There is no magic recipe to lose weight overnight, but it's not rocket science. Just the opposite, it is pretty easy; if you eat more calories than what your body can burn, you'll gain weight; if you eat less, you'll lose weight. Your goal is to burn more calories than what you eat, through exercise, and substituting foods that are high in calories and fat, with other delicious, yet healthier options.
When you are trying to losing weight, it's important to achieve your goals by permanently improving your eating habits, and not going on a temporary diet . What will you achieve by doing this? You will lose weight eating what you like, without feeling hungry, and you also will be able to maintain your new weight over the long term. Sounds good, right?
Below, are some examples of healthy food substitutions that will help you lose those extra pounds, with little effort or sacrifice.
| Instead of... | Choose this... | Calories You Saved | Lost pounds in 1 year |
| French fries | Baked potato | 89 | 9 |
| 4 ounces offried chicken | 4 ounces grilled chicken | 92 | 9 |
| 1/2 cup of creamy ice-cream | 1/2 cup of non-fat yogurt | 52 | 5 |
| 1 Tablespoon of regular salad dressing | 1 tablespoon of light salad dressing | 36 | 3.5 |
| 8 ounces of whole milk | 8 ounces of skim milk | 63 | 6.5 |
| 1 ounce of processed cheese | 1 ounce of skim ricotta or cottage cheese | 47 | 5 |
| 8 ounces of fruit juice | 1 fresh fruit | 53 | 5.5 |
| 4 chocolate chip cookies | 1 cereal bar | 183 | 18.5 |
| Regular soft-drink | Diet soft-drink | 151 | 15 |
Source:
