How to cut 500 calories a day without exercise. We’ve all heard the mantra of “calories in calories out” and we know that you need to burn about 3500 calories (that would be 500 a day for 7 days) to lose a pound, but what does it really take to burn those calories? What if you don’t have enough time to spend an hour a day at the gym? Well, there are lots of ways to cut those necessary 500 calories every day without spending hours in the gym.

HOW TO CUT 500 CALORIES A DAY WITHOUT EXERCISE

Fidget. I admit that I usually get hives when people around me fidget, but the truth is that people who fidget and can’t sit still generally burn a few hundred more calories per day. So it might be worthwhile to take a page from their book and move more. When no one is around, get up and jump up and down a few times or pace while you are on the phone. These little things do add up.

Don’t eat mindlessly. Sitting in front of the TV mindlessly eating is a diet killer, but we all (or most of us) do it anyway. I’ll be honest that I’m not going to stop that habit, especially when I just need to turn my mind off for a bit. The trick is to set out what you are going to eat and don’t get up for more. You can be mindless in front of the TV, just as long as you are mindful before you sit down.

Choose a smaller plate. This is a bit of a mental trick. The idea behind it is that you are most likely going to finish everything on your plate, but if it’s a smaller one then you won’t be taking in as many calories. Your goal, however, is to leave some food on your plate. Get used to not cleaning the whole dish. If you are like me, you grew up with parents telling you to eat everything on your plate, but now I’m telling you that you don’t have to! Slow down when you are eating and drink lots of water and you’ll see just how easy it is to eat less, especially if you aren’t used to portion control.

Don’t leave food out on the table. Having a big family style meal is wonderful for bonding and catching up with loved ones, but unfortunately not so great for your waistline. When there is food in front of us we tend to start nibbling a little bit here a little bit there and before you know it, you’ve suddenly ingested a couple of hundred calories.

Beware healthy foods. Of course you should be opting for healthy foods, but watch out that you aren’t overeating. Too much of a good thing is too much of a good thing. Enjoying a smoothie for breakfast is a great choice, but watch how many calories are in that drink. Learn all about What To Look For In A Smoothie here. This is especially true of the supposedly “healthy” fare you get in restaurants where many salads have more calories than a burger.

Whether you are trying to maintain your weight, start a new health plan or lose a few pounds it’s about making small changes that you can keep up.

Do you have any tricks or tips to cutting calories?

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