REACHING YOUR FAT-LOSS GOALS
"The 100 Calorie Method"

If you have patience, losing weight may be easier than you think. To lose a pound of fat a month, all you need to do is cut 100 calories a day from your diet. Assuming that your body's intake and usage of all other calories remains the same, you can effortlessly and painlessly cut 100 calories a day and lose at least one pound a month this way. 

The 100 calorie method will work because a pound of body fat is equivalent to approximately 3,500 calories and if you cut 100 calories a day for 30 days, you are cutting out 3,000 calories or about a pound of weight you don't want.

Losing only a pound a month may seem agonizingly slow, but research indicates that you're more likely to keep weight off if you lose it slowly. Another advantage is that losing a pound a month doesn't require drastic changes in your eating habits. Techniques like these reduce fat and/or sugar, which means that calorie for calorie, you're getting less fat and more vitamins and minerals.

Here is a example of ways you can cut 100 calories from your calorie intake each day.

1. Eat 2 poached eggs instead of 2 fried eggs.

2. Snack on an orange and a banana instead of a Snickers candy bar.

3. Instead of eating 5 chocolate-chip cookies, savor the taste of 2.

4. Grill a cheese sandwich with nonstick cooking spray instead of margarine.

5. Use 2 tablespoons of light pancake syrup instead of 2 tablespoons of regular syrup.

6. Munch on 1 cup of frozen grapes instead of an ice cream sandwich.

7. Eat 2 meatballs instead of 4 with your spaghetti.

8. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of low-calorie French dressing on your salad instead of 2 tablespoons of blue cheese dressing.

9. Choose 4 1/2 ounces of tuna packed in water instead of 4 1/2 ounces of tuna packed in oil.

10. Order your Quarter Pounder without cheese.

11. Replace 1 cup of corn with 1 cup of carrots.

12. Rather than drink a strawberry milkshake, make a smoothie of 2/3 cup of low-fat milk, 1/2 cup of strawberries and 1/2 a banana.

13. Pass on the second helping of mashed potatoes.

14. Have a large breadstick instead of a slice of garlic bread with your Italian meal.

15. Snack on 2 ounces of oven-baked potato chips instead of regular potato chips.

16. Drink a can of diet soda rather than a can of regular soda.

Remember you didn't put your extra weight on overnight so it won't come off overnight. Be aware of what you eat and cut down when you see the opportunity and before you know it you will be slimmed down.