Swap These Foods To Boost Your Weight Loss
Meal Planning
Swap These Foods To Boost Your Weight Loss
If you’re tired of constantly trying new diets or feel overwhelmed at the concept of cutting back calories, it can help to choose healthier alternatives when it comes to food.
At Instant Knockout, we understand that it can be difficult to make the right food choices when you’re busy or too tired.
That’s why Instant Knockout Cut is ideal if you need help to get back on track. Packed with powerful thermogenics to melt fat round the clock, appetite suppressors for when you need that control most and natural energy enhancers for improved athletic performance, there’s a reason pro athletes and gymgoers use it to get in their best shape.
Instant Knockout Cut works hand-in-hand with a healthy lifestyle, and it’s only right you want to know how else you can optimize the powerful formula to maximize your efforts. Well, what if we said you could swap some foods to boost your weight loss?
Minor changes to your diet can make a whole lot of difference, especially if you find yourself reaching for the snacks throughout the day. In this article, we outline seven simple food swaps that will help you cut the calories, shift those final pounds and achieve real results. So get started today, swap these foods to get on the right track!
7 Food swaps to cut calories
Swap these eight foods with the following healthy, balanced alternatives and you could be cutting hundreds of calories a week without much effort!
- Swap white pasta for whole wheat
If pasta is a staple meal in your diet, there are ways to make it healthier. By ditching the white pasta and replacing it with a whole wheat variety, you’ll benefit from an increase in fiber, B vitamins and antioxidants – nutrients you wouldn’t find in white pasta.
Whole wheat pasta also offers complex carbs and protein, as well as healthy fats. Studies have shown that people who ate more whole wheat foods had a lower risk of weight gain, with better protection against diabetes and heart problems1 2.
- Swap fruit juice for the fruit itself
If you think starting your day with a glass of fruit juice is healthy, think again. These pre-prepared drinks are usually jam-packed with sugar and empty calories, offering no real benefit to your weight loss efforts. For example, 240ml of apple juice is around 110 calories3, and while they might contain a variety of vitamins and minerals, their sugar content defeats the point.
Fruit juice may also lead to weight gain, since they’re unlikely to fill you up as much as a piece of fruit. This is because juice is low in fiber, the nutrient that fills your stomach and reduces hunger4.
A piece of fruit will keep you feeling fuller for longer and offer more nutrients (that aren’t lost through the juicing process).
- Swap crisps for popcorn
Popcorn is low in fat and high in fiber but still evokes the same feeling you get from a bag of crisps. As long as its not cooked in butter or covered in sugar, popcorn can be a healthy alternative when you want a quick snack.
Popcorn contains a multitude of vitamins including B vitamins, magnesium, zinc and iron5. What’s more, you’ll find a high amount of polyphenol antioxidants in this healthy snack. Polyphenols are antioxidants that help defend against damage caused by free radicals and may improve blood circulation, digestive health and reduce risk of metabolic diseases6 7.
A healthy portion comes in at around 30 grams and can be made at home. All you need is some kernels and a hot pan! If you buy your popcorn pre-made, the plainer it is the better.
- Swap cow’s milk for almond milk
When the calories of cow’s milk are too much, almond milk can be a savior.
It looks and tastes a lot like normal milk except it has a slightly nutty flavor and includes extra nutrients including vitamin E, D and riboflavin. It’s also much lower in calories, despite the fact almonds are 50% fat. One cup of almond milk is said to contain around 39 calories, which in comparison to skimmed cow’s milk, is half the number of calories.
Almond milk is also ideal if you struggle to digest dairy or you follow a vegan diet. If you choose almond milk, you may be boosting the health of your heart too. This is because it’s low in saturated fat8, which helps to lower levels of cholesterol in your blood.
- Swap mayonnaise for hummus
You might not realize but mayonnaise contains the type of empty calories you could probably do without. Unless you opt for the fat-free versions, one tablespoon comes in at around 90 calories and 10 grams of fat9.
Swap mayo for hummus and you’ll be getting a good source of healthy fats, fiber and protein10 for half the calories you would from mayonnaise11.
Hummus is made from chickpeas, which have a low glycemic index (GI)12. This suggests hummus can help you control your blood sugar levels as it’s slowly digested, encouraging a slower and balanced rise and fall in blood sugar levels.
Hummus also provides around six grams of dietary fiber per 100 grams, which equals 24% of the daily fiber recommendation for women and 16% for men13. This can help to improve digestive health, fill you up for longer and feed your good gut bacteria.
- Swap milk chocolate for dark chocolate
If you fancy a sweet treat, try swapping your milk chocolate bar with dark chocolate. You get a much higher concentration of cocoa in dark chocolate (minimum being 35 and maximum up to 100 percent), which is packed with flavanols that have beneficial antioxidant effects. In milk chocolate, the cocoa content is under 10 percent!
Because of dark chocolate’s high cocoa content, you benefit from a number of health gains. Dark chocolate is loaded with minerals and soluble fiber which can positively impact your overall wellbeing14. For instance, it contains zinc, iron and magnesium which can help keep your brain healthy as you age and fight off disease15. It’s also a powerful source of antioxidants, like mentioned, which may play a role in lowering your risk of metabolic disease, heart attacks and strokes.
- Swap ice cream for frozen yogurt
Fancy a fresh and cool dessert? Ditch the calorific ice cream and try some frozen yogurt instead. It differs from ice cream as it’s made from cultured milk instead of cream, making it much lower in fat.
Ice cream contains seven grams of fat per serving, whereas frozen yogurt provides just four grams16. To know exactly what’s inside your frozen yogurt blend, you could try making your own Greek yogurt popsicles. Just pulse Greek yogurt, frozen fruit and some honey into a food blender, pop into a popsicle tray and freeze. You’ll get a low-fat cool dessert which is packed with protein, calcium and probiotics.
Extra tips to boost weight loss
Tip #1 – Try intermittent fasting
Not fussy when it comes to breakfast? Intermittent fasting may be something you could try. It’s more of an eating plan than a diet, which includes a set time where you fast, followed by a window to eat. If you’re just starting out, try the 16:8 fasting which requires 16 hours of fasting and eight hours of eating.
Research suggests intermittent fasting can work to help you reach weight loss goals, with studies showing it can benefit fat burning and help maintain lean mass when accompanied by a balanced diet and resistance exercise17.
Tip #2 – Fix your sleeping pattern
There is a close connection between sleep and weight loss, and if you’re not getting enough you could be negatively impacting your efforts. Science says that a lack of sleep can significantly change the balance of hunger hormones in your body, ramping up your appetite and decreasing feelings of satiety18.
Tip #3 – Reduce stress
Stress is a factor many people forget about when they’re cutting weight. Demanding jobs and longer working hours can all contribute to your stress levels and ultimately put the brakes on your weight loss progress.
This is because it increases levels of cortisol, the stress hormone in your body, to unhealthy levels. This can lead to increased levels of body fat and higher body mass index19.
High-cortisol levels may also increase your cravings for sweet, high-calorie foods and generally raise your appetite20 – not good if you’re trying to stick to a calorie deficit!
Try and relieve some of your anxiety with these stress busters:
- Meditate
- Exercise
- Get outdoors more
- Journal
- Spend time with friends and family
- Practice deep breathing exercises
Tip #4 – Have realistic expectations
It’s a simple fact, losing weight is a slow and consistent process. However, many people have impractical expectations when they first start out. It’s important to remember that it will take time to get the results you want.
In fact, evidence reveals that shedding the pounds swiftly makes no difference in terms of health benefits – it’s likely to cause more harm than good.
It is recommended that you stick to losing one to two pounds a week for sustainable and healthy weight loss21.
Summary
If you’re on a weight loss journey, you’ll know that calorie intake is key. The trouble is, reducing calories can be difficult and tiring. Make it easier for yourself by starting small, cutting back on empty calories and switching up your foods with healthier alternatives.
These seven foods should help you stay on track and boost feelings of motivation without depriving you of your favorite snacks. They should evoke the same feelings you get when you want a sweet or savory treat – but without the guilt!
Choose Instant Knockout for Ultimate Calorie Control
If you’re struggling to stay motivated, energized or on track with your calories, Instant Knockout Cut can help. The meticulously constructed, trusted formula helps maximize your weight management plan. Fueling you up with a clean caffeine formula, curbing snacking with the natural fiber glucomannan and igniting your body’s fat burning potential with potent thermogenics – you can achieve real results with Instant Knockout Cut!
Used, trusted and recommended by pro athletes, it’s time for you to start your Instant Knockout journey today!
