How to cut 2,500 calories instantly - without giving up ice-cream, biscuits or beer

Everyone knows that one of the hardest things about losing weight is feeling you have to give up your favourite foods.

Gone is that bowl of ice-cream, or a bottle of beer and there's no way you can snack on bisciuts or chocolate.

Or can you?

Well, it turns out with just a few simple changes that you'll barely notice - yes, you can.

Fitness expert Graeme Tomlinson, known to his tens of thousands of Instagram followers as the Fitness Chef, insists that swapping some foods for almost identical ones can make a huge difference.

The 31-year-old from Aberdeen said: "The point of consuming food is to remain alive.

"The point of controlling our intake of food is to manage our physique and overall health.

"The point of consuming calories is to reduce body fat across our composition.

"But one constant in all of the above shold be our enjoyment of the food we eat."

But Graeme doesn't want people to give up their favourite foods, simply be aware of how many calories they need - and are eating.

He explains the only way to lose weight is through a calorie deficit - consume fewer calories than you use.

And it doesn't matter where you get those calories from.

But there are some ways you can still have all the taste AND reduce the number of calories you're consuming.

For example, switching two bacon rashers at 108 calories for two bacon medallions at just 45 calories will save you 63 calories.

Can't give up your spag bol? If you use five per cent fat mince beef at 262 calories instead of full fat at 503 calories, you'll save 262 calories.

Love a good steak? Just switch from sirloin at 510 calories to fillet at just 312.

If you're a cheese addict then just swap regular Cheddar at 210 calories for the light version at just 145 calories.

You can even save on your tea simply by switching what milk you use.

The point of consuming food is to remain alive. The point of controlling our intake of food is to manage our physique and overall health. The point of consuming fewer calories is to reduce body fat across our composition. But one constant in all of the above should be our enjoyment of the food we eat. - - When an individual embarks on fat loss, each of the above are important. One must enjoy their energy consumption, be aware of energy intake in relation to their energy output, and consistently ensure that they are in a state of caloric deficit. To ensure progress, one may have to change and adjust their dietary habits. But instead of completely radicalising the diet, adherence to change may be more likely if one makes subtle changes over time. For example: consuming the same volume of lower calorie foods and drinks that replicate higher the calorie versions in experience. - This graphic shows two groups of foods/drinks. One group contains over double the calorie amount of the other, yet quantity of both remains the same (apart from the freddo). Crucially, the lower calorie versions resemble the same palatable offering as their higher calorie counterparts (or at least very similar). - - Whilst consumption of lower calorie versions may not be immediately significant, they can be over a period of time. For example, if one swapped daily consumption of 300ml of whole milk for semi skimmed milk for 1 year, they would consume 17520 fewer calories whilst the ‘milk experience’ is minimally compromised. - - We must make such choices with the knowledge that lower calorie items may contain less of a particular macronutrient. And in the case of low calorie beverages, awareness that sweeteners are included. - - Losing fat is not straightforward. It requires a change of habits. But if an individual recognizes opportunities to make small changes which reap handsome long term rewards, it’s seems short sighted not to take them. ???? - - #fatlosstips #halotop #eatsmart #meat #lowcalorie #calories #fatloss #weightlosshelp #caloriedeficit #caloriecounting #losefat #dietplan #dieting #flexiblediet #nutritionfacts #losebellyfat

A post shared by ????????????????????????????????????Graeme Tomlinson (@thefitnesschef_) on May 27, 2019 at 11:06am PDT

Full fat is 198 calories while semi-skimmed, which tastes almost the same is just 150.

And you can slash the calories in your coffee just by taking the milk out, reducing a morning cup from 50 calories to just five.

If you love a bit of fizz in your life, switch full fat coke at 163 calories to diet coke, which has none, or regular Fanta at 63 calories to diet at just 10.

You can even cut the calories in your favourite treats from chocolate to biscuits, ice-cream to beer and even a cheeky gin and tonic.

If you swap a Dairy Milk at 240 calories for a Freddo at just 95 you'll have saved a whopping 145 calories.

Switching from a Starbucks chocolate cookie at 389 calories to the same size Sainsbury's version at just 208 will save you 181 calories.

While these are just but a few examples, they all add up - by making these simple changes you can reduce your calorie consumption from 4,295 to just 1,782 - that's a reduction of 2,513 calories.

Graeme said: "When an individual embarks on fat loss, each of the above are important.

"One must enjoy their energy consumption, be aware of energy intake in relation to their energy output, and consistently ensure that they are in a state of caloric deficit.

"To ensure progress, one may have to change and adjust their dietary habits.

"But instead of completely radicalising the diet, adherence to change may be more likely if one makes subtle changes over time.

"Losing fat is not straightforward.

"It requires a change of habits. But if an individual recognizes opportunities to make small changes which reap handsome long term rewards, it’s seems short sighted not to take them.