3 Smart Calorie-Busting Tips

Reading Time: 4 Minutes

Hey Brothers,

Welcome back to the LenDentonThrive Letter! 

We all know that consuming excess calories can lead to all sorts of problems like weight gain and body fat accumulation that eventually leads to medical issues like insulin resistance and hypertension. 

One of the major underlying reasons for this is that we humans aren’t very good at keeping track of calories. We tend to under-estimate the amount of calories we consume. And, we over-estimate the amount of calories we burn as we exercise. 

The result of this continuous mis-estimating is a slow, but steady, weight gain that creeps up on us over time. And left unaddressed, long-term poor calorie management will steal your energy and wreck your health!

So, what’s the best way to handle excess calories? 

Simple! Avoid them! 

Because, avoiding calories is much easier than working them off through exercise!

In today’s LDT Letter, I’ll show you three straight-forward ways to avoid mindlessly adding hundreds of calories to your day. 

Let’s jump in!

Tip #1- Don’t Drink Your Calories

Americans love sweet drinks like sodas, fancy coffee drinks and adult (alcoholic) beverages. But these tasty treats are one of the major sources of excess calories. 

For example, a regular soft drink (think Coke or Pepsi) contains 150 calories in a single 12 ounce can. A couple of Cokes during the day are enough to totally wipe out any gains you hoped to make in the gym.   And, that bottleless soda (with endless refills) you order at your favorite restaurant probably has more calories than the entree you order.  

These are sneaky kinds of calories that add up without us even thinking about them. 

Do This Instead: 

• Replace the sweetened drinks with artificially sweetened ones

• Drink coffee black

• Drink sparkling or fizzy waters instead of sugary sodas 

Tip #2 - Skip the Sugary Breakfast

Breakfast is an important meal. Your body has been fasting for 8-12 hours, and it needs nutrients to support a busy day. However, most Americans eat a breakfast that’s high in carbohydrates and sugars. This includes things like commercial breakfast cereals, pastries and fast foods that are easy to consume in a hurry. 

Most of these options are ultra-processed foods (engineered foods) that taste good and hit the spot. But, they’re filled with sugars and carbs (making them high calorie foods) that spike your blood sugar and make you hungry again in an hour or two. This kind of breakfast will throw off your body’s hunger cycle for the whole day.

Do This Instead: 

• Drink water when you wake up to rehydrate your system

• Eat a high-protein breakfast with eggs and lean meats

• Avoid sugar and carbs (pastries, pancakes, etc.) at breakfast

The protein in your breakfast takes longer to digest, providing more energy to your body over a longer period of time. The result is that you’ll feel satisfied longer.

Tip #3 - Try Smart Swaps

We all have favorite foods that aren’t healthy for us. These typically fall into the Red Zone, which isn’t a good idea for a healthy diet. 

For example, maybe you love pasta or Italian bread. But, these two favorites are made with white flour, which is a Red Zone food. All of us have foods that fall into this “Not Recommended” zone. 

Should we avoid these foods entirely? Maybe there’s a different answer.

Do This Instead:

Try using Smart Swaps. These are alternative foods that give you a healthier option. For the pasta example noted above, you can replace white flour pasta with whole wheat pasta. The taste is similar and the calories are much better. 

See the chart below for examples of Smart Swaps that will let you keep the foods you love without the excess calories.  

Bonus Tip - Daily Meal Planning

Daily meal planning can be the most productive 3-5 minutes of your day. It helps you eliminate hundreds of excess calories every day by helping you avoid the Red Zone Trap!  (The Red Zone Trap is that place when you find yourself in a situation with no good food options, where the only alternative is to eat something bad for you!) If you aren’t planning your food sources throughout your day, you’re increasing your chances of falling into the Trap and having to settle for unhealthy alternatives.

Here’s how to do it: Every morning, ask yourself two quick questions:

Q1. What am I doing today?

Q2. Where will my food come from?

Here’s a couple of examples.

Example 1: 

Q1: What am I doing today?

A1. Working from home.

Q2. What will I eat today?

A2. Healthy meals from my kitchen.

Example 2:

Q1. What am I doing today? 

A1. On a business trip.

Q2. What will I eat today?

A2. A high-protein breakfast at the hotel. Skip lunch. Eat a healthy dinner at a favorite restaurant I’ve checked previously.

You get the idea. A few minutes of planning every morning can save you from having to deal with bad food decisions later in the day. This is one of my most valuable daily habits. Make it one of yours!

That's it! Three tried and true tips (plus a bonus tip) that I use every day. Following these simple tips will help you eliminate hundreds of excess calories every day:

• Don’t drink your calories

• Eat a high-protein breakfast

• Try Smart Swaps

• Do daily meal planning

Give these a try today!

Let me help you build your own ThriveLife. Here’s two ways how I can help you:

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Thanks for reading today.

And remember, God loves us. He wants us to thrive. So, let’s go!

All the best… Len

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