Everyone knows that there are only two ways to lose weight.  You have to either exercise more or cut back on the amount of calories that you consume.  If you are like most people you hate not being able to eat whatever you want, but you hate exercising even more.  So are there any easy ways to cut down on the calories and help you avoid picking up those dumbbells?  There are quite a few ways actually, and this article is going to cover five of them.  You need to eat your vegetables, substitute low fat dairy, eat at home, read food labels, and take care to manage your portion sizes.  Do all of these and you will see a few of those extra pounds slip away.

Eat your vegetables.  Sorry, but your mom was right.  You really do need to eat all of your vegetables.  Vegetables are full of fiber and complex carbohydrates that will fill you up faster with a lot fewer calories.  Choose a variety of colors to make sure that all of your nutritional needs are being met.  Vegetables are the only thing on your plate of which you are allowed to have a second serving.

Substitute low fat dairy.  Choosing low fat or fat free dairy products is a quick and easy way to eliminate both fat and calories from your diet.  Several studies have also shown that your body is better able to absorb the calcium from low fat dairy products than from their full fat versions.  You can eliminate 28 calories and 3.2g of fat per serving just by switching from whole milk to 2% milk.  If 28 calories doesn't sound like a lot keep in mind that over the course of a year if you only consumed one serving of milk per day that adds up to almost three pounds.  And you won't even notice any difference in taste.

Eat at home whenever possible.  When eating out your food choices are going to be limited.  You may not be able to find anything on the menu at all that fits within your diet plan.  By eating at home you can be assured that not only will the foods that you should be eating are there but that the foods you shouldn't be eating aren't there.  You can't be tempted if the food isn't in the house.

Read food labels.  No matter what you buy you should always read the labels to understand exactly what is in the product.  Read the list of ingredients and the nutritional information not just the front of the label.  Just because something is labeled low fat doesn't mean it has fewer calories.  Many low fat versions of packaged foods actually have more calories than the full fat versions.  Keep your eyes open.

And while you are reading the label take note of the serving size.  That is how much of something you should be eating.  The number one reason people fail on diets is that they fail to control the size of the portions they eat because they do not know how big a serving is.  Find out what the portion size should be and stick to it.  A whole box is not one serving.

Incorporating these five things will cut down on the calories that you consume.  Eat all of your vegetables and go back for more if you are hungry, substitute low fat dairy, eat at home whenever possible, read the back of all labels so that you know what you are eating, and keep a close eye on the size of your portions.  Simple things like these can lead to the loss of those extra pounds around your waist and the gain of a smile on your face.