Not all pickles are created equal. Check to make sure yours are zero calorie.
Keeping track of the calories you consume daily is a good start to losing weight, according to an article in Harvard Medical School's "Healthbeat." To lower your caloric intake, incorporate so-called "zero-calorie foods"--foods that contain very few or no calories. You can consume generous portions of these foods (and drinks) with little effect on your calorie intake for the day. Add zero-calorie foods to meals to help you feel more full.
Instructions
1. Have coffee or tea for breakfast. When served plain, tea and coffee contain fewer than 5 calories per cup. Both coffee and tea contain antioxidants and natural caffeine that acts as an appetite suppressant. In fact, you may consider having multiple cups a day to ward of hunger cravings. You can even reuse a tea bag for multiple cups.
2. Replace mayonnaise with mustard. One tablespoon of mayo has 100 calories. Replace that with a tablespoon of zero-calorie yellow mustard.
3. Double your lettuce intake. Adding a salad or extra lettuce to your sandwich can add lots of fiber and vitamins, such as vitamin K, which promotes vascular health. Baby spinach is equally nutritious and contains essential protein casein that can help boost your mood. Low-calorie leafy greens will fill you up without sending your daily calorie count through the roof.
4. Have a soda. A diet soda contains zero calories. Despite criticism for promoting addictive eating behavior, diet soda is zero calorie, can provide a boost of energy with caffeine and satisfy a sweet tooth. Keep in mind that soda can damage the lining of the esophagus and deplete calcium in the bones. Nonetheless, as part of a weight loss program, it can help you push through cravings.
5. Spice it up. Experimenting with spices can make low-calorie food taste great without loading on calories. Try garam masala, which is used in Indian cuisine and speeds up the heart-rate, or plain cayenne pepper to bring out the flavor of lean cuts of meat or eggs. Use spices to liven up "diet" food without adding calories.
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