The idea of simplicity when it comes to losing weight can be surprising because we get lost in the drama of our dieting history. The rules, restrictions and limitations of a crash diet abound when we are faced with those extra 20 pounds and desperately want to lose them. And I understand the reaction in crisis mode for having been there myself once too often.

But there is a mindset that is worth cultivating and that will help you every day, crisis or no crisis, to make simple changes that require almost no effort and yet are beneficial to the end result, your weight. After all, weight gain is a simple idea. More calories than necessary, the excess is stored as fat. It doesn’t get any more complicated than that and yet many women forget or neglect to apply the idea of Kiss in their daily life, especially with regard to diet.

How can you use the Kiss concept as a guide? Reduce your consumption, lose weight and rethink the way you eat and manage your diet?

1. Try to be flexible, be open to creativity and be prepared to replace high-impact foods and drinks with lighter substitutes that you can create yourself. When you decide to eat something that has a high impact, resist for a while and ask yourself how you can soften it, perhaps replace it or leave something out so you can control your own story. Remember that any action you choose to take for yourself that improves an outcome is proactive and sharpens your consciousness. There are many opportunities to apply Kiss every day. For example, there are many ways to apply Kiss every day:

2. In coffee, Frappuccino’s, Caffe Mocha’s, Latte’s, Smoothies, Alfredo’s, switch to fat-free milk and whipped cream. Take only one pump of flavoured syrup or, ideally, switch to sugar-free syrup. Instead of all those high-impact drinks that detract from the pure pleasure of great tasting coffee, why not go back to basics and add your own signature? Try a double espresso with layered fat-free froth all the way to the top. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg over the froth, a little low-fat or fat-free milk, stir and presto, a delicious low-calorie frothy drink with little effect. Experience and enjoy the pure taste of coffee when it is not buried under other things.

3. In fast-food restaurants: You can still order a fun meal, but with a slightly lighter impact. Here are some suggestions for saving calories.
Replace fried, crispy, extra-crispy chicken with grilled chicken. Grilled is delicious and saves calories, fat and sodium. Chicken meal with corn, mashed potatoes and sauce with cookies is just as delicious when grilled and the sauce is removed from the potatoes. You won’t even notice it, and every little bit of calories saved helps. That means not using butter on the corn or cookie. You don’t need it because KFC has the best, sweetest corn and their plain cookie is exceptional. These are simple adjustments you can make that don’t affect the way you experience your meal. The taste remains great and eating is fun, with less impact on your bottom line and calories.
Don’t forget the exercise you can do in any restaurant, fast food restaurant or at home – grilled, baked or broiled to replace fried food.

4. Sweets. Replace high sugar desserts with fresh fruit salad or angel food cake topped with fruit. This saves calories and sugar and gives your body the natural fibre of fruit. Plain yogurt, cinnamon, raisins and banana slices are suitable for any combination, or vanilla yogurt with angel food cake topped with fruit. The amount of sugar in food today is surprising and surprising, because you’ll appreciate it all the more if you pay attention to food labels. The equation to remember is that 4 grams of sugar is equivalent to one teaspoon of sugar.

5. Flavour Enhancements: Ask for sandwich dressings, special sauces, mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, salad dressings, honey, butter, syrups, sauces, cheese and cream sauces by any name, including Alfredo sauce on fettuccini, Benedictine sauce on eggs, as a side dish. Do you think restaurants or fast food chains have any idea or even care if they have added hundreds of foods high in fat, cholesterol, sugar, calories and sodium to your meal? No.

These are small steps you can take every day. Add your own because you don’t have to do without them, you just have to do it smarter. Just try it.