Ditch the “diet” food. Celebrity nutritionist Cynthia Pasquella says she shares these three methods with clients to help them cut out a whopping 500 calories a day. The best news: They aren’t hard to follow and—if you stick with them—you are almost guaranteed a weight-loss solution that works.
Eat mindfully to eat less.
Call this one “zen and the art of eating,” but Pasquella recommends that as soon as you sit down, you take a deep breath and get present with your meal. “You will eat far less than if you’re shoveling heaping forkfuls in between answering emails or watching TV.”
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Reduce your stress levels.
When you’re stressed out or overtired, it ups the urge to snack. “Look at what may be triggering you, whether it’s an environmental or psychological stressor. Does your home, car, office, or even relationship, need a little clean-up work? Get to the root of the problem instead of the bottom of the cookie jar. Set aside time to organize your space, get adequate sleep and exercise regularly—all things that can help keep stress and cravings at bay.
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Make simple food swaps.
You’ve most certainly heard this before, but let these three go-to swaps take top spot in your brain: “Find tasty substitutes for your favorite high-calorie ingredients, like trading angel hair pasta for spaghetti squash, switching from ground beef to turkey, and mayonnaise to avocado,” Pasquella says.
