With so many fad diets going – me, a hungry consumer (pun intended) – left confused and frustrated. Us fat people are mean to be jolly you know, and it is precisely us that need to lose weight – it just goes against the principles! One diet vouches for 30 pounds in 30 days with some water based diet while the other cuts off every good thing and vouches for a 50-pound loss. But what’s the point? Depriving myself so will only pave way for my going back to all the favorite foods with a vengeance and get me back exactly to square one .. oh well except a lighter wallet maybe – not so much the lighter me.
Instead, I think we should be able to enjoy the good foods sensibly. That way I will not feel deprived and end up attacking the French fries as if I have not eaten for 3 months like a hungry caveman (or woman!) From the Ice Age. Few minuscule changes here and there and voila – welcome to the utopia – guilt-free, good eats. The important trick – cheat your mind into believing that you just ate all those calorie rich and appetizing food while in reality, you have not.
So what are the cheat codes which have worked for me? Here goes:
Cut out oil in the skillet
Did you know that when you need to saute onions in a skillet, you actually do not need oil to do so? Heat the skillet, when hot, add the comments and a little bit of salt and give it a quick stir. The salt will bring out the moisture in the comments and will also help it to cook. You can add rest of the vegetables to this mixture and continue cooking as if nothing happened! You just cut out 1 tablespoon of oil (or more) which amounts to approximately 120 calories in one go. There is no loss as such to the good taste.
2. Say NO to yellow (no, I am not talking about lemons)
Any recipe that calls for eggs, you could benefit from a little deviation from the recipe. Instead of a whole egg, just add the egg whites. Have you tried making omelets with just egg whites? Or how about your favorite buttermilk pancakes? Or maybe the all-time favorite, good old-fashioned corn muffins? There is no reducing the flavor and at the same time, you get to enjoy your favorite, day-to-day foods without all that fat and cholesterol from egg yolks.
3. Include lots of protein and fiber in your diet
Not only is it healthy, but it will also fill you up faster – so naturally, you would end up eating less. Lean meats, legumes, tofu, yogurt are some fill-me-up-fast foods. A simply baked Falafel burger for lunch is not only delicious but also immensely healthy. You will not miss your hamburger.
4. DO NOT eat healthily – just sneak in healthy
Why do New-Year resolutions never work for me? I set such a lofty goal, I know I am never going to reach it – ever! So in the same vein, do not go all out and decide on eating all healthy things that your mind revolts against, and occasionally breaks you. Instead, when you find yourself reaching out for the buttery dinner rolls next time, why do not you reach out for these Quinoa dinner rolls? They taste very buttery though they have no butter! Or go for these mixed bean and quinoa croquettes along with your salad.
5. No need to give up that dessert
Now I would expect the obvious question – what about dessert? Do we cut that out? Not in a million years- I can not think of foregoing my desserts. So how in good God’s name are we cutting out calories then? Strawberry and lavender sorbet and Orange gives make excellent desserts and they have the nutrition from fruits. Baked ricotta berry cakes are my personal favorite – “healthy and lip-smacking good.
These are just a few ways of making minor changes without actually having to cut down anything. It’s not about spreading fries and ice creams – it’s about making these minor changes in day to day eating habits so that eating our favorite foods sometimes does not make us feel guilty or leave us wanting.
So what about you? Do you have any tricks up your sleeve that you use?
Featured Image: Brutally Honest