15 Easiest Food Swaps for Weight Loss

News flash: From sea to shining sea, more and more people are jumping ship from the "overweight" to the "obese" category on the BMI chart. Take a look around you, and you won't be surprised to find that the prevalence of obesity worldwide is increasing. Here at home, more than 1 in 3 U.S. adults are clinically obese, which means that when you add "overweight" to this equation, far greater than 35.7% of American adults need to work on their weight. But what about the portion of the population who may not need to lose weight for health reasons but would love to shed a few stubborn pounds--either to win a bet, look better in a bathing suit, or perhaps run a bit faster (approximately 2 seconds per mile faster per pound lost)?

A pound of fat is worth about 3500 calories, which is why many experts say reducing your daily intake by 250 calories will aid in the loss of one half pound per week. Burn 250 calories through exercise in addition to the diet deficit, and voila! You've just lost one pound a week. When it comes down to it, weight loss can be as simple as basic math... but if it were, there probably wouldn't be so many of us complaining that those last 3 or 5 or 10 pounds simply won't move. In order to lose those last few stubborn pounds, it often comes down to a battle of willpower (saying "No!" to extra helpings, locking the pantry after 7 p.m., etc.) and a battle of making the best choices.

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Sometimes those last few pounds remain not because we aren't trying hard enough, but because we may not realize that day after day after day, our seemingly innocent indulgences really do add up. Here are common culprits that may be derailing your weight loss goals, alternatives that won't leave you feeling totally deprived, and a calculation of how long it may take--if you make the suggested swap--to look even better in your skinny jeans.

1. Calorie Culprit: 2 Tbsp cream for your coffee
Smarter Alternative: 2 Tbsp 1% milk
Calories Saved: 30
Timeline: This one simple daily change will save you over 3 pounds a year!

2. Calorie Culprit: 1 package instant maple, brown sugar oatmeal
Smarter Alternative: 1 package Better Oats, classic flavor steel cut oats
Calories Saved: 30
Timeline: This simple swap is lower in calories and higher in filling fiber (making weight loss a bit easier).

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3. Calorie Culprit: 1 large banana
Smarter Alternative: 1 medium banana
Calories Saved: 16
Timeline: Portion control every morning will save you nearly 2 pounds a year.

4. Calorie Culprit: 1 blueberry bagel from the bakery
Smarter Alternative: 1 blueberry bagel from the grocery
Calories Saved: 130
Timeline: Make this swap every day for a month, lose 1 pound, and save some dough ($).

5. Calorie Culprit: 12 oz latte made with whole milk
Smarter Alternative: 12 oz latte made with skim milk
Calories Saved: 80
Timeline: Make this change Monday through Friday, and you'll lose nearly 6 pounds a year!

6. Calorie Culprit: 2 tbsp Ranch dressing
Smarter Alternative: 2 tbsp Italian dressing
Calories Saved: 76
Timeline: Make this change permanent and lose 8 pounds a year!

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7. Calorie Culprit: 1 cup mashed potatoes
Smarter Alternative: 1 medium baked potato
Calories Saved: 70
Timeline: Try this once a week for a year and lose at least 1 pound a year.

8. Calorie Culprit: Fast food fried chicken sandwich
Smarter Alternative: Fast food grilled chicken sandwich
Calories Saved: ~100
Timeline: Make this simple swap twice a week for three months and lose 1 pound.

9. Calorie Culprit: 1/4 pound burger made from ground chuck
Smarter Alternative: 1/4 pound burger made from ground sirloin
Calories Saved: 52
Timeline: Lose weight along with heart-clogging saturated fat.

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10. Calorie Culprit: Sandwich with 1 slice cheddar cheese
Smarter Alternative: Sandwich sans cheese
Calories Saved: 113
Timeline: In one month, lose 1 pound.

11. Calorie Culprit: Restaurant burrito
Smarter Alternative: Same burrito but in a bowl (sans tortilla)
Calories Saved: 290
Timeline: For a small bit of deprivation once a week, you can shed over 4 pounds a year.

12. Calorie Culprit: House-made tortilla chips (1oz)
Smarter Alternative: Baked tortilla chips (1oz)
Calories Saved: 51
Timeline: It may not seem like a big difference, but are you really going to have just 1 oz?

13. Calorie Culprit: 1 "handful" of nuts (~1/2 a cup)
Smarter Alternative: 1 "handful" of air-popped popcorn (~1 cup)
Calories Saved: 376
Timeline: Revamping your nightly snack can help you shed 1 pound in less than 10 days!

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14. Calorie Culprit: 11 oz chocolate milk for recovery
Smarter Alternative: 11 oz Myoplex® Lite for recovery
Calories Saved: 91
Timeline: Save calories (and gain 10 grams of protein).

15. Calorie Culprit: 1 cup of strawberry yogurt
Smarter Alternative: 1 cup of strawberry ice cream
Calories Saved: ~20
Timeline: What? You didn't know regular yogurt had as many calories as ice cream? Next time, opt for light yogurt.

Data source: USDA Nutrient Analysis Library and select manufacturer websites

Written by Pamela Nisevich Bede, M.S., R.D. at Runner's World

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