Smartest Diet Swaps

Smart Diet Swaps

• Smart Diet Swaps

  By Michelle DeLiso
  
  Hidden calories and fat can sneak into the meals of even the most diet-conscious. Here weshow you nine creative ways to shave calories and fat from your favorite foods.

• Smart Diet Swaps

  Soup Savvy
  
  Abandon heavy, cream-based soups -- they can saddle you with 240 calories per cup. Stick with broth-based varieties, at roughly 150 calories a cup,and thicken them up by cracking a small egg into the soup while it's heating and swirl it throughout the pot. The egg makes the soup smooth and offers healthy protein while adding only 60 calories. You'll save about 30 calories, and about whopping 15 grams of fat per serving over the creamy soups.

• Smart Diet Swaps

  Squash Calories
  
  Spaghetti can cost you 200 calories per cup -- and that's before you top it with sauce. For pasta lovers, spaghetti squash is a vibrant alternative. When cooked, the squash flesh becomes thread-like, resembling spaghetti. Atonly 75 calories per cup and no fat, it makes for a healthy and tasty stand-in.
  
  Image Credit: Jupiter Images

• Smart Diet Swaps

  Slimmer Cocoa
  
  A store-bought hot cocoa mix made with low-fat milk can add up to 250 calories per cup. Shave off about 115 calories, and some unwanted sugar, with this flavorful hot milk beverage: Heat 8 ounces of low-fat or non-fat milk with a cinnamon stick. Pour it into your mug and stir in one tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder and one teaspoon of vanilla extract.

• Smart Diet Swaps

  Tuna with a Twist
  
  It's easy to overdo it with mayo in tuna salad. At 103 calories per tablespoon, you could easily add 300-plus calories to your dish. A lighter, tangy alternative to mayo? Toss canned tuna packed in water with lemon juice, onion, and capers and save yourself upwards of 100 calories. For an extra peppery flavor, add chopped watercress.

• Smart Diet Swaps

  It's a Wrap
  
  Put a new spin on the sandwich by doing away with the bread. Even two slices of the most dietetic versions can add 70 calories per slice. Place sandwich ingredients in buttery-soft bibb lettuce or the long leaves of romaine and wrap them up for a crunchier and much lighter meal.

• Smart Diet Swaps

  Hold the Mayo
  
  If bread is a must for a sandwich, skip the fatty mayo and use lower-in-calories pickles or relish to moisten it. If it's a sandwich with cheese, use only one slice, then skip thecondiment altogether and heat the sandwich in the toaster oven to melt the cheese. It adds the moisture that the condiments would. Both tricks can save up to 40 calories per sandwich, and will spare you the 11 grams of fat per tablespoon of mayo.

• Smart Diet Swaps

  Better Beef
  
  Reduce your fat content and boost fiber by swapping cooked, ground lentils for some of the ground beef in a recipe. Ounce for ounce, lentils and ground beef have a similar calorie count. But 3.5 ounces of ground beef racks up 20grams of fat, while the same amount of lentils carries only 0.8.

• Smart Diet Swaps

  Muffin Tips
  
  Lighten up dense morning muffins. Trade whole wheat flour for half of the white flour in the recipe, and use unsweetened applesauce or pureed bananas for up to half of the oil. Both swaps can save you as much as 500 calories.

• Smart Diet Swaps

  Salad Toppers
  
  Take full advantage of the health benefits of your light salad by avoiding toppings like bacon bits and croutons. Crowning the dish with chopped red onion and herb mixtures like cilantro and mint, or dill and flat-leaf parsleywill save you from the 60 calories or more the traditional toppings would normally add.

Fast Food Guide

• Fast Food Guide

  By Karen Asp
  
  You don't have to give up your favorite drive thru joints just because you're trying to slim down. Instead, make wiser choices, says Hope Warshaw, R.D., author of 'What To Eat When You're Eating Out.' Need some help? Click through this gallery of Warshaw's low-calorie picks at eight fast food restaurants.

• Fast Food Guide

  McDonald's
  
  1. Quarter Pounder without cheese and mayo (410 calories)
  
  2. Asian Salad with Grilled Chicken (300 calories)
  
  3. Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait with Granola (160 calories)

• Fast Food Guide

  Subway
  
  1. 6-inch Breakfast Western Omelet Sandwich (400 calories)
  
  2. Veggie Delite Wrap (400 calories)
  
  3. 6-inch Turkey and Ham Subon Honey Oat Bread (290 calories)

• Fast Food Guide

  Panera Bread
  
  1. Whole-Grain Bagel with 1 tablespoon reduced-fat veggie cream cheese (400 calories)
  
  2. Low Fat Vegetarian Southwest Tomato and Roasted Corn Soup (110 calories for eight ounces)
  
  3. Asiago Roast Beef Sandwich (350 calories for half)

• Fast Food Guide

  Taco Bell
  
  1. Tostada, Fresco Style (200 calories)
  
  2. Ranchero Chicken Soft Taco, Fresco Style (170 calories)
  
  3. Gordita Supreme Beef (310 calories)

• Fast Food Guide

  Arby's
  
  1. Chicken, Bacon and Swiss sandwich (460 calories)
  
  2. Sourdough Ham Melt (380 calories)
  
  3. Junior Roast Beef Sandwich (270 calories)

• Fast Food Guide

  Fazoli's
  
  1. Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce (450 calories for a small)
  
  2. Cheese Pizza (270 calories per slice)

• Fast Food Guide

  Chick-fil-A
  
  1. Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich (270 calories)
  
  2. Southwest Chargrilled Salad (240 calories)
  
  3. Chick-n-strips (290 calories)

• Fast Food Guide

  Au Bon Pain
  
  1. Vanilla Yogurt with Granola and Blueberries (320 calories)
  
  2. Jamaican Black Bean Soup (240 calories)
  
  3. Turkey and Cranberry Chutney Sandwich (340 calories for half)

Celebrity Weight Loss

• Celebrity Weight Loss

  By Jennifer Fields
  
  Katherine on the Circuit
  
  After seeing some unflattering shots of herself, Katherine Heigl says she was motivated to shape up and hired one of Hollywood's hottest trainers, Harley Pasternak, author of the 5-Factor Diet. With his help, Katherine began circuit training and focusing her diet on fish and veggies.
  
  Image Credit: Steve Granitz, WireImage.com

• Celebrity Weight Loss

  Rikki Gets Fresh
  
  After a nearly 20-year struggle with weight and reaching a size 24, former talk show host Rikki Lake got serious about slimming down. Now, a size 6, Rikki says credits the California-based gourmet diet food delivery service, Fresh Dining, with helping her make smart food choices by removing the guesswork.
  
  Image Credit: David Livingston, Getty Images

• Celebrity Weight Loss

  Katie Pounds Pavement
  
  Tom Cruise's better half was never packing a lot of pounds. But after Katie Holmes had little Suri, she was looking to shed some baby weight. Her secret to regaining a pre-baby body? Jogging. She developed such a love for running, Katie even completed her firstmarathon in New York in 2007.
  
  Image Credit: Steve Granitz, WireImage.com

• Celebrity Weight Loss

  Nick Orders In
  
  How did this former boy bander go from pudgy to buff? Nick Carter says he shed 30 pounds by following exercising with a trainer every day and following the NutriSystem Diet. Ordering the diet's pre-packaged food helped Nick cut his portions and make healthy food choices without having to think about it.
  
  Image Credit: Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

• Celebrity Weight Loss

  Carrie Keeps Up
  
  The country crooner has been showing off a new, slim-downed version of herself. Carrie Underwood, a long-time vegetarian, has said the that the key to keeping her weight in check is squeezing in cardio workouts and policing her diet by writing down everything she eats.
  
  Image Credit: Kevin Winter, ACMA / Getty Images for ACMA

• Celebrity Weight Loss

  Tori Likes Convenience
  
  Nick Carter isn't the only skinny celeb on the NutriSystem Diet. After the always-thin Tori Spelling had her son, she looked for easy, convenient programs that would help her lose baby weight. The program may be pricey, but it doesn't get easierthan having all your meals delivered to your door.
  
  Image Credit: Astrid Stawiarz, Getty Images for IMG

• Celebrity Weight Loss

  Lily Gets Lean
  
  Lily Allen reportedly lost four dress sizes in a matter of months. The singer credits hypnosis for helping her make healthier food choices and feel motivated to hit the gym regularly.
  
  Image Credit: EvanAgostini, Getty Images

• Celebrity Weight Loss

  Valerie Chose Jenny
  
  Most people know that actress Valerie Bertinelli dropped some serious pounds by joining the popular Jenny Craig diet program. But Valerie has also credited walking for helping speed her weight loss and change the shape of her body by givingher some tone.
  
  Image Credit: Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

Stop Yo-Yo Dieting

• Stop Yo-Yo Dieting

  By Jonny Bowden, Ph.D.
  
  You know the drill: First you lose weight, then the pounds pile back on. You resolve to lose the weight again and eventually the weight rebounds. Put a stop to the weight cycle for good with these strategies tackling the top reasons why you yo-yo.

• Stop Yo-Yo Dieting

  You Underestimate the Power of Sugar
  
  High sugar foods -- including foods that convert to sugar quickly, like pasta, bread, rice and other starchy carbs -- are kryptonite for people serious about losing weight. Why? Because by quickly raising blood sugar to a high level, they trigger the release of hormones that set you up for hunger and (sometimes) irresistible cravings.

• Stop Yo-Yo Dieting

  You Lie to Yourself
  
  Telling yourself, "A little bit won't kill you," might be true, but that bite may kill your chances for success. The solution? Rethink the whole concept of "cheating." Some diets really do work better when there's no room for error. The trick is not give up if you happen to mess up. Just don't set yourself up for failure by giving yourself permission in advance to "cheat."

• Stop Yo-Yo Dieting

  You Think in Days
  
  There isn't a dieter alive who hasn't had the experience of "blowing" a meal and then thinking, "Oh, well, today is shot, I might as well start again tomorrow." For most people, tomorrow turns intonext week or next month. If you "blow" a meal, all that's blown is that meal. Think of the next time you eat as a new start, and approach the next meal as anew opportunity. Start thinking in hours (or meals) rather than days.

• Stop Yo-Yo Dieting

  You Misunderstand Willpower
  
  According to weight loss expert and Harvard psychologist Deirdre Barrett, Ph.D., the reason most people hate the concept of willpower is that most people possess so little of it. But willpower is a learnable skill. It's simply the decision to do something and follow through regardless of temptations or distractions. It can be practiced and learned. Just like a muscle that strengthen over time until it's capable of heavy lifting.

• Stop Yo-Yo Dieting

  You Have Stinkin' Thinkin'
  
  Language is powerful. The way you speak about your weight loss experience -- especially to yourself -- sends a powerful message. Saying that you've "only" lost five pounds is negative, but celebrating the fact that you've "lost five pounds and counting" is more positive and motivating. Reframe your experience to focus on what you have done. If you want positive results think about your experiences positively.

• Stop Yo-Yo Dieting

  You Think Too Much
  
  When you first start dieting you constantly weigh options and decide whether to have this or that. As long as you stay in that mode, there's a good chance you'll screw up. But once a habit is formed, the decision becomes instinctual. Keep making those good decisions because after a while, it will become habitual and you'll be home free.

• Stop Yo-Yo Dieting

  You Have Unrealistic Expectations
  
  There are no unrealistic goals, but there are unrealistic time tables. If you want to looklike a supermodel by next Friday, you're probably going to be disappointed. Set a realistic goal with a realistic timetable and you'll be setting yourself up for success. Instead of worrying about next week, think how you'll look next summer. Slow and steady wins the weight loss race every time.