How I lost 100 pounds without gastric bypass or weight loss drugs with super easy calorie cuts

Hello again, friends of this blog on how I lost 100 pounds without gastric bypass surgery or weight loss drugs! I shared recently that I have gained some weight back and how I plan to lose weight again. I promised some super easy food swaps to cut calories for weight loss and here they are. 

On the show "My 600-lb Life" we see gastric bypass patients with morbid obesity losing weight with a 1200 calorie diet. This 1200 diet is how I lost 100 pounds too. I didn't follow a specific diet plan but used elements of several different schools of thought: food swaps, keto, low carbohydrate, no white food (potatoes, rice, pasta and white bread) and some intermittent fasting. 

"My 600-lb Life" explores extreme obesity but the 1200 calorie diet is not extreme. I maintain that with this diet, anyone can lose weight, like I did, without gastric bypass. It may not always be easy, what with temptation and cravings, but the 1200 calorie diet is simple. And even the cravings are factored into this eating plan. Following a 1200 calorie diet involves the simple step of identifying and stopping up calorie leaks. Here are 15 super easy food swaps to cut calories.

light bread or keto bread

Carb control tortillas (I just skip tortillas altogether and eat taco salad with no carbs)

light mayonnaise and less of it

dijon mustard (instead of mayo)

breadless sandwiches, tacos

peanut butter instead of PBJ sandwiches

lettuce wraps 

salads instead of sandwiches or bread based handhelds like tacos (this is one of the easiest food swaps to cut calories: just put fillings or sandwich toppings on lettuce, spinach or spring mix)

light butter or spray butter 

homemade sugar-free condiments with keto fat options (recipes to follow in upcoming post)

low salt lunchmeats (don't just count calories, count and reduce sodium too)

more seafood (ahi tuna, swordfish, shrimp, tuna, salmon

grilled and broiled instead of fried or deep fried 

cauliflower instead of potatoes

fruit with pulp and skin instead of juice

chicken instead of any other meat

nuts instead of salty snacks like chips and pretzels

These food swaps cut calories to maintain a 1200 calorie diet and still feel full. They are the basic eating plan for how I lost 100 pounds.