How to Lose Weight Without Counting Calories

Fat burning depends on one thing: there are fewer calories than you burn. But nobody wants to sit and count calories all day. Most people can learn to track them successfully , but some may require a very different strategy. If tracking has given you headaches in the past, consider giving it a try.

Before you give up calorie counting and ditch your favorite nutrition tracker , make sure you did it right: 1. Be patient and don’t give up immediately . Calorie tracking is as much a skill as learning a language .

2. Eat an adequate amount of protein daily . Protein is the most saturating of all macronutrients, and usually contributes togreaterdietarysuccess .

However, we do offer alternatives because people are successful in dieting in different ways. I have found that those who are not motivated by numbers may be better off keeping things very simple. The instructions below will help you create a satisfying calorie deficit without the need for counting.

Eat whole foods with (relatively) lean protein at every meal

Have you heard the story of the man getting fat from chicken breast and brown rice? So do I.

This doesn’t mean you can’t overeat the foods listed above, but it’s incredibly difficult. By sticking to a meal that consists of whole, unprocessed foods with a protein in the center, you are more likely to stay full and remain in a calorie deficit.

First, determine the amount of protein you need each day using Nutritionist Alan Aragon’s formula: Your Target Weight (in pounds) in grams of protein. This means that if you are a 200 pound woman who wants to weigh 120 pounds, you need to consume 120 grams of protein daily. Don’t worry – unless you have kidney problems, a high protein diet is n’t dangerous to your health .

Then divide this amount evenly between the number of meals you eat throughout the day. Contrary to popular myth, this number doesn’t really matter , so you should base it on personal preference. Some people may want to have breakfast, lunch and dinner. Others, like me, prefer not to have breakfast, but simply to have lunch and dinner.

Let’s say our hypothetical woman eats three meals a day. She then ate 40 grams of protein per meal, which is the equivalent of five ounces of cooked chicken breast. A good rule of thumb is that 25 grams of cooked protein is the size of a deck of cards.

It’s a good idea to keep your protein source relatively lean, because foods high in saturated fat will inevitably lead to more calories. It’s okay if you take them into account, but it makes this method useless.

Some good sources of relatively lean protein include:

• Chicken (or turkey) breast
• 90% + lean ground beef, bison, or turkey
• Lean cuts of beef (top, eyelet, London broil) or pork (tenderloin)
• Egg whites (or “beaters”). You can also add some whole eggs.
• Almost all seafood
• Low-fat Greek yogurt or cottage cheese
• Tofu
• Seitan
• Tempe

When choosing a protein, it is recommended to include plenty of fibrous vegetables (as much as you like) and possibly starch in it. Here are some ideas for fibrous vegetables:

• Broccoli
• Asparagus
• Cauliflower
• Fresh green beans
• Spinach
• Cabbage
• Okra

And starches:

• Rice (brown, white, wild, etc.)
• Pasta (wheat or white)
• Quinoa
• Potatoes (sweet or white)
• Oatmeal
• Bread
• Canned beans

Finally, you can add a tablespoon of olive oil, coconut oil, or salad dressing for the best flavor. If you are not used to this eating pattern, you will find that each dish is satisfying enough. Protein Pow and The Epicurean Bodybuilder (full disclosure, also my sister’s site) have recipes that are both delicious and perfect for this method.

Remember completeness

You should feel full after every meal, but never “full”. Determining the appropriate level of fullness (or “satiety”) requires a little practice of mindfulness . We’ll do this by rating satiety on a scale of 0 to 10 using this chart:

Enjoy your food slowly because it takes time for your stomach to feel full . A good rule of thumb is to eat as if you are meeting your significant other’s parents for the first time and are trying to strike up a polite conversation. Unless you’re a complete asshole, you’ll probably be eating at the right pace.

You should aim for 6-8. If you find that you have 9 or 10, reduce the amount of food you eat. Conversely, if you’re 5 or younger, increase the amount of food you eat by prioritizing fibrous vegetables, then lean protein, and finally starch or added fats. I personally find that adding a tablespoon of olive oil to my meals increases the feeling of fullness, but you can experiment.

How To Succeed With This Method

Finally, constantly track your weight and waist measurements with our guide . If you notice that your weight is increasing, reduce the amount of food you eat at each meal. On the other hand, if your weight is decreasing too quickly , you can increase it.

However, if you are losing enough weight each week, keep doing what you are doing and don’t change anything.

Let’s be clear: creating a calorie deficit is essential for burning fat . We’re not suggesting that calories don’t matter, as many diet books do. As nutritionist Lyle McDonald puts it :

Most [diet books] follow a fairly standard pattern (the first chapter always explains that YOUR FAT IS NOT YOUR PROBLEM), and with very few exceptions, most say that “calorie restriction diets do not work for weight loss” and which whatever magic they sell, it’s the key to fast, easy (and of course permanent) weight loss.

Whether it’s insulin, dietary fat, protein: carbohydrate, or insulin: glucagon ratio, splitting, or whatever, they will sound like calorie intake is not the key aspect of gaining weight.

…

Basically, this is Lyle’s Rule # 1 from the diet books: All diet books tell you you don’t need to restrict calories and then trick you anyway.

Instead, we are still inadvertently creating a calorie deficit without the usual accompanying BS justification or need to track.

You may find this diet style overly restrictive. Remember that you are making a compromise without counting calories – it is more difficult to include other types of food in your diet than other methods, such as a flexible diet and tracking calories or macronutrients . Plus, it can only work for a short period of time until your weight starts to drop . At this point, you may need to return to calorie tracking to keep progressing. However, some people will do better with mindful eating and using this method, so consider giving it a try.

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