Simple and effective strategies exist to reduce calorie intake. Beyond a healthy BMI, eating fewer calories may decrease aging and increases longevity. Of course, cutting calories and reducing your BMI are only beneficial for individuals who are not considered underweight. In doubt, always check with a medical professional.
Table of Contents
- 1 Strategies and Habits to Reduce Calorie Intake
- 1.1 1. Cut Back On Processed Foods
- 1.2 2. Choose Complex Carbohydrates Instead of Simple Sugars
- 1.3 3. Make Healthy Substitutions
- 1.4 4. Limit Portion Sizes
- 1.5 5. Drink Significantly More Water to Reduce the Sense of Hunger
- 1.6 6. Avoid Sugary Drinks
- 1.7 7. Reducing Sugar Cravings by Lowering your Stress Level
- 2 Is it True that Reducing Calories Makes you Live Longer?
Strategies and Habits to Reduce Calorie Intake
Here are effective strategies to reduce calorie intake and promote longevity:
1. Cut Back On Processed Foods
Processed foods are often high in calories and unhealthy ingredients, such as added sugars, that can contribute to weight gain. Instead, focus on eating whole, unprocessed foods like fruits, vegetables, and lean protein to reduce calorie intake.
2. Choose Complex Carbohydrates Instead of Simple Sugars
Complex carbs in whole grains take longer to break down, so they don’t cause spikes in blood sugar that can trigger sugar cravings. It might be hard to resist the temptation of sugar cravings. Food like chocolate is addictive: the more you eat, the more you want. Minimizing sugar cravings is critical to reducing calorie intake.

3. Make Healthy Substitutions
When cooking, replace high-calorie ingredients with lower-calorie options. For example, use skimmed milk instead of whole milk or ground turkey instead of ground beef.
4. Limit Portion Sizes
Portion control is an essential part of reducing calorie intake. When eating out, choose smaller portions or share meals with a friend. At home, use smaller plates to control portion sizes.
5. Drink Significantly More Water to Reduce the Sense of Hunger
Water is a natural appetite suppressant. Drinking a glass of water before meals can help you eat less and lose weight. Water also helps flush out toxins and fill you up, so you don’t feel as hungry. Try drinking a glass of water with each meal and snack to help reduce your appetite and reach your weight loss goals.

6. Avoid Sugary Drinks
Sugary drinks are a significant source of added sugars and calories in the diet. Avoiding or limiting sugary drinks can help reduce calorie intake.
7. Reducing Sugar Cravings by Lowering your Stress Level
- Get regular exercise. Exercise can help reduce stress and improve your mood, which may help decrease sugar cravings.
- Make sure you’re getting enough sleep. Sleep deprivation can increase stress levels and make you more likely to crave sugary foods.

Sustainable weight loss requires making healthy changes that you can stick with long-term. Applying small achievable actions, you can sustain over the long run is essential when trying to reduce calorie intake.
Indeed, strategies to reduce calorie intake are only worth implementing if you can make them a habit. It means some effort is required. The good thing is that following these strategies can undoubtedly reduce calorie intake and promote longevity.
The best diet and the best workouts are those you can keep up with
Is it True that Reducing Calories Makes you Live Longer?
Yes, calorie restriction most likely extends your lifespan. Although the scientific community does not fully understand the mechanism by which calorie restriction increases lifespan, researchers have increased lifespans in yeast, mice, and other animals by having them consume fewer calories per day.
The literature about calorie restriction and the aging process is clear about this. However, the trial results do not answer whether metabolic changes due to calorie reduction beyond a regular diet can improve health.
A theory suggests that calorie restriction may help extend lifespan by giving you a deeper sleep. After all, it makes sense. Who has never had a lousy sleep after a big night or dinner?
Under another theory, aging results from our body cells accumulating damage over time. This damage comes from free radicals created by our metabolic processes. Under this free radical theory, drastically reducing food intake will reduce metabolic rate, decrease free radical production rate and extend lifespans.
