A Healthier Us : Best Way To Lose Weight Fast - Weight Loss

With smart choices, you can have your burger and your beach body too. If you load your plate with the typical high fat BBQ food — cheeseburger, sausage, large scoop macaroni salad, handful of chips, glass of lemonade and apple pie a la mode and your body gets hit with approximately 2,260 calories and way too much extra fat and sugar.

In order to burn these calories off, you would have to do one of the following activities:

- Walk on a treadmill at 3.5 mph for 6.3 hrs

- Stay on the elliptical machine for 4.7 hrs

- Swim the breast stroke for 4.7 hrs

- High impact aerobics for 5.47 hrs

- Spend 9 straight hours scrubbing and straightening your home

The good news is there are delicious, healthy, low calorie alternatives, you can still enjoy a BBQ without calorie overload. Here’s a four step rundown:

Step One: Swap high fat burgers for lean turkey, bison and veggie burgers

Typical hamburgers are made from high fat, marbled ground beef. Not only are they high in calories, but they’re also loaded with artery clogging saturated fat. Instead, choose bison burgers, turkey burgers and veggie burgers.

Step Two: Swap hot dogs and beef & pork sausages for poultry sausages

Hot dogs and beef/pork sausages are typically 70 percent fat, with a fair amount coming from the saturated type. Instead, choose lean poultry sausages. Grocery stores carry a variety of brands which grill up just as juicy and delicious as the full fat beef versions. Best part, the math is completely reversed: these low-fat sausages provide up to 70 percent high-quality protein and less than 30 percent fat.

Step Three: Swap fatty steaks, ribs, and chicken wings for skinless poultry, fish and seafood

It’s obvious we run into the same high-fat problem with marbled beef, but some people don’t realize that chicken wings are almost all fat. Save yourself excessive calories and fat by switching to skinless chicken breasts and fish.

Step Four: Swap high calorie side dishes (macaroni and potato salad) for grilled vegetables

There is nothing more delicious than grilled vegetables. They’re low-calorie and loaded with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and fiber. Easiest prep: lightly coat vegetables with non-stick cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt or salt substitute and preferred seasonings (ground black pepper, garlic, Cajun powder). Toss on the grill and you’re set. Some favorites include eggplant, peppers, portabella mushrooms, onions and zucchini.