Adding ketchup or mayonnaise to your food can add more calories than you may realize. In fact, only 1 tablespoon 15 ml of mayonnaise adds an extra 57 calories to your meal 5. Sugar-sweetened drinks , such as soda, are also linked to obesity and type 2 diabetes 6 , 7.

A single ounce ml bottle of Coke packs nearly calories and 44 grams of sugar 8. One study suggests that drinking a lot of sugar-sweetened beverages not only adds many unnecessary calories to your diet but may also increase your hunger later on 9. You may want to cut back on other high-sugar, high-calorie drinks as well.

These include alcohol, some commercially produced coffee drinks, and sugar-sweetened fruit juices and smoothies. Tea and coffee are healthy, low-calorie drinks, but spooning in just 1 teaspoon 4 grams of sugar adds around 16 calories to your drink.

Though this may not sound like much, the calories in a few cups or glasses of sugar-sweetened tea a day can add up. Even meals you think are healthy or low-calorie can contain hidden sugars and fats, bumping up their calorie content.

Cooking your own meals gives you better control over the number of calories you eat. Larger plates have been linked to larger serving sizes, which means people are more likely to overeat 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , Choosing a smaller plate is a simple trick that could keep your portion sizes on track and curb overeating.

Filling half your plate with vegetables is an excellent way to increase your vegetable intake while cutting back on higher-calorie foods. Drinking water before a meal may help you feel more satisfied, causing you to eat fewer calories 18 , 19 , 20 , It may also help you lose weight 23 , Studies show that choosing a low-calorie starter, such as a light soup or salad , can keep you from overeating 25 , Taking your time with a meal and chewing slowly may help you feel full more quickly, which can help you eat less 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , Sometimes even healthy, low-calorie meals like salads can be deceptively high in calories.

This is especially true when a salad comes with a large amount of high-calorie dressing poured over it. Confronted with large amounts of food, people are more likely to overeat 14 , To avoid overeating, you can try weighing and measuring your portions or using smaller plates, as suggested above.

Unhealthy distractions include watching TV, reading a book, using your mobile phone, or sitting at your computer while eating. Instead, try eating mindfully. Many popular brands of ice cream and chocolate come in small- as well as full-size versions.

If you want a sweet treat, choosing a smaller version of your favorite dessert can give you the fix you want and save you a lot of calories. Restaurants often serve huge portions that contain far more calories than you need in one sitting. To avoid eating too much, ask your server to wrap up half of your meal before they serve it so you can take it home.

One study found that people who successfully maintained weight loss often shared food or ordered half portions when they ate out Eating more protein is considered a useful tool for weight loss and maintenance.

One reason for this is that protein can fill you up more than other nutrients, and feeling full can stop you from overeating. To get these benefits, try including a high-protein food with most of your meals Overly large portions are a primary reason for people overeating 14 , Choose clear alcohol with a low-calorie mixer over beer, wine, or a cocktail.

This will help you avoid excessive calories from the drinks. Sometimes, getting a larger drink or side for only a small increase in price may sound like a better deal.

However, most restaurants already serve oversized food and drink portions, so stick to the regular size. Extra cheese is often an option in restaurants. Still, even a single slice of cheese can add around calories to your meal Cooking your own meals is a great way to keep your meals healthy and your calorie intake under control.

Grilling, air-frying, steaming, stewing, boiling or poaching are healthier options than frying in oil. If you have a choice, select a tomato-based sauce over a creamy one to get the double benefit of fewer calories and more healthy vegetables.

Whole fruits pack fiber , vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, making them an excellent addition to your diet. Additionally, compared to fruit juice, fruits are difficult to overeat, as they fill you up 42 , Whenever possible, choose whole fruits over fruit juice. If you like eating snacks, such as chips and dips, while watching TV but want to cut back on calories, simply opt for healthy vegetables instead.

For example, a skinless roasted chicken breast is around calories. The same breast with skin contains calories 44 , If you want to enjoy some pizza , keep the calories to a minimum by choosing a thinner crust and lower-calorie toppings, such as vegetables.

Intermittent fasting is a popular weight loss method that can help you cut calories. This approach to dieting works by cycling your eating patterns between periods of fasting and eating. Lack of sleep has been linked to obesity One reason is that sleepless people are likely to be hungrier and eat more calories 51 , These tips provide easy ways to cut out those extra calories, get the needle on your scales to budge, and make real progress toward your weight goals.

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. Eating fewer calories than you burn is needed to lose weight. Here is a detailed guide that explains how to count calories for weight loss.

Calories matter, but counting them is not at all necessary to lose weight. Here are 7 scientifically proven ways to lose fat on "autopilot.

Most people who lose weight end up gaining it back within a year. Here are 17 effective ways to maintain your weight loss for good. You may wonder how many calories you should eat if you're trying to lose weight. This article provides a calorie calculator to estimate your calorie….

Some diets are more radical than others, but all have the same goal: to expedite and maintain weight loss. Read on to learn about calorie and carb…. Wondering how to lose 10 pounds in 1 week? Mayo Clinic offers appointments in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota and at Mayo Clinic Health System locations.

Choosing foods that are less calorie dense — meaning you get a larger portion size with a fewer number of calories — can help you lose weight and control your hunger. Feel full on fewer calories?

It might sound like another gimmick for weight loss, but it's not. The concept of energy density really can help with weight loss. In fact, well-planned weight-loss diets, such as the Mayo Clinic Diet , use the concept of energy density to help you lose weight and keep it off long term.

Foods high in energy density include fatty foods such as french fries. A small order of fries can be calories. Simply put, energy density is the number of calories energy in a specific amount of food. High energy density means that there are a lot of calories in a small amount of food.

Low energy density means there are few calories in a large amount of food. When you're striving for weight loss, one strategy is to eat low-energy-dense foods.

That is, you want to eat a greater amount of food that contains less calories. This helps you feel fuller on fewer calories. Here's a quick example with raisins and grapes.

Raisins have a high energy density — 1 cup of raisins has about calories. Grapes have a low energy density — 1 cup of grapes has about calories.

Changing lifestyle habits is never easy. And creating an eating plan using the energy-density concept is no exception. The first step is knowing which foods are better options when it comes to energy density.

Most vegetables are very low in calories but high in volume or weight. Most vegetables contain water and fiber, which provides weight without calories.

Examples include:. To add more vegetables to your diet, top your pasta with sauteed vegetables instead of meat or cheese sauce. Decrease the meat portion on your plate and increase the serving of vegetables.

Add vegetables to your sandwiches. Snack on raw vegetables. Nearly all types of fruit fit into a healthy diet. But some fruits are lower calorie choices than others are. Whole fresh, frozen and canned fruits without syrup are good options.

In contrast, fruit juices and dried fruits are concentrated sources of natural sugar and therefore have a high energy density — more calories — and they don't fill you up as much. To fit more fruits into your diet, add blueberries to your cereal in the morning. Try mango or peach slices on whole-wheat toast with a little peanut butter.

Or toss some mandarin orange and peach slices into a salad. Keep whole fruit in a bowl within easy sight or in the fridge and eat it anytime you like. Many carbohydrates are either grains or made from grains, such as cereal, rice, bread and pasta.

Whole grains are the best option because they're higher in fiber and other important nutrients. Emphasize whole grains by simply choosing whole-grain options instead of refined grains, including foods made with sugar or white flour.

For example, choose:. These include food from both plant and animal sources. The healthiest lower energy-dense choices are foods that are high in protein but low in fat and calories, such as:.

While fats are high-energy-dense foods, some fats are healthier than others. Include small amounts of healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in your diet. Nuts, seeds and oils, such as olive, flaxseed and safflower oils, contain healthy fats. Limit saturated fat and trans fat, such as butter or shortening.

Like fats, sweets are typically high in energy density. Good options for sweets include those that are low in added fat and contain healthy ingredients, such as fruits, whole grains and low-fat dairy.

Examples include fresh fruit topped with low-fat yogurt, a cookie made with whole-wheat flour or a small amount of dark chocolate. The keys to sweets are to keep the serving size small and the ingredients healthy.

Even a small piece of dark chocolate can fit into a weight-loss plan. When you stick to the concept of energy density, you don't have to feel hungry or deprived. By including plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains in your diet, you can feel full on fewer calories.

You may even have room in your diet for a sweet on occasion. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health.

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