3 Easy Diet Changes to Make Right Now

There's never a better time than right now to take steps to live a healthier life. Try these three insanely easy tips to improve your diet today.

It's typically said "If losing weight was so easy, everyone would be doing it!" Although there is some truth to that statement, weight loss does not have to be such an obstacle. Losing weight and embracing a healthier lifestyle comes with time. Fortunately, there are simple changes that can aid in more effective weight loss for those a little less patient. Supercharge your diet with these three easy diet tweaks!

1. Eat Breakfast

Start the day out with good, healthy decisions. Setting the stage in the morning and paving the way for the rest of the day results in more effective weight loss due to better food choices. If you are a non-breakfast partaker, start small. Breakfast does not have to be a huge feat. A simple glass of non-fat or skim milk with a banana is certainly sufficient, as it contains healthy carbohydrates, modest protein, and a wide variety of nutrients. If on-the-go, grab a granola or protein bar or an individual Greek yogurt and slice of fruit. Getting into the habit of eating breakfast will root lifelong, sustaining practices. Research has shown individuals who consume a balanced breakfast weigh less compared to those who skip it.

2. Drinks

Grab a 32-ounce soda while passing the gas station? Love those fancy coffee drinks from the local coffee shop? One sugary drink can pack on an additional 200 calories. With sizes and amounts varying, accumulating 500 extra daily calories from beverages alone is easy. Think about it: Five hundred calories per day times seven days in a week is 3500 calories, which is equivalent to one pound. In a year, weight gain can reach almost 50 pounds! Overweight and obesity can also result into chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes. To halt and reverse those effects, start swapping out water for soda. It is important to limit other beverages as well. Iced coffees with syrups are loaded with sugar. Fruit juices seem healthy and oftentimes over consumed related to that notion. If you are to drink fruit juice, it is important to stick to serving sizes. Realistically, juices are recommended to 4-ounces, or a half cup, not a big glassful. Eating an apple will provide fiber and other nutrients that juice lacks.

3. Desserts

Oh how tempting it is to say "Yes!" after the waiter asks if you would like to see the dessert menu. While it is certainly okay to allow indulgences every once in a while, it is imperative to keep sugary and fattening dessert items in portion and check. A liberated diet of cake, cookies, and ice cream may seem ideal in the "now," but those sweet treats can literally cake on the calories and pounds. Limiting sweets can drastically reduce not only calories, but added sugar and fat, contributors to chronic disease the way sugary beverages do. If that sweet tooth is hankering, try fulfilling it with a piece of fruit or yogurt. If craving a rich dessert, eat a small, suggested size instead of cutting off a large piece. Using small dessert plates or bowls can help tailor the slice into a more reasonable amount.

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