Woman Shows How Easy It Is To Lose Weight By Making 20+ Genius Food Swaps

The Beta Switch Review

June 12, 2018
By: Jean-Marc Vercruysse

Losing weight is tough. It takes a lot of dedication, hard work and discipline to stay on track, especially with temptations all around. However it doesn’t have to be nothing but rice cakes and misery. By tweaking your meals with some smart choices and a little advance preparation, you can avoid hundreds of hidden calories and finally lose that stubborn excess weight that seems to hang on in there, even though you are doing everything else right.

Nutrition guru and blogger Amanda Meixner has built a huge social media following on these smart choices. Using a simple, easy to understand formula based on attractive infographics and interesting comparisons, her advice and clever diet tips have proved to be a huge hit on Instagram, where she has over 700k followers.

“Small tweaks add up!” She writes. “These swaps will not only save your waistline but also your health.” Because we make several food choices each day, Amanda encourages a thoughtful and organised approach. Instead of chips, go for popcorn for a salty snack. Drink black coffee instead of sugar-laden lattes. Dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate. Prepare meals in advance, so you don’t end up snacking on the go because you have nothing else. All pretty basic stuff really.

So if you find yourself pounding the treadmill and cutting out the treats but still unable to shed those last few inches of fat, try these simple food swaps and healthy alternatives instead. Scroll down to check them out for yourself below, and let us know what you think in the comments!

Here are some more healthy substitutes to add to your routine. Breakdown below: . 🍫 The milk chocolate bar has a whooping 44g carbs, 41g sugar only 2g fiber and 370 calories! The dark chocolate bar shown on the other hand had 13g carbs, 6g sugar, 5g fiber & 250 calories. With dark chocolate, you’ll feel fuller faster with the add fiber & won’t go through such a big insulin spike & crash. . 🌽 Vegetable oil and canola oils are highly processed, heated, bleached, refined and deodorized. The hight heat these oils go through have negative impact on the healthy compounds in the oils & are stripped of much of their omega-3 fatty acids in the processing. Extra Virgin Olive oil is produced by cold pressing and doesn’t use chemicals for refinement & also avoids high heat treatment, leaving it full of heart healthy fats. . 🥑 Sour cream adds about 40 calories & 6g of fat per quarter cup but doesn’t add much nutritionally. Guacamole on the other hand adds antioxidants, about 4g of fiber, potassium + more per quarter cup. Plus, you get all the heart healthy fats from the avocado.

Which would you rather have? 😸 While it’s totally great to treat yourself, being aware of your choices and what that means for the rest of your day is important! ❤️ Below is a breakdown of each: . 590 calories of: A medium strawberry shake from a fast food chain . 590 calories of: A giant salad that includes: 4 cups spinach 2 cups cauliflower 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes 1/2 orange bell pepper 2 eggs 3oz kimchi 2 Beets 1/2 avocado + 2 tbsp…

I may be silly 🤪 but I love to make smart food choices. While sometimes candy is fun, 9 times out of 10 nature’s candy (fruits) is my favorite way to satisfy my sweet tooth

Starting a new diet like: breakfast is air, lunch is a carrot and dinner I get to lick an apple and dessert is yelling at a picture of myself naked. . Ok jk 😜 In all seriousness, choosing a clean and healthy lifestyle is about loving yourself! . That doesn’t mean you have to make drastic changes overnight. Small, lasting tweaks will really add up. . The right was my lunch other day – no it’s not chocolate syrup, it’s balsamic glaze 😋 combo below: 2 cups mixed greens 1 cup cherry tomatoes 1/4 an orange bell pepper 1/2 cup cucumbers 6 oz salmon with garlic seasoning, pepper & sea salt Trader Joe’s balsamic glaze

“What are you hungry for?” is an important question! Choosing the “less healthy” option a) can be more satisfying and b) can save you a lot of calories! I know which one I’d choose ALSO many times, we try to satisfy our cravings with “healthy” food – only to end up eating the chocolate in the end anyway! Of course calories are not important for everyone to keep track of,…

These swaps will not only save your waistline but also your health. The top side is full of processed foods, bad oils & sugar bombs while the bottom side is less processed & lower-calorie to boot. More info below: . Chips ➡️ Popcorn – Popcorn is an easy grab-n-go food and much less processed than chips! That sad handful of 9 chips has 150 cals, 9g fat, 16g carbs & contains sunflower/vegetable oil & fillers, yikes! 3 cups air popped popcorn is only 93 calories & only contains 1 ingredient: popcorn. You can also cook it in a pan with olive oil if you prefer it that way! . Frappuccino ➡️Iced Coffee w/ Coconut Milk – Frappuccinos are sugar bombs! A grande mocha with 2% milk has 61g sugar & 400 calories while an unsweetened iced coffee with coconut milk containers 25 calories & 2g sugar. Now, that’s an easy swap that will save you a ton of calories & sugar! . Burger with bun ➡️ burger lettuce wrap – Save yourself the extra processed carbs when you swap a bun for a lettuce warp. While it’s perfectly ok to treat yourself to a full bun, swapping it out for a lettuce wrap on a regular basis with save you 18g+ carbs!

Because feeling good also means treating yourself to the food that you want 😋 . I know I’ve been sharing a lot of calorie comparison posts lately so I wanted to remind you you don’t have to always beat yourself over caloric goals & amounts. . While the left side is fueling your body, the right side might be fueling your soul ❤️ That doesn’t mean you should have a clean eating lifestyle where you feel the need to binge on foods often. . Rather, you should have a healthy lifestyle you enjoy where you can have treats in spots you want them (NOT when someone is forcing you or on some random occasion you don’t really care about) 💫 . I often get asked “What happens when I do binge eat? How do I fix?”. Quite simply forgive yourself & get back to your healthy eating routine 😉 not need for some crazy “cleanse” 😛 . Left side is 6oz seared ahi tuna, steamed cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers & mixed greens with balsamic vinegar & olive oil dressing (not shown). Right side is 2 chocolate chip cookies with 8oz milk.

Here are some healthy swaps to add to your nutrition routine (P.S. that paleo ranch is bomb): Regular Ranch Paleo Ranch: The regular ranch dressing is full of inflammatory and artificial ingredients including canola oil, added sugar, MSG, & artificial flavors, ranch is full of real, organic food ingredients & cage-free eggs. Orange Juice Oranges: Orange juice is a sugar bomb without the fiber. Save yourself sugar and calories when you switch over to whole oranges. A large orange has 87 calories & 4.4g fiber VS. this 12oz juice has 170 calories & 0g fiber. . Iceberg lettuce Spinach: While iceberg lettuce still might be better for you than eating a snickers bar, it fails in comparison nutritionally to other leafy greens. Spinach has 223% (DV) Vitamin K, 28% Vitamin A. 14% Vitamin C, 18% Folate + more minerals compared to a measly 7% vitamin A & 3% vitamin C in iceberg lettuce.

Which one would you choose? The calories and macros only paint a part of the picture. Really the hidden ingredients and chemicals are the true bad guys in this situation 😈 Think about how you FEEL after eating fast-food compared to a home cooked meal 💯 Below is a breakdown of some of the bad guys: High Fructose Corn Syrup: The chemical process used to make high fructose corn syrup, the glucose and fructose become separated. This allows fructose to mainline directly into your liver leading to fatty liver which can eventually lead to diabetes. — Vegetable Oil: The creation of vegetable oil involves pressing, heating, various industrial chemicals and highly toxic solvents. This unnatural form of oil has been shown to increase inflammation, your risk of cardiovascular disease and the Omega-6 compound in it has been linked to cancer.

White Rice vs. Brown Rice 🙌 Did you know white rice is actually brown rice with the germ and bran removed? Both have their pros & cons. I know I love my brown rice cakes 🤣White rice is brown rice with the germ and bran removed. Despite a common misconception, the macronutrient & calorie contents of the two are relatively the same (calculations in photo are based off 45g measurements).Brown rice is a great source of manganese, selenium, and magnesium. Unfortunately for white rice lovers, some fiber and most nutrients are stripped away during the refining process, which leaves it with very few essential nutrients. Brown rice does, however, contain phytic acid, which offers some health benefits, but it reduces your body’s ability to absorb iron and zinc from the diet. *Keep in mind to avoid deficiencies of these crucial nutrients. . White rice also has a much higher glycemic index (GI), which measures how quickly a particular food increases blood sugar. White rice has a GI of 89 while brown rice has a GI of 50. This can be significant to diabetics and those with insulin resistance. Brown Rice has other health benefits you may not know about. It contains lignans – plant compounds that have been shown to reduce the amount of fat in the blood and lower blood pressure, and studies suggest it can help reduce several risk factors for heart disease. Brown rice also contains many powerful antioxidants that are not present in white rice. Don’t be so quick to discard the white rice, because it has it’s benefits too. It is easier to digest and is great for refueling muscles with glycogen post-workout, which is one of the reasons why a lot of athletes choose it over brown rice.

Which side would you pick? ðŸ¤— . â˜•ï¸ While bullet proof coffee is a fine choice to have in your nutrition routine, you definitely canâ€™t count that concoction as calorie free. Many of the recipes online & in coffee shops call for 2 tbsp grass-fed butter & 1 tbsp coconut oil. Now, thatâ€™s a lot of extra calories! . ðŸ¥ž Many bullet proof fans use this combo as a way to skip breakfast & you can see why that works out since itâ€™s the same amount of calories. In fact if you were switching from a highly-processed, high-calorie breakfast to bulletproof coffee you would lose weight since you end up eating less calories. . ðŸ³ However if you prefer eating real food for breakfast instead of a drink that right side would be a much better option for you! You could also scale back on the avocado & add 1/2 tbsp MCT oil to your coffee to get some of the added benefits of this healthy fat without too many added calories! . Left side: Coffee blended with 1 tbsp MCT Oil 2 tbsp grass-fed butter . Right side: 1 piece Ezekiel toast 2 medium boiled eggs 1/2 yellow pepper 1/2 red pepper 1/4 avocado 2 1/2 cups spinach Black coffee with stevia

Healthy swaps add up! ðŸ’« If youâ€™re trying to improve your health, small changes definitely make a difference over time. Here a few ideas to add to your nutrition routine: . ðŸ Agave âž¡ï¸ Maple Syrup (or honey) – Agave syrup is highly refined & the end product leaves you with a sweetener with the highest amount of fructose (damaging sugar) of any commercial sweetener on the market. It has about a 2:1 fructose to glucose ratio which is higher than high fructose corn syrupâ€™s 1:1 ratio – yikes! Organic, pure maple syrup is much less processed, better choice & contains up to 24 antioxidants. . ðŸ’ Flavored yogurt âž¡ï¸ Greek Yogurt + Fruit – While the flavored yogurt has 28g sugar & 6g protein, the greek yogurt + 1/2 cup raspberries has 9g sugar & 21g protein. The worst part about this flavored yogurt is the use of food dyes and added fillers/preservatives. You can definitely find a cleaner flavored yogurt but make sure to read the label! . ðŸ“ Store-bought jam âž¡ï¸ Mashed berries – Store-bought jam not only contains a lot of sugar but it also contains ingredients like high fructose corn syrup & other preservatives. Mashed up raspberries or strawberries are a great alternative & only contains one ingredient ðŸ˜‰

â€œI regret eating clean.â€ – Said no one ever. Unless, itâ€™s a bar soap ðŸ˜‰ haha Ok just kidding about the soap swap because sometimes you just need a damn cookie. I just wanted to make sure you were paying attention â¤ï¸More info on the other swaps below: . Flavored oatmeal âž¡ï¸ Oatmeal with fruit – Skip the hidden sugars & preservatives when you get plain oatmeal and add your own fruit (Plus, stevia if desired). Not all flavored oatmeals are created equal so if you do want a flavored one try to find one that has less sugar & added preservatives. . Ketchup âž¡ï¸ hot sauce or mustard – Not only does ketchup have a lot of sugar per tbsp but many brands have High Fructose Corn Syrup added. Made mostly from genetically modified corn, high fructose corn syrup is not natural and definitely not healthy. Hot sauces and mustards are a much safer bet and will save you the added sugar! (Or find a clean ketchup if itâ€™s a must-have for you) . Sugar cookie âž¡ï¸ soap – Ok donâ€™t do this swap ðŸ˜‰ Shower with the soap and enjoy a cookie in moderation when you want it!

Iâ€™m not a fan granola bars or breakfast bars. If youâ€™re gonna go for a bar, make sure itâ€™s a high quality, clean protein bar. Otherwise, something like nuts & dark chocolate would be more nutritious with less ingredients & fillers than a granola bar!

Hereâ€™s a perfect illustration of why I often steer clear of fast food ðŸ” While itâ€™s great to treat yourself every now & then, processed food calories add up quick without filling you up. Not to mention the added preservatives and chemicals. . The right side is everything I eat in a day â¤ï¸Kind of crazy that it adds up to what could be one meal at a fast food restaurant. . Tips for making a day of filling meals: Load up on veggies Donâ€™t forget healthy fats Pick filling proteins Choose the right amount of carbs for you If youâ€™re going to drink your calories, make sure itâ€™s low cal quality drinks or a solid protein shake

The real question is how do you want to FEEL? âœ¨ All the choices you make either work for you or work against you ðŸ™Œ Make sure the food you’re picking is making a positive impact on your body! Missing snacks but here is a good idea how your day of food could look like â¤ — The high sodium content in the fast food meals is alarming because it comes from table salt which is heavily processed and bleached. Table salt has been linked to osteoporosis and stomach cancer. Vs using Himalayan pink sea salt at home which is naturally rich in iron and over 80+ minerals and elements which can regular water content, balance PH and create electrolyte balance. — The sugar content of the fast food breakfast is alarming and not the way you want to start your day with a huge insulin spike.

The food and drink choices you make (or donâ€™t make) will have quite an impact on your fitness progress – like changes in bodyweight, how your clothes fit (or donâ€™t fit) and how you FEEL! â €â € ðŸ¤ª And while it may seem like an obvious swap, saving 265 calories from a beverage at Starbucks can REALLY add up! â €â € ðŸ¤”Think about itâ€¦ if you make this swap once a mont for a yearâ€¦ 12…

Want to lose weight without counting calories? ðŸ™Œ Here are some easy swaps to help you head in that direction. . Take those rice cakes, add some almond butter on top, sliced banana & have the kombucha on the side & you have yourself a meowmeix approved snack ðŸ˜‹ More info below: . Banana chips âž¡ï¸ Banana – While banana chips are yummy, itâ€™s much easier to overeat than a banana. A medium banana is about 105 calories while 8.5 banana chips are 105 calories. You could easily eat a couple handfuls of banana chips in one sitting but itâ€™s a lot harder to eat 3 bananas. . Bagel âž¡ï¸ Rice cake – Rice cakes are light, easy & go with almost any topping. Plus, they only contain 2 ingredients: rice & salt. Some bagels contain 14+ ingredients and often have added sugar. If youâ€™re trying to lose weight, a rice cake is a much better, low calorie option. . Naked juice âž¡ï¸ kombucha – Naked juices are often sugar bombs in disguise. I donâ€™t love the green machine because it acts like itâ€™s mostly greens when really thereâ€™s a ton of fruit juice packed in. 16 oz bottle of kombucha is only 50 cals & 12g sugar while naked juice is 270 cals & 53g sugar.

Fact: did you know sugar has been shown to be more addictive than cocaine? And when you try to kick your processed sugar habit, youâ€™ll actually experience dopamine depletion and sugar withdrawals â¤ Itâ€™s all fun and games until you get a sugar headache ðŸ˜œ More not-so sweet info below: People getting 17 to 21 percent of calories from added sugar face a 38 percent higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared to those who got just 8 percent of their calories from sugar. â€”â€” A recent study found that when rats were hooked on a cocaine IV and sugar was introduced, almost of all them switched to sugar. â€” 1 sugar-sweetened drink a day = higher risk for fatty liver disease â€” Dietary sugar also shows a correlation to an increase risk of breast cancer tumors and metastasis to the lungs.

Here are some more tweaks you can make to your nutrition routine ðŸ™Œ Because like I say, small changes add up to big, lasting results â¤ï¸ More info below: . ðŸ“ Fiber one bar âž¡ï¸ 1 cup blackberries – blackberries are packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals + water. 1 cup blackberries = 62 calories & 7.6g fiber VS the sad fiber bar = 90 calories & 5g fiber. Not to mention the fiber one bar has a never ending list of ingredients. . ðŸ« Candy bar âž¡ï¸ dark chocolate – a 1.56 oz snickers bar has 20g sugar & less than 1g fiber while a Theo 85% dark chocolate bar has 7g sugar and 5g fiber, now thatâ€™s a win! Plus, there are 20 ingredients in a snickers bar vs. a mere 3 in the Theo bar so you wonâ€™t have to question what youâ€™re eating. . ðŸ¥œ Processed PB âž¡ï¸ Real Peanut Butter – conventional PB ingredient list includes: peanuts, cane sugar, cornstarch, palm oil & salt. Some have even worse ingredients like soybean oil. Real peanut butter has â€œpeanutsâ€ or â€œpeanuts & saltâ€. Make sure to double your ingredients!

Sugar vs. sugar ðŸ“ I know Iâ€™m team right side most of the time but left is fine if you want to TREAT yourself ðŸ™Œ . This is just a friendly reminder why going for the right side (strawberries) on a daily basis will do your body some good! Because nobody is eating 12 cups of strawberries in one sitting but itâ€™s very easy to drink a whole strawberry milkshake . The left side has literally 0g of fiber. While the right side has a whooping 34.8g fiber ðŸ¤ª That part of the reason itâ€™s so hard to eat that many! . Displayed: 1 medium strawberry shake vs. 12 cups whole strawberries

If you want to lose weight without counting calories, these hacks come in handy! ðŸ™Œ Plus by swapping out some of these processed foods you not only save your waistline, but also your health. . And remember while itâ€™s perfectly ok to treat yourself, picking healthy choices regularly really add up ðŸ’« More info below: . ðŸ“ Fruit smoothie âž¡ï¸ homemade protein shake – Fruit smoothies are often sugar bombs in disguise. This Jamba juice mango fruit smoothie has 340 calories, 85g carbs, 78g sugar & 4g protein while my homemade protein shake has 199 calories, 17g carbs, 8g sugar, 31g protein (made w/ @vega_team performance protein, 1 cup strawberries & water & ice) . ðŸš Burrito âž¡ï¸ burrito bowl – While you might not want to give up the beloved chipotle, a burrito bowl instead of a burrito is an easy swap. The tortilla alone saves you 320 calories & 50g processed carbs! . ðŸ« Candy bar âž¡ï¸ dark chocolate – 1 small snickers bar has 220 calories and 24g sugar while 2 squares of 85% @theochocolate bar is 140 calories & 4g sugar. I donâ€™t know about you but I find dark chocolate to be super satisfying & guilt-free.

Calorie dense vs. nutrient dense. Which one would you pick? ðŸ™Œ . While itâ€™s great to treat yourself, being aware of how quickly calories can add up can help make sure youâ€™re not hindering your goals. More info below: . Coffee shop run: Venti mocha frap Iced lemon cake loaf Monterey jack & egg sandwich . My day of eating (Iâ€™ll probably eat a little more): Breakfast – Paleo protein pancake + 1/2 cup blueberries Snack – half a grapefruit + handful of almonds + @foursigmatic lionâ€™s mane Lunch – Egg salad jar Supper – Lamb, tomatoes, + purple cauliflower Dinner – Chicken soup Night snack – dark chocolate + four stigmatic cocoa

Looong parties & events can be stressful when trying to stick to your health goals – but making this simple swap can help keep you on point ðŸ‘ŒðŸ¼ Also, this swap will reduce refined carbs (hiding in the breading of the wings!) ðŸ— â€¢ â€¢ One of my other go-to tricks is to BRING a tray of veggies with me ðŸ¥—ðŸ¥¦ðŸ¥’ðŸ¥• Everyone appreciates it & thereâ€™s always something to munch on!

Now the right side of this post is a great representation of how filling your plate with mostly veggies & some high quality protein can really pay off! â¤ï¸ Iâ€™m not sure what omnivore eats like the left side but you can see that the calories add up quick for smaller portions. More info below: . Omnivore Carb Bomb Meal: 2 eggs 2 tbsp butter 1 bread roll 4 pieces bacon Half a snickers bar . Omnivore Salad: 4…

Let’s taco’bout it ðŸ˜œ Here’s an illustration of how you could go right with your taco Tuesday night vs. how you could go wrong. The macros only paint a small picture as all the added ingredients, preservatives etc is what really effects this meal choice. Some things to think about: 1ï¸âƒ£ Pick the right veggies – iceberg lettuce adds virtually no nutrition, vitamins or minerals whereas; a leafy green like…