Are you ready to lose fat from your body that would equal the fat in 40 sticks of butter and weigh the equivalent of 10 pounds of potatoes?

By cutting 100 calories from your current daily calories, you could be 10 pounds lighter by next year.

Here are some easy ways to cut out 100

calories:

Don't drown your salad

Reduce your salad dressing by having the salad dressing “on the side.” Dip your fork into the dressing for each bite of salad instead of pouring dressing on the salad. Use light salad dressing and save 100 calories per two tablespoons.

Rethink your drink

Replace 8 ounces of sugared soda with 8 ounces of diet soda or water. When you drink 100 calories, your body does not compensate by reducing your food intake by 100 calories.

Spray, don't spread

Use butter flavored spray on potatoes and vegetables.

Modify your mayo

Switch from regular to light mayo and save 100 calories per two tablespoons. Using mustard saves even more calories.

Steam, don't saute

One tablespoon of oil adds 120 calories to cooked vegetables.

Defat your dips

Choose light or fat-free sour cream or yogurt for dips, use salsa or combine sour cream and salsa for a creamy, spicy dip.

Pare down the peanut butter

Use one tablespoon of peanut butter instead of two in a sandwich and save 100 calories.

Go for greens

Replace one ounce of cheese in a sandwich with chopped vegetables for less fat and more crunch.

Cut down on cookies

Eliminating one cookie can save about 100 calories.

Share your serving

If you can't live without fries, eat only half an order of small fries.

Making small changes can save you at least 100 calories a day without the feelings of deprivation that a more restrictive approach to eating may cause. Combined with physical activity, these calorie savings can have a significant impact on your weight and health.

Special thanks to Debbie C. for the featured recipe and to Becki Johnson, nutrition teaching assistant at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County, for modifications to the recipe.

Visit www.cce.cornell.edu/cayuga for the nutrition analysis of this recipe.

Christine Gutelius, MA, RD, CDN, is a

nutrition educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County

Creamy Pumpkin Spread

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

8 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or maple extract)

1/4 cup brown sugar

8-ounce container light frozen whipped topping, thawed

In medium bowl, combine pumpkin, cream cheese, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and brown sugar. Fold in whipped topping. Chill. Serve as spread on crackers or bread or use as a fruit dip.