Cutting cut away the rind until a

Cutting Calories is Easier With These Food Tips andTricks  Cutting calories is an essential part of any weight-lossprogram — after all, it’s not difficult to out-eat even the most rigorousworkout program. The lower calorie count isn’t the only problem. When you’reaccustomed to snacking regularly and eating until you’re full, constant restraintcan cause significant mental stress.

With these food tips, you can feelindulgent without killing your calorie budget. Load Up on Spinach Feeling satisfied can be a challenge when you’re trying tolose weight. Bulk is half the battle; the more food you eat, the fuller youfeel. The trouble is, bigger portions often lead to more calories. Spinach, atjust 7 calories per cup, is a great solution. Instead of eating three scrambledeggs for a calorie count of 210, switch things up.

Saute 4 cups of spinach, move it to the side of the pan, and add in two eggs and two egg whites. Whenthe eggs are nearly cooked, mix them with the spinach. The result fills a largedinner plate and comes in at less than 200 calories.

For extra color, flavor, and volume, toss in a diced tomato, sliced mushrooms, chopped zucchini or bellpeppers. You’ll walk away from the table feeling stuffed, and your dailycalorie goal won’t suffer. Buy a Watermelon If calorie restriction leaves you craving sugar and sweetdesserts, reach for watermelon instead. A cup of diced watermelon containsapproximately 47 calories, almost the same as a single Oreo cookie. The highwater content leaves you feeling full, and the natural sugars can satisfy asweet tooth.  The trick to turning the watermelon into a weight-loss tool, however, is finding the right serving size and cutting style.

When you’refeeling deprived of your favorite snacking habits and large portions, a singlewedge isn’t going to cut it. Remove a thick slice from the watermelon, and cutaway the rind until a large circle of fruit remains. Make a series of parallelcuts across the circle, forming many long, thin slices. Then, make a singleperpendicular cut to halve the slices.

These small, thin pieces take longer toeat, and the extra crunch increases satisfaction. For the biggest impact, leave300 calories in your daily budget for a 6-cup serving; it will give you thesame pleasantly full feeling a more indulgent snack would, which can helpdramatically with the mental aspect of calorie restriction. Reach for Halo Top When you’re accustomed to ultra-sugary desserts, fruitdoesn’t always cut it. Over time, your restraint can ebb away, leaving you moreprone to binges that wipe out all of your hard work in one fell swoop. On dayswhen you can’t stop thinking about destroying an entire box of doughnuts, doyourself a favor and reach for Halo Top ice cream instead.

Unlike other” diet” frozen desserts (e. g., Arctic Zero), Halo Top has the sameintense sweetness of traditional ice cream, thanks to its calorie-freesugar alcohol sweeteners. It’s also high in protein, with 20 grams per pint, soyou stay fuller for longer. Best of all, an entire pint will set you back just240 to 360 calories, depending on the flavor. Compare that to Haagen Dazsor Ben & Jerry’s, which usually contain 1, 000 calories or more per pint. While it’s not an everyday treat, Halo Top can be a calorie-cutting life saver.

Pickles If you’re missing chips, crackers, and other salty, high-calorie snacks, pickles can help you get through. One whole picklecontains approximately 15 calories and a satisfying salty punch, so you can eatthem without breaking the calorie bank. If you’re concerned about salt, coversliced cucumbers with white vinegar and pop them in the fridge for guilt-freesnacking. One full cucumber contains fewer than 50 calories, and the vinegaradds a pleasantly sour punch without the sodium.

Sparkling Water Soda is a pressing concern for many calorie-cutters. Dietsoda is an option, but for some people, the sweet taste without the caloriesleads to intense hunger later in the day. Sparkling water is a great solution. The bubbles fill you up, which can take the edge off of cravings or hunger.

Thecarbonation provides the same refreshing feeling as soda, and since the watercontains no calories or artificial sweeteners, you can drink as much as youwant. One tip: go easy if you plan to wear something form-fitting, as thebubbles can cause bloating. Cutting calories is rarely easy, but it’s a crucial step onthe road to weight loss. With the right snacks and smart food tricks, you canlower your daily totals without feeling hungry or deprived.