I can still remember watching my mom diet when I was a kid. She would load the tuna fish onto her kitchen scale to keep her portion sizes and calories in check. I don’t know why that image has stuck with me for so many years, but perhaps it has something to do with the great challenge that we seem to embark on from the moment we make up our minds to drop a few pounds and a dress size or two.

Have you ever tried to diet? Have you ever wondered why so many great diet fads don’t stick around long enough to become a mainstay of our culture? The truth is that dieting is not easy, in any sense of the word. And it appears that the more you try to deny yourself of the foods that you are accustomed to or love; the less likely it is that your diet plan will work over the long haul. The good news is that there are a number of easy diet choices available for you to utilize that are easy to follow and even easier to enjoy. The key here is to go with a few simple replacement foods that will allow you to remove the guilty weight gaining profits of your current eating plan, and replace them with low-calorie, healthy options.

One of the first switcharoo’s that you can try is to replace all of your dairy foods with fat free or low fat varieties. You will be amazed with the number of calories you can cut by this simple substitution – up to 45% between whole milk and skim. Another good diet choice is to cut out much of your red meat entrees, opting instead for low fat and low-cal poultry and fish dishes. When you go for the chicken, keep the skin off to keep your meals less fattening and much healthier. It is always better to select baked or broiled over fried foods as well.

Snack switching can be a bit more difficult to contemplate for some, especially if you are used to grabbing that cookie or can of soda for a boost in the middle of the afternoon. The best snack foods for this time of day are always going to be fresh fruits and vegetables, so find some that you enjoy and stock the refrigerator. Add a low fat dip if you really must, or whip up a small smoothie using fruit and low fat yogurt. The good news about these all natural snacks is that you can munch away without worrying that they will pack on the pounds in larger quantities.

No one ever said that losing weight was easy, but it doesn’t have to be impossible. With a few simple diet choices you can be on your way to fitting back in your favorite blue jeans before you can say, “Pass those sugar donuts.” Happy dieting.

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