By Dave Zinczenko
The official start of spring is just a few days away, and that means it’s time to shed that winter coat and start prepping your bathing-suit body for summer. This is easier than it sounds! With a few simple changes to your weekly routine you can lose 15 pounds or more in time for beach season. The five swaps here add up to 14,000 calories in weekly savings, so if you stick to just a few of them, you’ll be noticeably thinner when summer begins on June 20.
(And don’t forget! You’ll find even more fat-fighting swaps in the all-new 2012 edition of "Eat This, Not That!" It’s the world’s easiest weight-loss solution!)
Breakfast:
Not That!
Starbucks Banana Nut Loaf (slice)
490 calories
19 g fat (2.5 g saturated)
210 mg sodium
46 g sugars
+
Starbucks Iced White Chocolate Mocha (Venti, made with 2% milk, w/ whipped cream)
610 calories
24 g fat (16 g saturated)
300 mg sodium
80 g sugars
TOTAL Not That!
1,100 calories
43 g fat (18.5 g saturated)
510 mg sodium
126 g sugars
If you eat this meal for breakfast 5 times a week, you’ll take in5,500 calories! That’s the calorie equivalent of 9 tubs of Cool Whip!
Eat This Instead!
Starbucks Bacon & Gouda Artisan Breakfast Sandwich
350 calories
18 g fat (7 g saturated)
820 mg sodium
0 g sugars
+
Starbucks Iced Caffe Americano with 2 shots Sugar Free Hazelnut Syrup
25 calories
0 g fat (0 g saturated)
20 mg sodium
0 g sugars
TOTAL Eat This Instead!
375 calories
18 g fat (7 g saturated)
840 mg sodium
0 g sugars
Make this swap 5 times a week and you’ll lose 15 pounds by summer!
FOOD FIBS: The supermarket is rife with misleading claims, and some of them might be sabotaging your weight-loss efforts. Avoid being duped by the 7 Biggest Food Label Lies.
Snack
Not That!
Dove Silky Smooth Milk Chocolate Bar (1 large bar/2 servings)
460 calories
26 g fat (16 g saturated)
46 g sugars
If you eat this snack 5 times a week, you’ll take in 2,300 calories! That’s the calorie equivalent of 21 bowls of Lucky Charms!
Eat This Instead!
Mars Pretzel M&M’s (1 bag)
150 calories
5 g fat (3 g saturated)
16 g sugars
Make this swap 5 times a week and you’ll lose 6 pounds by summer!
TRICKS THAT FIGHT FLAB: When it comes to weight loss, what you eat is only half the equation. How you eat is equally important. Check out The 20 Habits That Make You Fat and watch your belly disappear.
Burger:
Not That!
Applebee’s Bourbon Black & Bleu Burger (no fries)
1,670 calories
103 g fat (34 g saturated, 2.5 g trans)
3,170 mg sodium
If you eat this burger 3 times a week, you’ll take in 5,010 calories! That’s the calorie equivalent of 35 Budweiser beers!
Eat This Instead!
Applebee’s House Sirloin (9 oz) (no sides)
310 calories
13 g fat (5 g saturated)
970 mg sodium
BURGER ASSAULT: Thanks to heaps of high-fat toppings, it’s not unusual to see restaurant burgers topping 1,500 calories. See for yourself with our list of The15 Worst Burgers.
Side
Not That!
Wendy’s Natural Cut French Fries (medium) w/ ketchup (2 packets)
490 calories
21 g fat (4 g saturated)
960 mg sodium
If you eat these fries 5 times a week, you’ll take in 2,450 calories! That’s the calorie equivalent of a 92-foot-long piece of Fruit by the Foot!
Eat This Instead!
Wendy’s Apple Slices
40 calories
0 g fat (0 g saturated)
0 mg sodium
7 g sugars
Make this swap 5 times a week and you’ll lose 9 pounds by summer!
THE WORST DRESSED LIST: Check out the 1,500-calorie salad—and 19 other restaurant meals you MUST avoid—in the 20 Worst Foods In America!
Dessert
Not That!
Coldstone Savory Strawberry Shake (Gotta Have It)
1,370 calories
79 g fat (51 g saturated, 2 g trans)
141 g sugars
If you drink this shake 3 times a week, you’ll take in 4,110 calories! That’s the calorie equivalent of 19 cones of cotton candy!
Eat This Instead!
Coldstone Strawberry ice cream (Like It)
320 calories
18 g fat (12 g saturated, 0.5 g trans)
30 g sugars
Make this swap 3 times a week and you’ll lose 12.5 pounds by summer!
More from Men's Health:
- The Best and Worst Food Trends of 2012
- 9 Biggest Serving Size Rip-Offs
- 9 Scary Food Myths—Busted!
- The Ultimate Snack Scorecard
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