10 Simple Swaps That Will Help You Lose Weight And Keep It Off

One of the best decisions I made during my weight loss journey was to make some really important swaps. These were things that I didn’t have to give a great amount of thought to week by week because they very quickly became normal. 

• Moving from sugar to sweetener. So not everyone is a fan of Sweetener for different health reasons but I always viewed it as one of the things that helped me lose over five stone It was one of the substitutes that kept me on plan which meant that my overall diet was about 99.999% better than it was before. For this reason, I made peace with using sweetener and it saves a huge amount of calories. I use it in my coffee, porridge and sauces. If you are someone who drinks a lot of sugary tea or coffee this swap will make a big difference.
• Only reaching for less than 5% fat Mince. I just can’t imagine buying mince that is higher now. Some supermarkets even offer 4% and 2% fat Mince. It still has all the flavour but it means you can make Spaghetti Bolognese, Cottage Pie, Burgers and Chilli for the whole family and still be on plan yourself.
• Swapping my creamy salad dressings for Balsamic Vinegar. It’s so simple but it makes a big difference. I like to add black pepper, chilli flakes and fresh herbs for extra flavour. It’s delicious.
• Moving from full-fat milk to skimmed milk. I thought it looked really watery when I first tried it but these days full-fat milk would taste like cream to me. It was an easy and really effective swap.
• Choosing reduced fat cheddar or Mozzarella rather than full fat. It still tastes delicious and has tonnes of flavour but you get more of it and it makes a big difference to my weight loss as I have cheese every single day.
• Cooking with Fry Light rather than Olive Oil. I adore Olive Oil and I know how many health benefits it has, but I have to be realistic and think about my overall goal which is weight loss. We don’t have to think about Calories on Slimming World but using Fry Light instead of oil saves a huge amount of calories. I love cooking and Fry Light works really well for me.
• Drinking spirits and diet mixers instead of beer and wine. It’s just normal for me these days. I also don’t feel bloated after I drink them which is a nice benefit too.
• Making my own sauces. Store-bought pasta, curry and stir-fry sauces are loaded with oils and sugar. It takes no time to whip up a delicious sauce using ingredients like onion, garlic, oregano and passata (for pasta) and onion, garlic, curry powder, stock cubes and cornflour (curries). My whole family eat these sauces now so everyone is eating better.
• Buying the treat size version of my favourite chocolate. I like a bit of chocolate most days and when I don’t feel deprived I am in a better frame of mind. This offers a nice balance.
• Ordering chicken or beef with black bean sauce and boiled rice from the Chinese take away instead of my usual curry. It is delicious and completely on plan.