It’s the new year and almost everybody wants to lose a pound or two. Maybe you’ve got a lot to lose and want to not feel so worn out all the time from packing around extra weight and being out of shape. Maybe you want to lose fat, gain muscle and look awesome. That’s what I’ll help you with in my new personalized program: The 60 Day Slim Down Challenge. It won’t take a lot of your time but it will make a big difference in your life. The program starts January 6^th and the last day to register will be January 4^th or when the limited spots fill up. Learn more about the program here.

In the spirit of weight loss, today’s health tip is one I wrote when the blog first started and one of my favorites: the #1 thing you can do to avoid foods that secretly have tons of calories in them. The trick is…to read the nutrition label on the package! It seems silly but only takes a second and can make a big difference. Here’s an example with the greek yogurt that I buy. I don’t prefer the “plain” kind so I was buying the “honey” flavor. One day I decided to put my money where my mouth is and double check the nutrition label on the different flavors. Low and behold, the (individual carton) “honey” flavor carries 240 calories while it’s neighbor, the “vanilla” flavor, has only 160. That is a HUGE difference for the same amount of yogurt and the two taste virtually the same.  Needless to say I am buying the vanilla flavor now.

So if you were buying, say, a thin crust pepperoni pizza, you might be surprised to see that you can reduce your calorie intake simply by choosing Newman’s own (320 calories and 16 grams of fat per 1/2 pie) rather than Red Baron (400 calories and 19 grams of fat). And for desert, you’ll make a better choice if you compare Haagen Dazs chocolate sorbet (130 calories/serving) with Ben and Jerry’s Peanut Butter cup (360 calories/serving). By checking food labels you can literally make better choices even if you’re eating pizza and ice cream!

There are millions more examples but you will not know unless you take a second to flip the box around (or look at the menu, as all restaurants are required by federal law to provide calorie information). Think of it this way, If you are unknowingly eating an extra 80 calories, as I did in my example above, it’s a lot easier to look at a nutrition label and choose something else than it is to burn off an extra 80 calories via exercise.

Note: be sure to look at the serving size at the top of the nutrition label when comparing the calories between two foods.

This tip is FREE so imagine how much more you can learn in 8 video classes plus a one-on-one consultation with me that you get in The 60 Day Slim Down Challenge. This isn’t a fad diet, it’s your long term solution to having a healthy weight while enjoying your life – and you can’t put a price on happiness. Learn more about the program here.

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