Losing weight doesn’t require a total recall of all the foods you love or a workout routine you hate. To drop the pounds and keep them off, all you need to do is make small alterations to your meals and habits, master them, and move on to a new small goal.

Before you know it, those changes will result in some serious weight loss without feeling like you’re losing your mind.

Here, nutritionists share their favorite food tweaks that make losing your belly seem like no big deal.

1. Drink Water Before Every Meal and Snack 

Most of us struggle to drink enough water. Not only does that make you dehydrated and tired, “you might even confuse thirst with hunger and end up over-eating because of it,” says Lisa Moskovitz, R.D. Get into a habit of drinking water—ideally eight to 16 ounces—before you eat a meal or snack to keep your appetite in check. Doing so has been shown to help you eat less during your meal—meaning you’ll potentially eat fewer calories overall, says Marisa Moore, R.D.

Related: This Is How Much Weight I Lost After Drinking 2 Glasses of Water Before Every Meal For 2 Straight Weeks

2. Flavor Your Water

Even though you need H2O to live, some people find the stuff repulsive. If that sounds like you, ditch the sugary drinks and get your flavor fix by infusing you water with fruits and herbs—think citrus, pineapple, mint, or ginger. “I do this at home for my husband who hates plain water. Now he drinks tons,” says Lindsey Pine, R.D. Buy an infuser water bottle for the office, and fill up a big glass dispenser at home. 

3. Eat Vegetables At Breakfast

Vegetables are high in filling fiber, low in calories, and stocked with vitamins and minerals that help fight belly bloat, says Brigitte Zeitlin, R.D., a New York City-based nutritionist. But you’re probably not eating enough of them. “We often go from a bagel at breakfast, to a chicken sandwich at lunch, to pizza for dinner—without including the most nutrient-dense foods of all,” says Jennifer Giles, R.D. She suggests adding chopped baby spinach to smoothies, oatmeal, eggs, or plain yogurt, since it has a neutral taste but packs in fiber, folate, and iron. McMordie recommends sautéeing whatever vegetables you can scavenge from your fridge and adding them to an egg scramble. 

4. Order A Short Drink

Forget the grande and go for the smallest-sized latte or cappuccino at the coffee shop and you’ll immediately avoid a hundred calories or more. “A lot of people forget the eight-ounce size exists, but it's a great way to save calories and savor a small amount of the frothy drink you’re craving,”  says Jess Cording, R.D. 

5. Make Your Oatmeal Savory

Recent research suggests early risers eat more protein, while night owls down more sugar and saturated fat. The study authors think that the people who eat more sugar and fat are night owls because those nutrients screw with your internal body clock, messing up your metabolism, says Christy Brissette, R.D., president of 80 Twenty Nutrition.

Studies show that morning meals with protein may help you to eat fewer calories during the rest of the day, says Jenny Beth Kroplin, R.D. While oatmeal offers a healthy serving of fiber, many people don't feel satisfied after a bowl or go overboard on sugar, says Cording. She suggests making it savory: Cook 1/3 cup of plain oats with one tablespoon of ground flax, your favorite savory spice blend (think garlic powder, ground ginger, paprika, and turmeric), and milk (or unsweetened non-dairy milk) for a dose of protein. Add in grated zucchini for volume and extra fiber and top with a fried egg for extra protein. 

Related: 5 Foods With More Protein Than an Egg

6. Enjoy Carbs and Protein Post-Workout 

Post-workout is actually the best time to eat both carbs and protein, explains Brissette. When you eat this combo, your body uses carbs as energy and the protein can go where you need it most: your muscles, she says. More lean muscle means a faster metabolism, which torches more calories even at rest. Try adding a banana or some frozen mango into your protein shake, or slice peaches or pineapple in to your Greek yogurt.

7. Eat Every Three To Five Hours 

If there’s one easy tip nutritionists agree on, it’s to never skip meals. “Eating small meals and snacks throughout the day helps increase metabolic rate,” says Giles. Somewhere between three to five hours is usually when your true biological hunger strikes, say Moskovitz. Sticking to that schedule helps regulate your appetite, energy, hormones, and metabolism, says Zeitlin.

8. Graze On Protein All Day

Sneak a bit of protein into every meal and snack: Yogurt, pistachios, lean meat, fish, chicken, turkey, eggs, lentils, and beans are all good sources. (Here are 13 easy ways to get more protein in your diet.) “Protein helps stabilize your blood sugar, making you less tempted to eat unhealthy foods,” says Kim Melton, R.D. “My favorites are Greek yogurt with berries or veggies with hummus,” says food and nutrition blogger Kaleigh McMordie, R.D.

9. Start Dinner With a Salad

Zeitlin recommends filling at least half of your plate at each meal with vegetables. An easy way to get there is a salad. Starting your dinner with a bowl of greens starts to fill you up before you begin eating your main meal, helping you to eat fewer calories overall. “Just make sure you stick with an oil-based dressing instead of a creamy one to keep calories in check,” says McMordie.

Related: 7 Healthy Snacks That Suppress Your Appetite

10. Eat Vegetables First, Protein Second, and Carbs Third

After starting your meal with fiber-rich vegetables, fill up on protein. That’s because both of these are the lowest-calorie, most filling nutrients. Saving carbs and starches for last will keep you from overdoing bread and potatoes. “It’s an easy way to fill up on the fewest amount of calories while still getting plenty of beneficial nutrients your body needs,” says Moskovitz. (Hit the reset button—and burn fat like crazy with Rodale’s The Body Clock Diet!)

11. Prepare Yourself a 200 Calorie Takeout

Having easy-grab, high-quality food on hand ensures you don’t get ravenous and binge on chips from the office vending machine, says Melton. Just be sure to keep your portions in check. Choose whole-food snacks that combine protein, carbs, and healthy fat and add up to around 200 calories. Kroplin suggests these combos: 1 cup raw vegetables with two tablespoons hummus; 1 ounce cheese with six whole grain crackers; one apple with 1 tablespoon peanut butter; 8 ounces low-fat milk with two graham crackers; or 4 ounces cottage cheese with one cup fresh fruit. 

Looking for easy snack options? Check out these 13 delicious ways to spice up a tub of hummus:

12. Eat Probiotics

A review of randomized clinical trials published in the International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition suggests that taking probiotics helped overweight people lose a significant amount of weight. Probiotics—the good kind of bacteria in your gut—can help keep your digestion right on track, and nix bloating. So sip on kombucha; add Greek yogurt, Icelandic skyr yogurt, or plain kefir to your smoothies, and top your salads with sauerkraut or kimchi. 

13. Put Your Fork Down Between Bites 

Fast eaters almost always end up eating more compared with those who take their time at the table, says Moskovitz. Putting down your fork between bites forces you to pause, enjoy each bite, and chew slowly. That helps you feel satisfied before you overdo it. 

14. Become a Meal Planner

Planning what you’ll eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and buying your groceries ahead of time means you have something healthy to whip up throughout the week—saving you time in the long run. “It also keeps you from raiding the pantry or ordering takeout dinners laden with calories, sodium, and fat when you’re starving,” says Levinson. (Check out Levinson's Menu Plan Monday for ideas, or try this 30-Day Weight Loss Meal Plan.) 

RelatedThe 'Fittest Woman on Earth' Shares Exactly What She Eats Every Day

15. Make Smart Swaps

Try any of these smart swaps to save calories and get an extra dose of nutrients:
Mayo: Sub in non-fat Greek yogurt and get twice the protein and less fat, says Kroplin. 
Crackers: Dip sliced cucumber, zucchini, bell pepper, and baby carrots in a pre-portioned serving of hummus, suggests Cording. 
Chips: Swap in nuts, which are still crunchy and lightly salted but deliver hunger-smashing protein and fiber in one very satisfying snack, says Moore. 
Rice: Substitute in cauliflower rice (which you can buy prepared at many stores), suggests culinary nutrition expert and healthy living blogger Jessica Levison, R.D. 

Related: 6 Ways to Eat Healthy On a Budget

16. Clear Off Your Counter

Other than a fruit bowl, keep candy, soft drinks, and chips off of the counter. “Some research has shown that people who keep only fruit on their counters have lower BMIs,” says Tori Schmitt, R.D., founder of YES! Nutrition. Better yet, leave the cookies at the store altogether. “It’s way easier to walk past the cookies, chips, candy, or ice cream in the supermarket than to ignore them night after night on the kitchen counter,” says Moore.

17. Drink Tea In Front Of The Tube

If you can’t help but snack on Netflix nights, even when you’re really not hungry, swap the sweets for a warm herbal or decaf tea to hydrate while saving empty calories, says Schmitt. 

18. Stick With Wine, Light Beer, And Vodka Sodas

No matter how you shake it, that margarita is chock-full of sugary mixers. “One mixed or frozen drink can easily contain up to 500 calories,” says McMordie. Instead, sip on wine, light beer, or your favorite alcohol mixed with club soda or water for 100 to 125 calories per drink. 

19. Buy Squeeze Packs Of Peanut Butter

Keep getting caught with your spoon in the PB jar? Try using individual squeeze packs instead. That’s because some research suggests that people use less of a product when it comes in a squeeze tube versus a traditional container, says Schmitt, who recommends Barney Butter's Vanilla + Espresso Almond Butter Snack Pack and Crazy Richard's Creamy Peanut Butter Single Serves. Pair with a piece of fresh fruit for a delicious and healthy snack loaded with fiber, protein, and healthy fat. 

20. Pop A Few Frozen Grapes

“Frozen grapes are a flavorful and nutritious answer to a sweet tooth,” says Moore. In the time it takes to finish them, the craving for dessert may pass. 

21. Have Your Pasta and Eat It Too

Get your carb fix and still lose weight by swapping half of your pasta for cooked vegetables. “You’ll not only save calories, you’ll add fiber and antioxidants to your meal,” says Pine.

The article 21 Super-Easy Food Tweaks That Will Help You Lose Weight originally appeared on Women’s Health.

From: Women's Health US