Diet Persuasive Speech

Does this sound familiar - You pledge to put in a mile or two on the treadmill every day and count every last calorie, but a few days later the diet is forgotten and you're digging into pizza and gulping down beer with a group of friends? Draconian diets are tough to stick with. It's better to make small changes in your daily diet than take an all-or-none approach. Losing weight is especially hard if you are one of those people that just can't resist junk food. Here are some healthy swaps to help you knock off some pounds without feeling deprived:

1. Burgers: A McDonald's Big Mac has a colossal 550 calories! Add to that large fries and a Coke, and you're looking at close to 1500 calories. Instead, make your own burgers at home using wholegrain buns and lots of salad. Use healthy grilled

patties and low-fat spreads with herbs to add flavor. Serve with oven-baked sweet potato chips brushed with a little olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt.

2. Pizza. A single slice of thick crust pizza packs in about 275 calories. Multiply this by 3 or 4 slices and add the calories from your drink, and you're looking at overshooting your daily calorie count in just one meal. The alternative is to make your own pizza with wholegrain flour for the pie (or use Lebanese bread), home-made tomato paste, low-fat cheese, and a pile of veggies.

3.

Fried chicken: A small piece of chicken coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried contains as many as 250 calories. And you know it's hard to stop at just one. Substitute this with chicken dipped in egg, rolled in breadcrumbs and herbs, and baked or grilled in an oven.

4. Cocktails. If you've been watching what you eat and are wondering why you're not losing weight, you may be drinking your calories. A glass of Long Island Iced Tea has a massive 780 calories! Margaritas and Pina Coladas are no better and pack in close to 700 calories/glass. On the other hand, a glass of red wine has only 75 calories and is heart healthy and loaded with antioxidants. Choose your drinks wisely, or better still, make yourself a refreshing Mojito with white rum, mint, lime juice and soda water, swapping the sugar syrup for a dash of brown sugar.

5. Chocolate. If you must eat chocolate, pick your indulgence carefully. Not all chocolates are made equal. A Milky Way has 98 calories per bar and 3.5 g of fat, while a Snickers bar has close to 300 calories and 16.5 g of fat! Dark chocolate is calorie rich (550 calories in 100 g), but a small piece is often enough to satisfy

cravings.

6. Ice cream. A cup of Ben and Jerry's Fudge Brownie Ice Cream has 500 calories, and that's without any additional toppings like nuts or chocolate sauce. A healthy alternative is to freeze fruit like bananas or berries and blend them in a food processor until smooth. Add healthy toppings like almonds or honey for added taste and sweetness.

Small tweaks in your eating habits can result in big changes. Try these ideas for food that has all the flavor, but none of the fat.