If you cut fat and sweets out of your diet completely, you’d likely lose a lot of weight quickly without having to turn to diet pills or your trusted generic Zocor. You’d probably also lower your cholesterol without even trying too hard to do so.
There’s only one problem with cutting these coveted food products from your diet: You probably wouldn’t be very happy! People need a little sugar in their coffee or a little sweet after dinner or a slice of birthday cake at a party—depriving yourself of these small food luxuries would probably make you unhappy…and probably force you to indulge on something you shouldn’t when the pressure gets too high.
Rather than deprive yourself of sweets and fatty foods, you should learn how to substitute healthier options in their place. For the third segment of our “Losing Weight and Lowering Cholesterol” series, I’d like to offer you with a few tips on how to eat right…without making yourself suffer.
Here are some tips:
AsAs mentioned last time, sometimes making your own food can give you more options. You could go out and get a scoop of ice cream that contains 200 calories and 16 grams of fat (like some Ben and Jerry’s ice creams do), or you could make your own frozen yogurt with plain nonfat yogurt, Splenda, fresh fruit, and a dash of vanilla or cinnamon.
BaBake your own cakes and substitute applesauce for oil or butter.
InInvest in some sugar free hot chocolate and sugar free hard candies for when a sugar craving strikes.
4. Skip sugary drinks and sodas and switch to water or no-calorie drink options.
5. Unfortunately, there are some foods you’ll just have to forego—French fries, doughnuts, potato chips, and other fried, greasy foods. Try and find other things on the menu or in the aisles of your grocery store to take the places of these no-nos.
And one last tip: EXERCISE! I know this is an article about diet, but I can’t talk about one without talking about the other. If you’re trying to lose weight and lower your cholesterol, there’s no better complement to eating well than exercising regularly. Do it—you’ll feel better and drop the pounds more quickly.