Low-Calorie Diet » Low-calorie

The Secret Weapon For Weight Loss?

Tory McBroom — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 13:27:09 +0000

We’re all aware of the health benefits of drinking water, but now a recent study suggests we can add weight loss to that extensive list, as well.

This recent study shows that participants who drank two 8-ounce glasses of water before their meal ate between 70 to 90 fewer calories at that particular meal.

That might not seem like a lot of calories, but if you eat 3 – 5 meals per day that can add up. And if you regularly drink soda or other calorie laden drinks and replace it with two cups of water you might be able to save even more calories per meal.

The weight loss effects of drinking water before a meal is promising, but add the fact that the participants kept the weight off for the following year is a positive, as well.

This study is closely related to another point that we stress here at low-caloriediet.com and that’s to eat water-dense foods like broth-based soups or fruits/veggies as an appetizer before your main course. Studies show that participants reduced their caloric intake by up to 20% (water-dense appetizer + main course).

So, try out one of the options above and track your weight. It’s not a weight loss miracle, but it might just be the secret weapon you’ve been looking for!

Discover simple techniques that anyone can use to achieve the body you've always dreamed of, improve your health and slow down aging. Download The Simple, Proven Plan For Weight Loss & Control for FREE!

Low Calorie Breakfast Ideas

Tory McBroom — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:06:16 +0000

You’ve probably heard that eating breakfast is important. And for good reason as the majority of successful dieters report that they eat breakfast every day.

One of the reason’s breakfast aids in weight loss is because those that skip this meal sometimes more than make up for it with “starvation eating” later on.

So, it’s important to choose a healthy low calorie breakfast that will keep you full and not have you snacking a short a while later.

By eating high fiber, water dense foods for breakfast you will be able to eat a lot more food without all the calories. Plus, it will help you achieve that full feeling for longer.

For example, a bagel with cream cheese has roughly 450 calories. Compare that to 1 bowl of oatmeal, 1/2 cup of low-fat milk, 1/2 cup of sliced strawberries, ½ cup of blueberries and 1 tablespoon of almonds at only 300 calories total!

So, what are some healthy low calorie breakfast ideas? Here’s 15 suggestions with 300 calories or less:

Berry Easy Breakfast, 1 tablespoon almonds, 1 cup coffee
2 Apple Wheat Pancakes and ½ cup Skim Milk
Honey Nut Smoothie
1 cup Erewhon Cripsy Brown Rice cereal, ½ cup Skim Milk, 1 apple, 1 cup coffee
1 cup Nature’s Path Organic Flax Plus Pumpkin Granola Cereal, ½ cup Skim Milk, 1 banana
The Cinnamon Swirl
1 Amy’s Steel Cut Oatmeal Bowl, ½ cup sliced strawberries, ½ cup Skim Milk
2 Vitalicious Appleberry Vitatops and 1 tablespoon walnuts, 1 cup coffee
The Georgia Peach Smoothie
1 Fage Total Greek Yogurt, 1/2 cup of low-fat milk, 1/2 cup of sliced strawberries, ½ cup of blueberries and 1 tablespoon of almonds
2 scrambled eggs, Sara Lee Delightful 100% Multi-Grain Bread (toasted), ½ cup skim milk
Tropical Smoothie
1 Yoplait Yogurt Strawberry Light, 1 bowl of McCann’s Instant Irish oatmeal, ½ cup blueberries, 1 cup coffee
1 Fage Greek Yogurt (sprinkle in some slivered almonds or walnuts), 10 oz. organic goji berries, 1 cup coffee
1 Vitamuffin, 1 tablespoon walnuts, ½ cup sliced strawberries, ½ cup skim milk

15 Healthy Snack Ideas For Work

Tory McBroom — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 12:43:58 +0000

One important step to leading a healthy lifestyle is to make sure the majority of your snacks are healthy.

Makes sense right?

But, if most of your snacks come out of the vending machine at work or from fast food restaurants it makes it extremely difficult to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

That’s where it pays off to do a little planning. Instead of waiting till hunger strikes while at work, prepare some healthy snacks ahead of time and keep them on hand to help avoid the vending machines and drive-thru’s.

Here’s what to look for in a snack:

Foods that satisfy hunger. For example, nutritious snacks that contain fiber, protein, etc. Stay away from processed foods as they provide little to no nutrition and you’ll be hungry again shortly thereafter.
Keep the calories around 150 or less. Remember, this is a snack and not a meal.
Fruits and veggies, whole grains, nuts/seeds and low fat dairy products all make good snack choices

So what are some healthy snack ideas for work? Here’s 15 suggestions with 150 calories or less:

8 oz. of Fage Total Greek Yogurt
1 cup sliced fresh bananas and raspberries
1 packet of McCann’s Instant Irish Oatmeal
2 cups of carrots
10 oz. of organic goji berries
Celery with 1.4 oz of hummus
1 oz. of Kopali Organics trail mix
5 rye flavored melba toast crackers
1 bag of 100 Calorie Orville Redenbacher’s Smart Pop
2 tablespoons of peanuts
1 Vitalicious Apple Berry Vita Top
2 small slices of low-fat Colby or cheddar cheese
1 Yoplait Yogurt Strawberry Light (or other flavor)
1 fat-free chocolate pudding cup
1.5 Vitalicious Vitamuffins

10 Delicious Low Calorie Salad Ideas

Tory McBroom — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 12:54:56 +0000

A salad is a great addition to any diet. It’s an easy (and tasty) way to get a good serving of leafy green vegetables and with the right toppings you can turn a simple salad into a complete meal.

But, it’s extremely easy to go overboard with salad dressings, cheese and various other toppings. This turns your once healthy meal into a dish loaded with fat, sugars and thousand’s of calories!

So, to make sure your next salad increases your health and not your waistline, here’s 10 low calorie salad ideas that are as light as they are delicious!

Lettuce & Orange Salad With Black Olive Dressing
Only 167 calories per serving, this salad is huge in taste but not in calories.

Tuscan Tuna Salad
High in protein and fiber with only 253 calories make this a popular meal option.

Smoked Trout Salad
A tasty high protein salad with only 169 calories.

Cajun Pineapple Salad
A Southern salad that mixes the sweet juices of pineapple with the spicy tang of Cajun pepper. Only 119 calories.

Grilled Chicken Citrus Salad
A light and citrusy chicken salad with only 238 calories. Low in fat and high in protein.

Shrimp Garden Salad
Extremely simple and quick shrimp salad with only 58 calories!

Smucker’s Chicken Salad With Wild Rice, Pecan’s, Grapes And Orange Dressing
A simple orange marmalade dressing – made with Smucker’s® Sugar Free Orange Marmalade, raspberry vinegar, and orange zest – gives this salad a fresh, Spring taste. Only 245 calories.

Southwestern Chicken Salad
A wonderful blend of spices and herbs combined with a little jalapeno give this salad some kick – without the added calories (only 230)!

Cranberry Turkey Salad
This salad will remind you of Thanksgiving dinner, but with a fraction of the calories! 398 calories per serving.

Vegetarian Taco Salad
All the taste without the meat! This vegetarian dish still boasts 13 grams of protein and only 282 calories.

Tip: Check out our post titled 4 Delicious Low Calorie Salad Makeovers and learn how to make a healthy low calorie salad every time!

Low Calorie Quick Meals

Tory McBroom — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 12:41:35 +0000

Delicious, low calorie meals in 15 minutes or less!

One of the most common excuses as to why people don’t eat healthy is because of time. They don’t have the time to prepare healthy low calorie meals every day. Unfortunately, for all you excuse makers, the “I don’t have time to eat right” defense is about to lose all credibility.

Preparing healthy low calorie meals doesn’t have to take a long time nor does it have to be hard. Here’s 25 healthy dishes under 400 calories you can prepare in 15 minutes or less.

Tip: Make twice the amount you would normally eat and save half for another day. That way you get two meals in the time it took to make one!

Breakfast

Berry Easy Breakfast – Delicious and ready in under a minute!

Peanut Butter Wafflewich – A quick meal that will keep you full all morning.

Easy Stacked Breakfast Sandwich – High in fiber, protein and good fats.

McCann’s Instant Irish Oatmeal – Takes only minutes to prepare. Add some cut up fruit or buckwheat honey to add a little flavor!

Nature’s Path Organic Flax Plus Pumpkin Granola Cereal – Start your day off right with a bowl of this delicious and nutritious cereal.

Vitalicious Apple Berry Vita Tops – For a quick and nutritious breakfast on the go!

Lunch & Dinners

Artichoke & Bean Soup – Extremely easy to make and healthy! Serve with multi-grain bread if desired.

Moo Shu Vegetables – A delicious and nutritious Asian dish.

Gogo Rice Organic Steamed Brown Rice Bowl – Ready in 90 seconds. Add some cut up veggies for extra flavor.

Amy’s Organic Fat Free Chunky Vegetable Soup – Tasty and nutritious soup with only 60 calories per cup!

Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods Vegan Tomato Basil Pasta Soup – Only 100 calories. Ready in 90 seconds!

Garden Chicken & Cheese Sandwich – Fresh veggies, glazed chicken and Reduced Sodium Colby-Jack between whole grain bread.

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan – Flavorful recipe for this farm raised fish that is easy and done in minutes.

Asian beef With Sno-Peas – Stir-fried beef in a light gingery sauce. Add some brown rice for extra flavor.

Chinese Chicken Fried Rice – Simple, yet tasty low calorie Asian dish.

Salmon with Brown Sugar Glaze – Only 330 calories per serving! Serve with a side of vegetables if desired.

Cheesy Tuna Melts – A quick and filling meal with only 234 calories.

Asian lettuce Wraps with mustard Vinaigrette – Quick, nutritious and full of protein.

Cajun Spiced Pork Chops – Incredibly easy to make and only 84 calories per serving!

Caribbean Stir-Fried Shrimp – A seafood favorite ready in under 15 minutes!

Smoothies

Want more low calorie, quick meal ideas? Check out Weight Watchers Cook It in Minutes: Easy recipes In 15, 20 and 30 Minutes cookbook!

Free Low Calorie Recipe Mini Book

Tory McBroom — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 17:41:32 +0000

Arming yourself with a few healthy cookbooks is one of the most important steps you can take to lose weight and keep it off for good.

Why? Because having an endless supply of delicious, easy-to-make recipes at your disposal will help ensure that you never get tired of eating healthy foods.

It’s a must have.

And luckily you can add another low calorie cookbook to your collection to help spice up your diet – for FREE!

Download the free low calorie recipe book now!

Qualityhealth.com is giving away these free mini cookbooks to help people just like you reach their health and weight loss goals.

So hurry up and get it while it’s still free. Just click below!

Free Low Calorie Cookbook

Weight Loss Success Tips

Tory McBroom — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 03:05:38 +0000

Learning the tips successful dieters used to lose weight and keep it off can be a great way to help motivate you and maybe give you a little boost to help blast through any plateau’s you might currently being experiencing.

So, I tracked down a few real-life bloggers who have successfully lost weight and asked them what their best tips were for dropping the pounds and keeping them off.

These are real people, like you and me that have struggled through their weighty issues and overcame them.

So, let’s get right into it!

Veronica Noone from Roni’s Weigh

Veronica, aka Roni, successfully lost 70lbs and has been able to keep the weight off. I interviewed Roni a few months back and here’s her advice for effectively losing weight:

Progress not perfection. I’m not sure who coined it but it’s a perfect saying. You will never be perfect. Your body, your diet, your exercise routine none of it will always go exactly the way you want it to go. Find happiness in the journey and simply make the small choices that will get you closer to your goal.

Jack from Jack Sh*t Gettin’ Fit

Jack chronicles his weight loss adventures on his blog and has so far lost 76.8lbs. So, what does Jack say is the key to losing weight?

Here’s the thing: six months – six measly months – can change your life.

In six months, you can change your eating habits and put healthy new routines in place.

In six months, regular exercise can turn your woeful body into a fat-burning machine.

In six months, you can find yourself feeling so much better about the way you look, but more importantly, feel better about the way you feel.

In six months, you can make real and lasting positive change in your life.

Six months.

Starting today…

Mary from A Merry Life

Mary is on a journey to lose at least 75lbs. and create a happier, healthier life while inspiring and encouraging others to do the same. Here’s what she had to say about losing weight:

My best tip for losing weight is to eat real food! Get away from packaged things and play around in the kitchen with real food ingredients. When you start making things yourself it’s easier to be healthy and lose weight.

Andrew from Andrew is Getting Fit

Andrew got on the scale one day and saw that he weighed 308 lbs. So, he decided to do something about it! Andrew began eating healthy and running and has gone onto compete in many races and even completed a marathon! He has a rather straightforward approach to losing weight:

It’s simple. Eat less and move more.

The truth is, you need to find what works for YOU when it comes to losing weight. We all know you need to create a calorie deficit, but it’s HOW you create that deficit that is key to losing the weight for the long run. Implement small changes in your diet and exercise routine and overtime the pounds will come off. Experiment and find healthy foods you like, find activities to burn calories that you enjoy doing and make these simple changes part of your daily routine.

In short, create healthy habits for permanent weight loss!

If you have a weight loss success story and would like to share it on this blog please feel free to contact me.

200 Calories Or Less Meal Ideas

Tory McBroom — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:44:45 +0000

Eating 6 small meals a day with just a couple hours between meals is a popular way to lower your daily caloric intake without feeling hungry. This constant eating keeps you from ever reaching that “starved” feeling, which is typically responsible for over eating and gorging on unhealthy foods.

The problem many dieters have is coming up with low calorie meal ideas that fill them up and hold them over until there next meal. So, here’s a list of 200 calorie or less meal ideas to fill you up and help you reach your weight loss goals.

Meal ideas with 200 calories or less:

Breakfasts

Apple Wheat Pancakes – 137 calories per serving. A delicious & healthy alternative to your regular pancake.

Berry Easy Breakfast – 200 calories per serving. Super quick and easy breakfast idea that tastes great.

Sunday Morning Asian Frittata – 126 calories per serving. A nutritious morning meal with an Asian flair.

Beach Body Fruit Soup – 113 calories per serving. Fresh fruit pureed to make a healthy and nutritious breakfast.

Lunch & Dinners

Artichoke & Bean Soup – 107 calories per serving. Healthy and light soup that’s easy to make.

Moo Shu Vegetables – 171 calories per serving. A delicious eastern dish. Highly nutritious and low in calories.

Lemon Dill Chicken – 173 calories per serving. A very tasty way to dress up boring chicken breasts! Low in calories, high in protein and good fats.

Lettuce & Orange Salad with Black Olive Dressing – 167 calories per serving. A tasty and light salad that fills!

Smoked Trout Salad – 169 calories per erving. A tasty, high protein salad that’s low in calories!

Simple Turkey Chili – 198 calories per serving. A simple and hearty chili with bold flavor.

Pea Shoots And Chicken In Garlic Sauce – 171 calories per serving. Healthy and tasty Asian dish.

Quick Snacks

Cherry Pie Larabar – 190 calories per serving. 100% raw food bar with only three ingredients.

Navitas Naturals Organic Goji Berries – 104 calories per serving. These organic goji berries make an excellent nutritious snack.

Kopali Organics Trail Mix – 130 calories per serving. This delicious trail mix contains a mix of goji berries, pistachios, mulberries and cacao nibs.

Santa Cruz Apple Blackberry Sauce – 60 calories per serving. Contains only three certified organic ingredients.

Go Raw Freeland Chocolate Super Cookies – 149 calories per serving. Satisfy that sweet tooth with these nutritious cookies!

100 Calorie Orville Redenbacher’s Smart Pop – 100 calories per serving. Handy mini portions of lightly buttered popcorn.

*Check out more low calorie snack ideas.

Smoothies

The Cinnamon Swirl – 142 calories per serving. Delicious smoothie to help calm those sugar cravings.

The Georgia Peach – 152 calories per serving. One of the most popular smoothies out there. Good source of protein.

Tropical Smoothie – 200 calories per serving. Filled with tropical fruits for a smoothie with kick!

Check out our low calorie recipe and low calorie food sections for more ideas and inspiration.

Low Calorie Beer Comparison

Tory McBroom — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:58:06 +0000

If you’re looking for a tasty low calorie alternative to the beer you drink then look no further.

Keep in mind, however, that if you’re drinking to reach a buzz (or more) then it doesn’t really matter what type of beer you drink. Lower calorie beers typically have a lower alcohol content, so you’ll most likely be drinking more of them to achieve the same effect, thusly you’ll be consuming roughly the same amount of calories as if you were drinking a higher calorie, full flavored alternative.

But, if you’re just a social drinker who wants to enjoy a few beers without the added calories then a low calorie beer is perfect for you. You can save 500 calories or more if you drink three lower calorie beers compared to higher calorie ones.

So, to help you choose a low calorie beer we’ve compiled a list of the 20 most popular beers under 100 calories on the market today. The trick is to find a low calorie beer that you enjoy, which means you may have to experiment with a few on the list to find one you like.

20 Under 100 (from lowest calorie to highest):

Budweiser Select 55: 2.4% alcohol and 55 calories
Miller Genuine Draft “64″: 2.8% alcohol and 64 calories
Pabst Extra Light Low Alcohol: 2.5% alcohol and 67 calories
O’Doul’s: 0.4% alcohol and 70 calories
Coors NA: <0.5% alcohol and 73 calories
O’Douls Amber: 0.4% alcohol and 90 calories
Aspen Edge: 4.1% alcohol and 94 calories
Amstel Light: 3.5% alcohol and 95 calories
Anheuser Busch Natural Light: 4.2% alcohol and 95 calories
Bud Light: 4.2% alcohol and 95 calories
Busch Light: 4.1% alcohol and 95 calories
Michelob Ultra: 4.1% alcohol and 95 calories
Clausthaler: 0.4% alcohol and 96 calories
Genny Light: 3.6% alcohol and 96 calories
Miller Lite: 4.2% alcohol and 96 calories
St. Pauli Girl N.A.: <0.5% alcohol and 96 calories
Milwaukee’s Best Light: 4.5% alcohol and 98 calories
Yuengling Light D.G.: 3.8% alcohol and 98 calories
Budweiser Select: 4.3% alcohol and 99 calories
Kipling Light Lager: 3.4% alcohol and 99 calories

10 Weight Loss Tips To Add To Your Daily Routine

Tory McBroom — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 13:48:05 +0000

Most dieters fail because they jump on a crash diet they can’t stick with for the long run and they eventually end up gaining all the weight back – and sometimes even more! This can be a vicious cycle that people struggle with their whole life.

So, how do you make sure you don’t fall into this cycle? By slowly incorporating small, healthy changes into your daily lifestyle. Once these healthy changes become routine you won’t have to worry about falling off the diet wagon.

With that in mind, here’s 10 weight loss tips you can slowly start adding to your daily routine. Pick the one’s you like and feel you will easily be able to stick with.

Eat more often – Eating a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack will help curb those hunger cravings that lead to overeating at lunch or dinner. Keep that snacks around 150 – 200 calories.
Take-up a hobby – Find a hobby such as gardening, which can burn as many calories as golfing, or any activity you enjoy to help stay active and burn more calories.
Workout less for better results – Switch up your boring old cardio routine with interval training. By doing interval cardio training you can burn the same amount calories as regular cardio in half the time.
Eat Slow – A study published at the University Rhode Island showed that participants ate 67 fewer calories per meal when they took an extra twenty minutes to eat. Here’s 4 ways to eat slow for weight loss.
Write down what you eat – Keeping a food diary may improve your chances of losing weight by tracking those extra calories that sneak into your diet. Check out these 5 Benefits Of Keeping A Food Journal And How To Do It Properly.
Spice up your workouts – On those days you just can’t seem to drag yourself to the gym try doing something you enjoy to burn calories – go for a bike ride or go on a walk with the family, for example.
Crank up the music – British researchers found that listening to high tempo music that matches your workout rate will help you go up to 15% longer.
Plan your cardio before a meal – This will lower levels of ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates your appetite, so you won’t eat as much at your meal.
Easy on the condiments – Go easy on the mayo, heavy dressing and other calorie-dense condiments. Opt for lower calorie extra’s like mustard and vinaigrette.
Drink green tea – Studies have shown that participants who drank green tea, especially caffeinated, lost weight. Plus green tea may help prevent cancer and heart disease.