Today we’re going to talk about the “c” word – calories. If you’ve been reading our blogs for a while, you’d know we don’t believe in counting calories. (You can read more about that here)nThere’s no need for it, plus who has time for it?!nWhile we don’t need to count them, we still need to be aware of the calories we are putting in our mouths. (Just because we don’t have to count calories, doesn’t mean we get to eat Maccas guilt free!)nSo today I thought we’d look at some simple ways to ensure that we are removing as much of the empty calories as we can from our diets and getting the most from our meals! 1. Check your coffee cup. Coffee and water on its own is basically calorie free. But combine that with milk, chocolate, caramel, vanilla and other such add ons, and you have instantly boosted the calorie content of that drink. A mocha just so happens to be my favourite coffee to drink, but I don’t have several of them a day. Drinking calories is super easy to do because it doesn’t fill you up, so keep an eye on your coffee cup. 2. Just one bite won’t hurt…. It can be amazing how many calories can be packed into a small mouthful of food! So if you’re a little guilty of sneaking the odd bite of chocolate cake, or biscuit, Click here for a great article about how just 1 bite of food can amount to a whole lot of calories. 3. Check your labels. Do you choose full cream milk or skim? Regular fruit yoghurt or low fat natural yoghurt? You can save yourself a bunch of calories simply by getting familiar with food labels. For example, there’s about half the amount of calories in skim milk when compared to full cream! Don’t be fooled by the marketing on the front of your food – turn over to the back and check the nutritional data. 4. Choose your chocolate and wine wisely! I’m all for chocolate and wine, trust me! And yes, while there are some clear benefits to consuming chocolate and red wine, there are some traps, too. With chocolate, opt for the dark variety, preferably over 70{7df2fa278681574f8ee76c89e5b6d0450e46b07d023c695a72a7083fc9167d1f} cocoa. Try and avoid the additional fillings, such as caramel, nougat, etc. And in terms of alcohol, a few glasses of red wine each week is certainly good for you, however drinking too much of it, or drinking pre-mixed, sugary drinks can instantly boost your calorie intake.nSo here’s just 4 simple things you can do to instantly cut the calories you have, to make more room for the ones that are great for you! How many more strategies can you think of? Enjoyed this blog? Sign up to our FREE Fat Loss e-course for more easy tips and strategies you can implement now to help you create the body you’ve always wanted!