How to Lose Fat Without Counting Calories.
Fat loss is hard and I will never say it isn’t hard or even necessary but for those that want to drop a few pants size it doesn’t have to be complicated. With a little diligence and taking the time to be mindful of what is going on with your body and food consumption you can make tons of progress without a single phone app, spread sheet, or note book.
The first thing we must do and this can be the toughest part, is clean up our diet. No food is bad but some are more nutritious than others, and the health promoting nutritious food is going to make up the majority of our food if not all of it most of the time. I break my foods into macronutrient categories. Most foods have multiple macros but whatever the highest quantity macro is, is where it gets categorized. Here’s a short list of common healthy foods
Protein: chicken, turkey, most fish, lean cuts of beef, lean cuts of pork.
Fats: nuts and nut butters, seeds, avocado, most plant oils.
Carbohydrate: whole grain breads and pastas, potatoes, fruit, rice, beans and lentils
Take an audit of your current diet to see where you can make improvements. I like to take photos of everything that I consume even water for 3 days, one being Saturday or Sunday. Be honest with yourself when you look at this data and don’t feel any shame, your diet doesn’t dictate your worth. This is data for you to look at as objectively as possible. If you notice you drink full sugar beverages or eating next to no fruits and veggies, those are great places to start making changes that align with your current goals.
Do nothing for 1-3 weeks besides cleaning up your diet. This doesn’t mean every meal has to be perfectly nutritious or you can’t go out to eat with friends occasionally but most of the time your goal is to add in healthier things and moderate the “treats”. Some people continue to take photos during this time to help with accountability. You may see some changes from this level already.
Once you feel confident you’re eating well, it’s time to take it to the next level. Now we can start adding in some portion control, because our food quality is good we want our food quantity to much up with our goals. I use a hand portion system here’s how it works:
Fist size = 1 portion of protein, carbohydrates, and vegetables.
Thumb size = 1 portion of fats.
Depending on your fitness level you’ll need more or less food. For the sake of generalization lets start with 1 portion of protein, carbs, and fats at each meal, with 1-2 portions of veg. We don’t need to be obsessive so don’t stress if your protein source is a tiny bit bigger than you fits as long as it’s pretty close.
From the beginning of this whole thing we want to be doing a periodic weigh-in. Most people do this once a week. If you notice no changes after a few weeks it’s time to make a change, perhaps you remove a portion of carbs, or if the weight-loss is more than 1% of your current bodyweight weekly it might be a good idea to add in a portion of something.
You repeat this process of monitoring and adjusting until you’ve reached your bodyweight goals. Here are some other bullet points for things you should keep an eye on as well.
Are you feeling hungry? That’s normal. Starving is not.
Are you more grumpy, losing sleep, or really low energy? You might be under eating.
Are you hungry because your bored or are you actually hungry? Have a piece of fruit and a glass of water to find out.
There are no rules, everyone is different, you may have to eat more or less than you expect.
You can use different forms of progress tracking other than the scale: photos and measurements work well too.
I hope this helps! Consistency is so important when you take on any kind of diet strategy. There is so much that goes into a diet and this article only scratches the surface but it’s a great place to start and gives you the flexibility to still enjoy life.
Lucas Edwards is not a doctor or registered dietitian. The contents of this document should not be taken as medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem. Always consult with your physician or a qualified health care provider on matters related to your health. Use of the information in this document is used at your own risk.