Everyone knows that restricting calorie intake is an essential part of any weight loss plan, but most people don’t realize that you can still lose weight without starving yourself. The key to restricting your caloric intake without doing it too much or for too long of a period of time involves managing your diet and caloric intake in three specific ways. This article will walk you through each of those three ways and help you learn how to restrict your calorie intake while avoiding the negative consequences.

Do not skip breakfast

Morning is the most important meal of the day. This meal kicks your metabolism into gear and it also helps you keep away from overeating for the rest of the day. A bowl of cereal or a piece of toast are great choices because they are low in calories and provide slow-release energy to last until lunch time. Skipping breakfast can leave you hungry and more likely to eat more calories later on in the day.

Learn about calories

There are many factors that contribute to our weight. In order to lose weight, we need to put in less than we take out. That said, it is always important to know the amount of calories you are taking in and out. One way to do this is by tracking your food intake with an app or website like MyFitnessPal. If you want to restrict your calorie intake below 1200 without starving yourself

Eat slowly

Eating slowly will help you eat less because the food doesn’t have as much time to reach your stomach and make you feel full. Plus, it’s a good idea to be mindful of what you’re eating in order to prevent binge-eating later on. One way to do this is by setting an alarm for every 20 minutes during which you’ll take 10 deep breaths. After about 40 minutes or so, get up from the table or leave whatever else you’re doing so that you can go walk around for five minutes or just relax for a few minutes before getting back to work or whatever it is that had been keeping you busy.

Use smaller plates

Rather than using a plate that’s ten inches in diameter, invest in one that’s nine inches. This small adjustment could translate to hundreds of calories saved throughout the course of the day. It’s also important to monitor your liquid intake throughout the day as it is typically not something people think about when thinking about dieting.

Try eating more vegetables

A great way to reduce the number of calories in your diet is by adding more vegetables to your diet. Be sure to include vegetables with lunch and dinner, for snacks try fruit, celery or carrots. You can also explore adding veggies like broccoli, cauliflower and spinach to your pasta dishes and salads. Vegetables are low in calories, nutrient dense, inexpensive and filling.

Be realistic with your goals

The two goals many people have with calorie restriction are to either lose weight or maintain their weight. Both of these goals can be achieved by restricting your calorie intake to under 1200 calories a day. However, the major downside to this is not being able to satisfy hunger. The goal of this post is to help you create a strategy that helps keep you satisfied while restricting your calories and staying at or below your set caloric goal for the day.

Take advantage of healthy substitutions

One of the most important substitutions to make is ditching sugary drinks for water. This way, you’ll feel fuller without consuming as many calories and sugar. Other substitutions you could use are iced tea or seltzer water with a splash of fruit juice.