8 Ways to Cut Fat Without Realizing It

1. Slice Fat from Pizza
Always order your pizza with double tomato sauce and light cheese. Men who eat a lot of tomato products tend to have less prostate cancer—probably because tomatoes are a rich source of lycopene. Reducing the mozzarella by just one-third (you won’t miss it) will save you 20 grams (g) of fat per pie. That’s as much as in a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder.

2. Order the Steak Fries
If you love french fries, always order the steak fries. Large-cut fries don’t absorb as much oil as shoestring or curly fries, which lowers the fat count.

3. Juice a Stir-Fry
With a can of frozen orange-juice concentrate, you have a great way to add flavor to stir-fried chicken (or beef) and vegetables without adding fat. Just a few spoonfuls will do. (It’s even better if you add some garlic.)

4. Soften Your Spread
Soften butter or margarine at room temperature or in a microwave. Chances are you’ll spread your bread with one-quarter of the fat and calories you do when you put it on cold.

5. Cool Your Cans
Refrigerate canned meats, soups, gravies, and other canned foods containing fat. The fat will rise to the top and collect, so you can scrape it off.

6. Dilute Your Fruit Juice
Fruit juice is sneaky fattening—a 16-ounce bottle of cranberry-grape blend, for instance, contains about 275 calories. Dump half and store it, then refill the bottle with water. You’ll barely notice the difference, and you’ll be cutting half the calories.

7. Oil Your Potato
To save calories and fat, put a splash of olive oil on your baked potato instead of the usual butter or sour cream.

8. Say Goodbye to Rubbery Cheese
To prevent low-fat cheese from turning to rubber in the microwave, spritz your nachos with a quick blast of cooking spray, such as Pam, before nuking them. A similar trick involves spraying the inside of a grilled-cheese sandwich before you toss it in the frying pan. This adds just enough fat to make the cheese stay gooey and creamy as it slowly melts.

3 Fabulous Foods for Weight Loss

With holiday mouth watering dinners wreaking havoc to our diet regimen,  we need all the help that we can get to survive.  Browse the internet for weight loss tips and ideas and what have yous that actually make sense.

There’s no one food that can magically transform an overweight body into an ideal figure. Eating plans that consist solely of grapefruit aren’t realistic or effective, nor are plans that promote eating only cabbage soup or special “weight-loss cookies.”

But there are foods that are beneficial to eat on the journey to a slimmer body.

Yogurt

A recent 14-day study was conducted by General Mills, makers of Yoplait yogurt, at the Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition in Minneapolis. The researchers investigated the diets of approximately 3,000 women ages 19 and older, and found that the women who consumed three or more servings of yogurt over the two-week period had a 15 percent lower body mass index (BMI) than those who did not eat any yogurt.

The weight-management potential of yogurt may come from the fact that while it can be high in calories, it’s still a relatively healthy snack food that promotes satiety. The women who ate yogurt regularly were also more like to have higher overall intakes of nutrients including calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B-12, magnesium, and phosphorous.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is packed with fiber, and there are several ways that dietary fiber may reduce the risk of weight gain or obesity. Dietary fiber, for example, slows digestion, prolonging a feeling of fullness, and foods high in fiber are usually low in fat and calories.

Fiber’s weight-loss benefit comes from the feeling of fullness it gives without adding many extra calories. Fiber may also reduce the absorption of fat to some extent. As an added benefit, oatmeal helps to lower “bad” LDL cholesterol.

That said, it’s best to avoid instant oatmeal, which may contain added sugar, and instead go for hearty, steel-cut oats topped with fresh berries or sliced bananas.

Soup

Soups contain a high percentage of water and can help dieters feel full quickly. Some health experts recommend eating a bowl of broth-based soup before a meal in order to curb hunger.

In a 2007 Consumer Reports study of diet plans, the highest marks were awarded to the Volumetrics diet created by U.S. nutritionist Barbara Rolls, which encourages dieters to consume a low-fat soup or salad before a meal to take the edge off their hunger.

Soup can also serve as a low-calorie meal, with added vegetables to increase the nutrient content. And it’s easy to make a large batch once a week and enjoy for several days. But remember, weight-loss benefits only apply to broth-based, low-calorie soups, not heavy, cream-based chowders and stews.

Weight Loss Tip? Science Says It’s Good to Cheat!

Holiday weight gain seems unavoidable, but a little knowledge can keep you from winding up with a jelly belly. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a day of indulgence—a day of big eating (like …Christmas) actually benefits your weight loss:

Splurging keeps you in the game. Desperate people do desperate things, and if you feel like you’re starving, you’re more apt to stray from your diet. A cheat day allows you to eat until you feel full and happy. If you’re working out and eating well, this weekly reward can keep you motivated.

Splurging stops cravings. If you get a taste of the foods you like, you’re less likely to overindulge when you cave. Studies show those who eat a balanced diet without cutting out the foods they love have more weight-loss success.

Splurging stops plateaus. Cheat days shock your body out of a routine—if you get used to eating fewer calories, you’ll stop losing as your body adjusts to the restricted-calorie schedule. Big days stoke your metabolism and save you from plateaus. And an added bonus: You’ll burn more fat at the gym—workouts are effective when you eat.

There’s no better day to cheat than Christmas. Slap on a pair of loose jeans and enjoy your day off. Then get back to business the next day.

Holiday Splurges: How to Reduce the Damage

‘Tis the season to be merry—and stuffed with goodies—so you better be prepared. Holiday parties and dinners are ripe with opportunities to overeat and feast on fattening and calorie-laden treats. Learn how to do damage control before and after splurging on your favorite seasonal treats by incorporating these tips into your normal diet plan.

Evelyn Tribole, MS, registered dietician and author of Eating on the Run, has suggestions on how to survive with as little diet damage as possible.

Don’t assume that weight gain is a given during the holidays, she stresses. “Despite the fact that for many years, it was commonly accepted that people gain approximately five pounds during the holidays, a New England Journal of Medicine study found that the average weight gain was only about one pound. The philosophy of feasting during the holidays because tomorrow you diet can actually make matters worse.”

Instead, Tribole suggests that you try these strategies to help avoid overindulging:

• Don’t come hungry. Don’t arrive to dinner on a ravenous stomach, as this can easily lead to overeating. Have a small snack (such as a handful of almonds or an apple with a tablespoon of natural peanut butter) to prevent binging.
• Don’t avoid your favorites. All year round, make a conscious effort to not completely restrict yourself from your favorite foods. This attitude makes holiday food less magnetic, and you’ll be less likely to splurge.
• Set a limit. Instead of scooping out a serving from every single dish, limit yourself to the holiday foods that you simply can’t do without.
• Pass up food that you won’t miss. For example, a roll with butter at mealtime is not likely to be missed, and forgoing it is not likely to lead to feelings of deprivation.
• Beware of lingering. When you are finished eating, either remove your plate or put a napkin or your silverware on top of it to prevent unintentional nibbling at the table.
• It’s not all or nothing. If you eat more than you intended, let it go, rather than thinking you blew it.  All-or-none thinking can lead to even more eating.

Taking a realistic approach to eating at the holidays is the smartest way to prevent yourself from falling into common traps.

For Men Only: 10 Easy Ways to Lose Weight Without Starving

1. Always Eat a Man’s Breakfast
No more Lucky Charms—you want some protein and fat. Scrambled eggs and a few sausage links will keep you fuller longer than an airy doughnut will.

2. Eat More!
We’re talking three good snacks and three healthful meals. But what do you serve during the bowl game if you can’t have chips and dip? Mixed nuts—especially almonds—will satisfy your craving for something crunchy while helping to build muscle.

3. Just Say No to Starches
Foods like pasta, white bread, and potatoes make you fat. If you must have pasta, make yours whole-wheat. Same goes for bread, and swap white potatoes for sweet potatoes. Just don’t eat too much!

4. Lift Weights
Yes, you have to hit the gym, and no, lifting beer cans during happy hour doesn’t count. The muscles you build will not only improve your performance, they’ll stoke your metabolism so you burn calories long after your workout is over.

5. Think Before You Eat
Don’t just stuff your face with the stale cookies left over from the holidays, eat what tastes good and what’s good for you. Take your time eating; you’ll stay fuller longer.

6. But Have Fun Once in a While—or Once a Week
Stifle those cravings for too long, and you’ll be miserable and might fall off your new plan forever. Just splurge reasonably—two slices of pizza, not the whole thing.

7. Go Low-Carb
It’s the easiest way to lose weight fast. The cravings are hard at first, but it gets easier—especially when you see the results.

8. Run Intervals.
It’s easier to alternate between hard and easy running instead of going for a long run—especially if you don’t like running. Plus, you’ll be done faster and burn more fat.