Counting calories might not be the most manly of pursuits, but when even your sweats have gotten snug and a walk to the fridge sucks the wind out of you, it’s time to chuck the machismo and reexamine what you’re cramming into your pie hole.
We’re not saying you have to go all Gwyneth and start eating macrobiotic twigs. We’re just suggesting that a little thought can save you a lot of weight.
Take this guy we know. We’ll call him Chip because, well, that’s his name. Chip’s a legal eagle whose late nights at the office require mega-amounts of caffeine, which, since he’s not a latte kind of guy, means he was mainlining via Mountain Dew. Now, for all of its yummy yellow goodness, the Dew packs a caloric wallop – 250 calories in a 20 oz. bottle – which, in turn, led the Chipster to pack on some pounds. At the gentle nudging of his girl, he swapped regular Dew for the diet one (which tastes the same but has ZERO calories) and was still able to burn the midnight oil but shed the excess poundage without suffering in the slightest.
The lesson learned? There are palatable swaps you can make that will taste great and be less filling. In some cases it’s as simple as switching from a brand’s “regular” product to its less-fattening, reduced-calorie cousin. In others, it’s a matter of rethinking a snack or a meal.
Have a flip through these 15 slides to see which of your usual grocery cart suspects aren’t doing your waistline any favors – and marvel at the difference a few measly tweaks can make…
Next: Starting with carbs
