16 simple low-calorie food swaps that helped me lose 35 pounds and keep it off

You don't need to count calories, but it worked for me when I lost 35 pounds three years ago, and have kept it off since.

Losing fat doesn't require cutting out any specific foods, it's about managing your overall food intake.

Experts don't recommend restricting your diet either by eating too little or cutting out your favorite foods altogether.

"It is important that you don't drastically drop your calories too low so you can sustain this while feeling energetic and remaining healthy with a strong immune system," personal trainer Hayley Madigan previously told Insider.

Fat loss coach Jordan Syatt previously told Insider he suggests aiming for 2-6 lbs a month.

When I want to lose weight, I make simple food swaps that help me reduce my calories while still keeping me satisfied.

Next time you make fajitas, swap out the sour cream for fat-free Greek yogurt: The former is 187 calories per 100ml, compared to 54 calories for the yogurt.

Bagel thins are exactly what they sound like: thinner bagels, and they're still delicious. While an average bagel is usually 230-300 calories, bagel thins usually come in at around 130, saving you at least 100 calories.

Some people recommend swapping out bread for rice cakes, but I personally find rice cakes not very tasty, and thinner slices of bread are more satisfying to me.

Powdered peanut butter is essentially peanut butter with the oil removed. You simply mix it with a little water until you reach your desired consistency. 

It doesn't have the same texture as regular peanut butter, and so it isn't quite as delicious to me. But it's a swap I make sometimes because I still enjoy powdered peanut butter, and the choice aligns with my goals.

Normal peanut butter is around 188 cals per 2 tsp serving, but powdered, however, is about 60 calories for the same amount.

Turkey (or chicken) sausages are leaner than pork, coming in at around 160 calories rather than about 340 for two.

Turkey meatballs are just like sausages, but have less calories than their beef counterpart: Three beef meatballs contain around 190 calories, whereas turkey ones are about 125 for three.

For me, not all swaps are worth it. While some people recommend replacing spaghetti with zucchini noodles and burger buns with lettuce leaves, I personally prefer to still have the carbs— just in smaller quantities.

Turkey bacon instead of pork bacon is a swap I'm happy to make as I enjoy both equally, and a slice of turkey bacon is 34 calories each, compared to 50-70 for an average slice of bacon.

Egg whites are very low calorie, but instead of making frittatas, omelettes, scrambles and pancakes with them alone, I like to do a mix of whites and whole eggs for the best of both worlds.

3 tbsp or 45g of egg whites is 22 calories, equivalent to one medium egg which is about 70 calories.

An obvious one, but swapping regular soda for a diet version can cut out 139 calories per serving.

When I want an alcoholic drink, opting for gin and slimline tonic keeps the calories down (and is also delicious, in my opinion).

If you're a fan of milky drinks like lattes, flat whites, and cappuccinos, opting for skimmed rather than whole milk can take your drink's calorie count from 228 to 128, roughly. 

Popcorn is actually very low calorie when it's not covered in sugar, syrup, or butter. Next time you get a craving for chips, try some lightly salted popcorn. 

A 17g individual bag of salted popcorn is around 84 calories, compared to 123 calories for a 25g individual packet of salted chips. Popcorn is a high volume, light food, so a portion is typically lighter in weight for the same size.

One of the simplest ways to reduce calories is to choose smaller portions — a small tub of popcorn rather than a large, for example.

"One thing that can be done is to try and half portion sizes of these particular items that you have labeled as 'guilty pleasures,'" registered nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert previously told Insider. "Of course, there's no reason to feel guilty, but instead of having three scoops of ice cream, have two, instead of having a whole dessert, share half with a partner."

A 40g serving of dried apricots, which is a small bag, is 72 calories. One fresh apricot is around 35g, and only 34 calories.

Dried fruit is a lot smaller than fresh, so it's easier to eat more. The higher water content of fresh fruit makes it more filling.

While fat-free yogurt doesn't have quite the same creaminess of higher fat yogurt, it's still delicious and a lot lower in calories. Fat-free Greek yogurt is 54 calories per 100g, while the 5% fat yogurt equivalent is 93 calories for the same amount.

An easy way to drastically reduce the calories in your meals is to use smaller amounts of cooking oil or butter.

15ml of sunflower oil is 124 calories, so you can make your meals lighter by using less or low calorie cooking sprays instead.

Ground turkey and chicken is leaner than beef and pork, so swapping out those meats can be a good way to lighten a bolognese or homemade burgers. Of course, you can also choose lower fat versions of other meats — I still eat beef and pork when losing weight, I just work them into my calories.

2% fat ground turkey breast is about 136 calories per 100g, meanwhile 20% fat ground beef is 273 calories for the same quantity.

Chicken breasts are a lower calorie choice than thigh or wing meat: 100g of breast is 165 calories, compared to 209 for thigh and 203 for wing.

There are tons of low calorie ice creams on the market these days. Halo Top sea salt caramel ice cream, for example, is only 300 calories per pint. Ben & Jerry's triple caramel chunk ice cream is 1,100 calories per pint.

Losing weight doesn't mean never having Ben & Jerry's, it might just mean having it a bit less often, or in smaller quantities. And lower calorie alternatives can help you hit your goals without feeling deprived.