: For about a quarter of the calories in a serving of cow’s milk, kale gives you the same amount of calcium. How’s that for getting a lot of bang for your bite?

And when was the last time you met anyone who blamed being overweight on having eaten too much kale?

3. There are many ways to cook it.

You can do just about anything with kale.

Steam it, boil it, or put it in the oven and bake it to make kale chips! The sky is the limit with this stuff, and there’s no way to make it that doesn’t taste downright delicious.

If you’re looking to maximize kale’s nutritional benefits, eat it raw! Simply tear up the leaves and mix them with a salad. You can also blend them together with fruit.

Sure, eating raw kale may not be traditional, but it’s starting to catch on. Once you try it, you’re sure to see why.

4. You can grow it yourself.

In most parts of the United States, kale appears in the fall and winter months. In many locales, you can grow it more frequently, so get to know your growing season.

If you’re looking to turn your summer garden into more of a year-round one, kale is a great place to start. It’s a tough, hardy leaf that can handle low temperatures.

Rumor has it that kale tastes even sweeter after a frost. Why not try it and see?

Adam Green is a freelance writer and habitual kale eater. He wrote this article on behalf of Full Circle, an organic produce delivery service in Washington state.

Also check out:

1. Kale Chips Kale chips are an excellent alternative to regular potato chips....
2. 5 Reasons You’re Always Hungry …And how you can finally feel full, without all the...
3. 5 Reasons You’re Overeating…And How To Stop! Weight gain is a direct result of overeating.  While this...

4 Great Reasons To Eat More Kale

I actually would like to know where or how to start? i am a 33 year old mother of two with a full time job and everyday i wake up and think where do i start? im always taking care of everyone but myself, i need a simple start…and what i mean is what to cook or how to start some exercise routine. anyway you can help i would appreciate a little guidance.

First of all, thanks for the question! This is actually a very popular question and is one of the main roadblocks that prevents people from ever taking action.

I want to start out by saying that it’s a good idea to first download the free low calorie diet plan!  It’s available over on our Facebook page  (If you already “like” Low-CalorieDiet.com on Facebook then click the “Free Stuff” tab to access the low calorie diet plan).

As simple as the plan may be to help people lose weight, I understand that it can still be hard to figure out where to start!  There’s a lot of information and it can feel overwhelming.  So, I want to quickly share my reply to the reader who asked the above question and add a little to it.  Check it out:

That’s a very good question!  And I actually am in a similar situation myself – similar age with 3 kids.

 

What I have found to work the best is to plan ahead.  I know what I’m eating tomorrow before it even comes.  I actually have a meal chart that I made that I have hanging in my kitchen.  You can see a similar meal chart here:  Sample Low Calorie Meal Plan

 

It only took about a half hour to put together.  Now, I don’t eat exactly the same thing everyday, but I stick pretty closely to my chart (swapping out different foods here and there, but keeping portion sizes the same) to make sure that I’m eating roughly the same amount of calories daily.  It’s a great way to control my calorie intake without having to count every calorie I eat.

 

There’s a ton of low calorie recipes to choose from on the site and since it sounds like your pressed for time,browse through the low calorie foods section for some prepackaged low calorie options.

 

Another tip I use is every time I cook a healthy dinner at night, I portion out some for my lunch the next day.  I don’t have a ton of time to cook, so when I do cook I try to make a couple meals out of it.

 

As far as exercise goes, I personally get up early before my kids get up and squeeze in a half hour workout in my basement.  I know that’s not feasible for a lot of people, so just remember to try and move more each day.  Buy a cheap pedometer and aim to walk around 10,000 steps per day.  If you do a lot of work around the house or walk around a lot at work then those steps will add up pretty quickly.

I really recommend that you incorporate some sort of cardio as well as resistance exercise program into your routine not only for weight loss purposes, but for your overall health!  I understand it can be hard to find time which is why I created these 15 Minute Workout Ideas.  There are more articles right here on this blog over in our Fitness section to help get you moving!

So, if you don’t know where to start then grab the free low calorie diet plan and start making the small changes as described above to your daily routine and the weight will come off!

If you are still struggling to start off on the right foot then leave a comment below or contact me and we’ll get you started!

Also, if you have a simple tip to help others get started you can leave it in the comments below!  We would love to hear from you!

Also check out:

1. 4 Tricks To Start losing Weight Immediately Looking for a few simple tricks to shed a few...
2. 7 Habits For Successful Weight Loss Habits –  Actions that are repeated often and become typical...
3. I’m Losing Weight, But I Still Have Belly Fat! I recently received a great question from a reader who...

Help! I Don’t Know Where Or How To Start Losing Weight!