When you hear the word "diet," it provokes images of eating nothing but lettuce and rice cakes, but according to research done by Harvard and Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge, you can continue to eat what you like, as long as you can reduce your extra calorie intake by at least 100 calories a day.

The study showed that participants lost thirteen pounds in a six-month period, regardless of their diet, as long as they reduced their extra calorie intake.

If you can cut 100 calories a day you can lose up to ten pounds a year, or if you can reduce your extra calorie intake by 250 calories a day, you can lose twenty-six pounds in the same time frame.

If you aren’t enjoying what you are using to fuel your body, you are not going to stick to your diet. This does not give you a pass to eat junk food at every meal, but it can motivate you to make small changes that can equal up to many pounds lost.

Reducing Extra Calorie Intake at Meal Times

You can easily avoid extra calories in your meals by making simple yet valuable substitutions. Empty calories can sneak into your diet without even realizing it. Once you become mindful of what you are putting into your body, making healthy changes will become effortless.

How to Cut 100 Calories at Breakfast Time

• Replace your flavored creamer with skim milk in your morning cups of coffee.
• Eat a cereal high in fiber instead of a sugary one, and you will consume less calories throughout the day. Using skim milk in place of 2% can save even more calories.

Cutting 250 Calories at Breakfast

• Measure your breakfast cereal. Over-estimating by as little as ⅓ cup can add 100 calories.
• Swap your green tea latte with 2% for a 16 ounce chai with skim. Use soy milk to add protein and still cut back on the calories.

Losing 100 Calories at Lunch Time

• Replace the honey mustard on your chicken breast with barbeque sauce.
• When making your salad, toss it with 1 tablespoon of dressing at a time, until the leaves are coated. You can get away with using half the amount you normally would.

Take in 250 Calories Less During Lunch

• When putting together your salad, swap the cheddar cheese for shredded parmesan to save on calories. Bonus: skip the croutons and sides of bread.
• Making a sub sandwich? Choose turkey over tuna, and mustard over mayo.

Enjoying Supper with 100 Less Calories

• Instead of reaching for the butter, make a homemade spread that contains light, trans-fat free margarine, rosemary, and garlic.
• If you are ordering a pepperoni pizza, choose a thin crust. You can reduce your extra calorie intake by 100 calories, even if you eat two slices.

Dinner Time with 250 Less Calories

• Having Chinese takeout? Opt for broccoli chicken instead of sweet and sour. Also ask for steamed brown rice instead of fried.
• When selecting steaks, choose a filet mignon over a New York strip.

The more active you are, the less you will have to reduce your calorie intake. If you can take a twenty-minute walk during lunch, you can burn 50 calories.

Making small lifestyle changes can impact your life in a positive way and keep in mind, decreasing your extra calorie intake does not mean you have to go hungry.

Do you have any other tips for reducing calorie intake? Share them with us in the comments below!