Lose Weight Easy and Cheap Without Diet Pills

When losing weight, there is always one common factor, no matter what diet plan you choose: You must have a daily calorie deficit. This is accomplished very simply (or so it sounds) by choosing healthier foods and exercising more. Now, where to start?

1. Sign up for thedailyplate.com

Numerous studies have shown that keeping a food journal is the most effective method for reducing needless calorie intake (it is the cheapest, too). The daily plate is an free online food journal that not only helps you keep track of what you eat, but can also calculate the calories in dishes you prepare yourself. You would be surprised how many calories that extra butter on your dinner roll adds up to! The daily plate has over 350,000 foods in its knowledge base, including many dishes you would find at popular restaurants. This is extremely helpful in choosing what is the best option when going out to eat, which not always fits into structured dieting plans.

The calorie calculator offered on this website also helps you calculate how many calories you need to consume in a day to lose a set amount (say, one pound) in a week. This is very helpful in helping you manage what to eat, and what not to eat.

The last fundamental aspect of this site is the fitness log. This database is excellent because it contains a variety of activities and their respective calories burned per an hour. What is even better is that it takes into consideration your weight in its calculation, unlike so many definitive data tables you find on weight loss sites.

The daily plate also offers rewards ("badges") for logging in and keeping records. They are rather cute, and encouraging, so stick with it!

2. Choose healthier substitutes and alternatives

The daily plate offers lower calorie suggestions for many different types of food. However there are some basic choices that can help you trim your waistline.

Begin to buy whole grain bread/cereal/pasta. To lose weight it is important that you consume enough fiber; it helps you feel full, besides being important digestively. It is recommended that one should consume 20 to 30 grams of fiber per a day.

Watch what you drink. Make sure to read the labels on the soda and juice you consume, often they are extremely high in sugar and unneeded calories. Water is the number one liquid you should drink when trying to lose weight: no calories, helps you feel full, and it is recommended that you drink 8 glasses a day. If you are tired of water (lets be truthful here, it can be difficult to drink water all the time), a tasty option is adding crystal light, a flavored sugar-free powder. Other great alternatives include diet soda, diet snapple (my personal favorite), and green tea. Green tea is often favored among dieters because of its magical content: catechins. These substances have been shown to help the body burn calories as well as body fat. One interesting study shows men that drank green tea lost more than those who did not. You can see the benefits in-depth here.

Choosing lean meats, such as chicken and fish, is also beneficial. The leanest cuts of chicken and turkey are white meat, particularly from the breast of the bird, and without the skin. Make sure when you choose your meat to select the one with the least amount of visible fat.

Watch out for your portions. Only eat until you are full; restaurants tend to serve gigantic portions that delude people into believing it is a normal, healthy size on that enormous plate in front of them. Maybe that is why there is an obesity "epidemic" in the United States; we have a very skewed perspective on what is considered appropriate. Make sure you read the 20 worst foods in America; it is very eye opening.

Try not to skip meals. When this occurs, people tend to eat more to compensate for the meal they missed. Your body's metabolism might also slow down without the intake of food, making you have less energy and less likely to exercise. This is not a very healthy cycle.

Breakfast is one of the most important meals, and it is ideal to consume protein and fiber in the morning. The best source of protein that is low in calories? Eggs. Egg whites are at the top of the protein chart, although adding some yolk is not detrimental.

3. Watch out for misleading foods

Ordering a salad is not always as healthy as it may seem. One packet of Newman's Own Creamy Caesar Dressing from McDonalds is 190 calories, which is enormous compared to the 20 calories in the side salad by itself. Watch out for making the mistake of assuming a salad is healthy: Panera Bread's Greek Salad will cost you 520 calories.

Watch out for foods high in saturated and trans fats. Look for unsaturated fats, which (in moderation) can be beneficial.

Olive oil and nuts, although healthy in moderation, can still add up in calories. Peanuts are often suggested as snacks in many diets, just keep in mind that 1 oz. of peanuts is 160 calories. One healthy snack often listed is yogurt, although this can also be deceiving. Breyer's Fruit On The Bottom Red Raspberry Yogurt is 170 calories. Danon light & fit is only 40 calories and (in my humble opinion) tastes amazing.

If you are unsure of how many calories are in what you are about to eat, check the calorie counter database.

At a restaurant and unsure how many calories are in the meal you are about to order? A handy tool is texting "Diet1" with the name of the food and restaurant. This might help you decide on whether that cheeseburger is really worth it!

4. Try out new activities