You don’t need to deprive yourself completely to make significant strides towards your weight goals. Awareness and minor adjustments can make a world of difference.

For instance, reducing what you eat by 150 calories or burning it off isn’t too much of a challenge. Do it every day for over a month; that’s 4,200 calories. Do it over a year; you’ll have reduced your size by 54,700 calories. That means in a year from now, you could be 15 pounds lighter.

We’ve put together a list of effortless ways for you to either eliminate or burn 150 calories every day without feeling restricted, hungry, or stressed. In each example, 150 calories is an approximation; the exact amount varies from person to person and depends on your efforts. 

1. Walk 2 Miles in 30 Minutes 

It takes most people 40 minutes to walk 2 miles. Make your walk a little brisker and get it done in 30 minutes for a 150 calorie burn.

2. Rethink What You Drink

Cut down high-sugar, high-calorie drinks such as soda, fruit juice, smoothies, and coffee treats, and you’ll save between 150 and 350 calories. Drinking sugar-sweetened beverages not only packs on many unnecessary calories but may also make you feel hungry and make you likely to eat more than you should later on. ⁽¹⁾

3. More Vinegar, Less Oil

Traditional vinegarette salad dressing calls for two parts olive oil to one part balsamic vinegar. Although olive oil is a fantastic source of healthy fat, one tablespoon contains 120 calories.

Balsamic vinegar with only ten calories per tablespoon adds tons of flavor without the calories. Switching the ratios to two parts balsamic vinegar to one part olive oil saves a significant number of calories without sacrificing taste.

When dining out, always order a salad with dressing on the side. This way, you can easily monitor how many calories you’re eating.

4. Make Your Sandwich a Salad

Two slices of bread and mayo add 400 calories to your lunch, and that’s before you add the meat, veggies, and cheese. Either swap your tablespoon of mayo for mustard which saves 85 calories, or toss your cheese and meat with lettuce and vegetables to create a chef’s salad. Dress it with two tablespoons of homemade balsamic vinaigrette (see #3 above) to save yourself over 200 calories.

5. Get Busy Around the House

Wash your windows, mop your floor, rake leaves, garden, or wash and wax your car for 45 minutes and you’ll quickly burn 150 calories and probably more. It only counts if you break a little sweat.

6. Go Small

Simply ordering a Starbucks tall latte instead of a venti saves you 150 calories. Ordering small fries instead of large saves you 180 calories.  

7. Swap Veggies for Chips, Fruit for Crackers

If you like snacking on chips and dip or cheese and crackers, opt for healthy veggies and fruit instead.

Dip with celery, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and broccoli. A whole bowl of veggies is about 50 calories, while a bowl of chips can top 300 calories.

Apple slices are a delicious replacement for crackers with cheese. A cup of apple slices is about the calorie count of four crackers.

Not only does this swap replace processed carbs with complex carbs, but you also get extra fiber and vitamins. 

8. Spice, Not Sugar

When a recipe calls for sugar, using spices like cinnamon or nutmeg is a great way to get lots of flavor without the calories. For instance, instead of the two 50-calorie tablespoons of sugar, you usually add to your morning oatmeal, add a 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and a few slices of banana to save 75 calories. Add cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and vanilla to hot milk and black tea for your chai without the sugar. 

9. Berries for Dessert

While there are over 400 calories in a piece of apple pie, and a few cookies can easily top 250, a cup of blueberries has only 84 calories. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries have very few calories and many essential vitamins, so indulge as much as you’d like with fruit without feeling guilty.

10. Eat Plain Yogurt

Yogurt is immensely good for you, but many of its benefits are undone by the sugar and fat in the fruity varieties. While a cup of non-fat plain yogurt is 80 calories, the fruit on the bottom can be as much as 230 calories with 12 extra grams of added sugar. Drizzle your plain yogurt with a bit of honey and add cinnamon, nuts, and berries to complement the protein-rich treat with some healthy fats and complex carbs.

11. Cauliflower, the New Rice

Cauliflower is having its moment, and deservedly so. It’s super low-carb and low-calorie. Replacing a cup of nutrient-deficient white rice with grated cauliflower will save you 145 calories. Make it easy on yourself and grab a bag of Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Rice. The entire package is only 80 calories.

12. Cook with Broth

When cooking veggies, leave the cooking oil on the counter and instead add a half cup of vegetable or chicken broth. If you haven’t tried this before, you will be delighted with the flavor, and you’ll save at least 150 calories in the process.

13. Stretch

Instead of sprawling on the couch during your favorite evening show, sit on the floor and stretch. One hour of mild stretching burns 165 calories, and you’ll increase your flexibility too.

14. Dance for 30 Minutes 

Thirty minutes of dancing burns between 150 to 400 calories, depending on the type of dancing you choose. Remember, you can dance anywhere, anytime  – that’s what makes it fun. 

15. Rethink Your Pasta

When it comes to dieting, pasta has a bad reputation. Little wonder when one serving of Fettuccine Alfredo is a shocking 1,200 calories. Pasta is calorie-dense with 220 in one cup.

You can easily cut 150 calories from your dish by replacing half of your whole wheat or protein pasta with vegetables like zucchini, peppers, olives, mushrooms, and onions. You’ll save the calories but still have bulk and feel satisfied. Keep creams and high-calorie cheeses to a minimum and opt for tomato-based sauces. 

16. Boost Your Mental Energy

Why is it that…

At the end of the day, many of us find ourselves lounging on the couch, in front of a screen with a pizza on its way?

Modern-day stressors and hectic schedules are exhausting, and they drain us of motivation. Brain health supplements like Stonehenge Health’s Dynamic Brain contain specific neuro-nutrients shown in studies to help increase mental clarity and energy, plus improve your mood and memory. _^(2-4)

Losing weight and staying in shape take willpower. With the right attitude and mental energy, you’re more likely to go on a 2-mile brisk walk and prepare a healthy meal at home instead of resorting to calorie-heavy take-out and hours of sofa time. 

 

Our hope is that these tips and suggestions give you the motivation to reach your goals. Small changes can significantly impact your health and wellness over time. Every little bit helps, so don’t hold back.

Keep Reading: In the next blog post, we’ll explore how your unique physiology affects your weight and how you can improve your chances of success.

Sources:
1. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26606887/
2. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11498727.
3. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5448442/
4. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7019700/
5. Harvard Medical School “Lose Weight and Keep It Off.”