Surprising Ways to Cut Calories

When you’re trying to lose weight through diet and exercise, every little bit of encouragement helps.

And what’s more encouraging to a dieter than hearing that they’re burning more calories than they think they are?

It’s true. Even people who are steadfast in keeping track of their calories in and calories out don’t factor in those that are burned by just going through the average day. Little things like walking to the bathroom, standing while having a conversation with a coworker, and running the vacuum when you get home from work don’t make the list, but they burn calories, too.

Sure, it’s not quite the same as a good, heart-pumping workout, and you can’t expect to, well, vacuum your way to your health goals, but it is nice to know that efforts you don’t even realize you’re making are helping your weight-loss efforts along.

When you’re dieting, it’s easy to think of calories as the enemy. But your body needs them to fuel all its activities, from walking to working to digesting. And cutting back on the number you take in doesn’t mean starving yourself or engaging in serious deprivation.

Think portion control, swapping out lower-calorie foods for your usual choices, and forgoing a high-calorie snack such as that big bowl of after-dinner ice cream. (Sorbet is a tasty and refreshing alternative, with far fewer calories.)

Combined with a little more physical activity each day, minor revisions to a daily diet can certainly show up on the bathroom scale.

Your dieting employees will thank you for the extra boost to their motivation.

Here are a few calorie-cutting tips from the Mayo Clinic: