In this article, I will explain how you can lose weight without counting calorie. Losing weight is quite complicated with counting calories and other stuff.
To lose weight, there are better options rather than depending on counting calories. These steps are more effective than counting, as it lowers burden to track every food calorie. Along with, you will be able to enjoy your weight loss process.
Things you will explore in this article:
- Why it is a waste of time and effort to count calories for weight loss;
- Ways to put fat loss on autopilot;
- Foods that will help you lose weight.
Calories and Weight Loss
If you are trying to lose weight, you would have come to many articles and guide. They guide you to lower your calorie intake or eat calorie deficit diet.
By following a calorie deficit diet, you can lower your calorie intake that can help you lose weight.
How?
For every function, body need calorie for energy supply. It gets calorie from two sources:
- Food you eat;
- Energy stored in the form of fat and muscles.
For energy supply it first prefers for the food you eat; later it taps into energy reserve stored in the form of fat and muscle.
If you eat less calorie, the body will burn fat cells for a continuous supply of energy. But if you eat calories more than you need, it will get stored in the form of fat.
More your calorie intake, quicker you will gain weight. Lower your calorie intake, faster you will lose weight. Your weight loss will depend on the rate of your calorie intake.
Calorie deficit diet has found helpful in losing weight, so many of them prefer skipping calorie rich foods, avoid food types, etc.
Following calorie deficit diet has found helpful but not useful for long term goal.
But
If you are planning for calorie deficit diet, then you should avoid it. It won’t help you much in losing weight and managing long term.
Sign of successful weight loss:
- Eat right and required calorie;
- Don’t restrict from eating any types of food (not processed foods);
- Help you adopt healthier habits that are easy to follow;
- You don’t have to push hard to lose weight;
- Also, it helps in weight management with ease after losing weight.
You get calories from every food that you eat, but it’s density differs in every food. Food rich in protein and carbs provides 4 calories per gram while fat provides 9 calories.
Calories from protein and carbs are same. But to break down protein body burn calories and also improves metabolism. While carbs need fewer calories and break quickly, increasing calorie storage.
Weight loss is not how much calories you eat; it’s what you eat.
So
You won’t have much benefits by following calorie deficit diet. A calorie is most important, but you won’t have to worry about your weight loss goal.
It’s not calorie that ruins your weight loss plan; it’s high calorie.
Let’s explore why calorie counting won’t be beneficial. You will know the best tricks to lose weight without counting calories.
Why is Calorie Counting not effective?
For losing weight, it’s always said to count calorie. It’s quite complicated task to start and keep it doing for long.
To lose weight, you will get excited to start counting calories. But sooner you will find it time-consuming, and even you aren’t noticing any major result.
Very soon, you will start getting overwhelmed with weight loss due to the time-consuming process.
A weight loss plan should be simple that should become a habit within few day of practice.
If you want to lose weight and maintain it successfully just follow one rule …
Keep it simple.
Don’t complicate it; you have to deal with many other complicated things in day to day life. With an addition of weight loss complication, you will quit it within few days.
Another reason…
Protein and carbs contain an equal amount of calorie, but protein release less calorie compared to carbs. Food rich in starch or fiber release low calorie and also boost metabolism.
Your food and nutrient choice will play a significant role than counting calorie in weight loss.
If you are searching for the right way to do it, then you are at right place.
In the further article, you will explore the best strategy that will help you to lose weight without counting a single calorie.
1. Start Your Day With High Protein And Fiber
Starting the day with healthy breakfast is the healthiest habit for health and weight loss.
Yet! Many people say it doesn’t have any benefits and skip it. They skip breakfast to cut calorie intake, but they later add more calorie in their next meals.
Why should you eat breakfast?
There is a lot of benefit of eating breakfast, but it’s with healthy and well-balanced. By eating nutrient dense breakfast, you get nutrients that improve health and boost weight loss.
You might be wondering, protein and fiber get more attention than calories for weight loss?
It’s simple…
By including protein and dense fiber, you don’t have to force yourself to eat less calorie. By adding it in your breakfast, you will lower calorie intake without realizing.
Don’t worry; there isn’t any harm in it.
It’s a healthy practice to add more protein and fiber in breakfast with less carb.
Here are top 4 reasons a protein & fiber rich breakfast help to lose weight:
- Meet Calorie need for longer: It will help you to meet your calorie need by releasing calorie slowly as compared to the carb.
- Lower calorie intake in the later meal: By eating high protein and fiber, you will experience less craving that will prevent you from eating more calorie.
- Get rid of craving: If you start the day with healthy breakfast, you will not get craving for calorie dense food. Without craving, you will make a smarter choice throughout the day. Craving force you to eat calorie dense food that ruins most weight loss plan.
- Boost Metabolism: Eating protein and fiber have significant effect on metabolism. Fix you metabolism, and you won’t complain about weight gain. (1, 2)
More facts about protein and fiber that will convince you to add in your breakfast:
Few Facts about protein:
Protein is known as satiety nutrient, and it is the most filling nutrient. It reduce your hunger pangs and craving. (3)
By increasing calorie from protein, you can decrease your calorie intake by 441 calories per day. (4)
With an increase in protein, you can increase your muscle density that will help to burn calorie even at rest. (5, 6, 7).
Fact about Fiber:
Fiber is known for its low energy density that makes you feel fuller with eating less calorie.
Studies have proven that people eating fiber dense vegetables or fruit lose more weight compared to people eating high energy food.(8, 9).
Many studies have proved soluble fiber’s weight loss effect. (10, 11)
Combining it with carbs and protein, slow down the digestion of food and release of energy. You will feel full for long that will help you make a better food choice.
What to eat for breakfast?
As you know benefits of a healthy breakfast, you might be wondering the best breakfast to enjoy.
If you are looking for healthy food, you can consider egg. It is the top listed superfood that is rich in protein and other vital nutrients. You should consider egg in your breakfast as it is the healthiest food on the earth.
People eating an egg for breakfast ate less calorie compared to people who ate bagels for their next meal. (12)
Other protein rich food you can consider are:
- Oats
- Quinoa
- Beans & Lentils
- Fish (All types of fish)
- Turkey
- Chicken
- Milk
Fiber rich foods:
- Leafy veggies
- Oats
- Quinoa
- Beans & Lentils
- Fruits
- Broccoli
- Spinach
- Carrot
Add both protein and fiber rich foods for a better breakfast combination.
Wrap up: By including protein and fiber in breakfast, you will lower unwanted calorie intake and burn calories.
2. Continue Adding Protein and Fiber in Every meal
Starting your day with protein and fiber is the healthiest habit.
If it is the healthiest habit then why not continue it throughout the day.
You might feel it tough to follow, but it will become simple later as you follow.
Tip: Collect healthy recipes and lean how to prepare clean food. It will help to get better recipes to enjoy tasty foods while losing weight.
Wrap up: Collect best recipes and eat protein and fiber in every meal.
3. Stick To Plate Rule and Portion Size
It’s always said to increase protein and fiber in a meal. But it’s complicated to decide how much to eat without proper ratio.
To lose without counting calories, you should eat low-calorie filling options like vegetables that will limit other calorie rich foods.
The right ratio for healthy meal or breakfast is:
- 25-30 percent – Carbs
- 25 percent – Protein
- 40-50 percent – Non-starchy Vegetables
You should manage your portion size instead of managing calories. (Portion control is easier than calorie counting)
You can keep it; half veggies, 25 percent rice, 25 meat (Protein rich food).
Tip: Stop snacking on processed foods between meal or lunch. You can snack on nuts to get protein, fiber, and other nutrients.
You might not realize the effect at the start, but follow it, and you will soon see a better result. You might see a slow effect, but its the best and safest way to lose weight.
Wrap up: Portion control work better than counting calorie. Add 25-30 percent carb, 25 percent protein and 40-50 non-starchy vegetables to balance calorie without effort of counting calories. Once you get the right balance of portion size, next time you won’t have to make effort.
4. Cut Carbs
As you increase protein and fiber in your meal, your carb intake will decrease.
If you want to lose weight, then it is crucial to reduce your carb intake. With lower carbs, the body will shred excess sodium and water, that reduce bloating and water weight. (13, 14)
Low-carb group lost more calorie by eating till full compared to the high fat eating group which was calorie restricted.
Wrap up: Follow the portion control. Don’t completely cut your carb intake.
5. Record What you eat instead of counting calories
Stop counting, when you can easily track the food you eat. By tracking the food you ate, you will get an idea about much is your protein, fiber, and carb intake.
Don’t do the messy work of counting calorie as it will lower your calorie content of diet to its lowest level. Eat clean, and you will get the result.
Wrap up: Keep the record of what you eat and follow portion control, calorie intake will be balanced without effort.
Here are 10 more tips to lose weight without counting calories:
- Eat Food Slowly: Chew food slowly to feel fuller by eating less. It takes 20 minutes for the brain to signal stomach is full. (15, 16)
- Eat in Small Plate: If you want to lower calorie intake, then you should eat in small plate to prevent overeating without trying. (17, 18)
- Store unhealthy food out of site: Keep unhealthy food out of site that will prevent unwanted craving.
- Drink Water: Drinking water helps to regulate body function and metabolism. Drinking water increase calorie consumption to increase water temperature to body temperature. (19, 20)
- Sleep: A healthy sleep lower stress level and boost metabolism, vital for weight loss. (21, 22, 23)
- Eliminate carbonated Drink: By eliminating sugar loaded drink you will cut most with unhealthy calorie. A study found that 41 percent weight gain are due to carbonated sugar drink. (24)
- Serve unhealthy food in red plate: A study found that people eating red plate ate less compared to blue and white plates. (25)
- Eat When You are Hungry: Don’t get obsessed with following 4-5 times eating habit. Eat when you are hungry not to complete the target.
- Add Spices: Add spices in your meal and you won’t complain about your food taste. You will love and fell motivated to follow it.
- Get Rid of Stress: Stress increases cortisol level that lowers insulin, lowering body sugar and increase craving. (26)
Concluding:
That’s all about losing weight without counting calories. Take your time and plan it. It will be worth for the effort you will give.
You might get a slow result at the beginning, but above steps will give you the best result.
Find the best recipes and plan your portion to enjoy your weight loss instead of struggling…
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