Easy Ways To Lose Weight Without Counting Calories
Yes, you can lose weight without pulling out the scale and the calorie tracker.
Here I offer a list of solutions to help you lose weight that isn’t diet related, doesn’t slow down your metabolism like extreme dieting, and doesn’t involve a list of banned foods.
The key is changing small habits. So let’s get started!
#1 Stop Eating Straight Out Of the Package
One of the easiest ways to gain weight is snacking in between meals when we’re bored. It just doesn’t feel right if we sit in front of the TV and don’t have a snack.
Before you reach for your snack, put it in the bowl and eat from the bowl itself versus from the package. This method makes it slightly more difficult to finish off the entire package.
Plus, it makes you aware and mindful of how much you’re eating because you finished what’s in the bowl and not the package.
A quick mind trick tip is to use a smaller bowl for your snacks.
A smaller bowl fills up more quickly and looks fuller than a larger bowl. This will make you automatically eat fewer calories.
Check out Delboeuf Illusion below. The black circles are the same size in both plates but it looks smaller on a bigger plate. Use this optical illusion to trick your brain that you’re eating more than you are.
Though the two circled dark discs are the same size, the left disc seems smaller than the right one. Credit - Wikipedia.
Cutting back instead of cutting out will help you lose weight without feeling deprived.
Application of Tip #1 - Next time you snack put your snack in a small bowl and eat using the bowl.
#2 Substitute Your Carbs With Leafy Vegetables
Eating more leafy vegetables is a great way to fill up with fewer calories. The leafier the vegetable the more filling it is for you.
Vegetables like kale, spring greens, collard greens, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage are considered to be high-volume types of foods. This means that they take up a lot of space on your plate and in your stomach so you feel fuller faster.
The volume of 400 calories in your stomach with different types of foods.
Credit: HenricoFitHappens
When you switch out your calorie-dense low volume carbs like pasta, bread, and rice with low-calorie, high-volume foods you’ll eat fewer calories and feel fuller.
Application of Tip #2 - Take half the carbs you usually eat and substitute them with vegetables instead.
#3 Stay Hydrated With Water or Tea
We often mistake hunger for thirst and reach for food when we are thirsty. Staying hydrated with water helps prevent this mistake and aids in fat metabolism.
So switching your go-to drink to water is a small habit change that helps you lose weight without having to count calories because water is zero calories.
If you cannot stand plain water there are other options,
· Carbonated water, flavored or plain
· Plain tea
· Make a fruit-flavored infusion of water
Photo by Mariah Hewines on Unsplash
Application of Tip #3 - To help you create the habit, have multiple water bottles where you spend the most time at to remind you to drink water. Keep one at your desk at work, in your gym bag, your cart etc. When you make it super convenient for yourself to drink more water you’ll drink more water.
#4 Add a Handful of Protein at Every Meal
A handful is the size of your palm or a deck of cards.
A palmful of protein.
For most women, this can be a lot of protein to be adding to their diet especially if they aren’t paying attention. Eating enough protein is the key to a satisfying and filling meal.
Protein helps to keep your energy level steady and prevents you from feeling hungry so you don’t snack and lean protein is one of the healthiest items you can add to your diet.
For most, I find that the greatest opportunity to increase protein in their diets is at breakfast. The majority are not even eating any type of protein for breakfast or eat mostly carbs.
Good sources of lean protein.
The key to not getting tired of eating the same type of protein is to get good at seasoning to make it taste different. Buy a variety of seasonings to keep your protein interesting.
Application of Tip #4 - With your next meal, think about what protein you want to eat first and build the rest of your meal around it.
#5 Eat Till You’re 80% Full
To avoid eating extra calories eat till you’re about 80% full. The reason for this is that it takes our brains about 15 to 20 minutes to register when we’re full. If we’re finishing our meals sooner than 15 minutes we can eat past fullness, feel stuffed, and eat unnecessary extra calories.
To avoid this eat till you feel about 80% full.
80% full it feels like you’re able to go on a moderate hike and feel comfortable. It’s a happy medium between hunger and feeling stuffed.
To help you lengthen your meal time to 15 to 20 minutes, pay attention to the texture, flavors, temperature, and consistency of your meal. Savor your meals and lengthen the time you spend with each bite, making eating as leisurely as possible for you to enjoy the meal.
When increase your meal time you’ll be better at pinpointing when you hit the 80% fullness mark and stop eating additional calories.
Application of Tip #5 - Start a stopwatch before you eat your next meal and figure out how long you take to eat. If it’s fewer than 15 minutes think about different ways you could lengthen your meal time.
#6 Decide What To Eat Ahead Of Time
We eat healthier when we decide in advance what to eat. When we let our hunger decide for us we often choose what is convenient and what we’re craving at the moment instead of something healthy.
If you tend to order out, write down what you’re going to order or circle the healthy items on the menu which makes it easier to decide when you’re hungry.
Meal prepping and cooking in large batches is a great way to apply this tip. When you cook in bulk and portion out your food you’re already pre-deciding that’s what you’re going to eat later during the week.
Start your day out by deciding what you’re going to eat for the rest of the day.
Application of Tip #6 - Spend a few minutes tomorrow morning writing down what you plan to eat that day.
#7 Use smaller plates and bowls.
This is another application of the Debouf illusion. When we fill up a smaller plate it looks fuller than if we’re trying to cut down our portions on a larger plate.
The bigger the plate or bowl the more we will tend to eat. Instead of using willpower to cut back and reduce our portion sizes, we let the plate decide for us.
I like to apply this tip to eating ice cream. Instead of using a bowl for ice cream I will use a small cup and fill it up.
Application of Tip #7 - For a week, hide your larger plates and bowls so you’ll use your smaller ones and see how you feel.
#8 Eat with no distractions
Eating while you’re relaxed and calm with no distractions triggers your parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for digestion and absorption. You break down food faster, improve meal absorption and get fuller faster when you’re not eating while distracted.
At the same time, you’re paying more attention to how you’re feeling as you’re filling up and more likely to hit the 80% full mark.
If you’re eating in a rush, out the door, or in front of the TV or phone you stimulate the other part of your nervous system, the sympathetic nervous system which secretes stress hormones putting your body in fight or flight mode. When this happens your body doesn’t absorb nutrition as well therefore keeping the hunger signal on.
Application of Tip #8 - At your next meal, see if you’re able to view a window or look outside while eating.
Summary
Applying these simple eating habits can help you kickstart your goal to lose weight and excess body fat.
Candace is the owner of Rhodes To Strength. She provides weight loss and mindset coaching services to women around the world so that they keep the pounds off for good. She believes in working with clients to create sustainable habits that work for their lifestyle.
You can find her rollerskating, hiking, and bird watching in her spare time.