Weight Watchers Friendly Weight Loss Tip: Choose Lean Protein

I recently read a great article by Ellie Krieger, explaining how you can slim down and lose weight easily and effortlessly by swapping just one serving of high fat protein for a lean one each day.

I love Ellie's sensible slow and steady weight loss philosophy, which mirrors that of Weight Watchers and is the only approach that I've ever had success sustaining. Dieting doesn't work. Adopting a healthy lifestyle does.

Did you know that you can lose more than 6 pounds a year by making just one small change in your eating habits each day?

Lean grilled chicken breasts and vegetables

Eating a lean piece of meat - such as a boneless skinless chicken breast instead of the same amount of prime rib - or choosing 95 percent lean ground beef over 85 percent lean - would allow you to do just that.

The small savings in calories each day really add up over time. And isn't that exactly how we gained the excess weight - a few pounds each year?

Other great sources of protein include low-fat and fat-free dairy products, eggs, beans and legumes.

Begin Your Day with A Protein Boost

A great place to add lean protein is at breakfast, where it can help fuel you through your morning.

Remember when eggs were considered unhealthy because of their high cholesterol count and we were told it was better to eat a bagel or pancakes? Well, those days are over because it's not true.

Choose Lean Protein - Like Eggs - For Weight Loss

It turns out that eggs are low in calories and fat and rich in B vitamins, vitamins E and A, and choline. And their high cholesterol count isn't as big a problem as once believed.

Doctors now know that dietary cholesterol doesn't influence your blood cholesterol nearly as much as saturated and trans fats do. Since an egg has just 5 grams of fat, one whole egg a day can fit easily into a healthy low-fat diet.

Related: 7 Simple & Delicious Low Calorie Egg Recipes

Eating lean protein keeps you feeling satisfied which is important for weight loss.

The same cannot be said for refined carbohydrates like bagels. When you eat them, you'll be hungry again before you know it and it's really hard to lose weight if you're hungry all the time.

A study in Saint Louis found that eating eggs for breakfast could decrease your calorie intake for the remainder of the day.

So, begin lightening up your diet today. Substitute one high-fat protein source with a lower-fat one. Stick with it and you may soon start to feel your clothes getting a little looser.