How To Lose Weight Without Counting Calories

Wondering how to lose weight without counting calories or excessive dieting? Luckily, you don't need to count calories to lose weight. With the inclusion of these 5 simple lifestyle changes, losing weight can be easy and not so stressful!

 

Counting calories is a hassle. You have to weigh or portion your food, record how much you ate and any additives, beverages, sauces, cooking oils, cooking methods, and so much else! No, thanks! But, we’re still interested in shedding those extra chocolates we ate during quarantine, so, we’ve hacked the system. This season we’re putting away the food scale, deleting the tracking apps, and shedding those extra pounds for good! And, you can do it too, no calorie counting involved! How? Keep reading to find out!

Disclaimer: This article was created for informational purposes only. Please consult with your health care team prior to making any changes to your diet or lifestyle. 

Can You Lose Weight Without Counting Calories?

Absolutely! Using the method that we’ll discuss below will not only help you lose the weight, but it will also help you to keep it off for good. In fact, calorie counting can lead to obsessive behaviours, food shame, and do more harm than good if not handled correctly. Additionally, it may not be sustainable long term as nutritional information is not always available. With our method, you’ll be able to eat without a calorie counter in your hands and achieve and maintain your ideal physique no matter where you go! To understand how this method works, let’s first dive into how you lose weight.

How Do You Lose Weight?

The science behind weight loss is actually rather simple. In order to lose weight, the calories you burn throughout the day should be more than the calories that you consume. This is called creating a caloric deficit. The size of your caloric deficit can differ. In most cases the bigger the calorie deficit, the greater the weight loss. You can create a caloric deficit by either decreasing the amount of calories that you consume from food or by increasing the amount of calories you burn throughout the day. A moderate caloric deficit in your diet and a moderate increase in the amount of calories you burn is all you might need to shed those extra pounds and keep them off for good. 

So, how do you know if you’re in a caloric deficit if you’re not tracking your calories?

Great question! This is going to require the dreaded task of stepping on the scale--which let’s be honest if you’re reading this you’ve likely stepped on a scale recently. You could also take measurements or before & after photos, but the scale is the best choice for this method. The first step of this method is to step on the scale and record your starting weight. Then, you’ll want to follow the steps below!

How Can You Lose Weight Without Counting Calories?

The secret to losing weight without counting calories is by developing healthy habits. By making small changes to your daily routine, you can create a moderate caloric deficit without even realizing it. And, the best part is that by developing these healthy habits you’ll be able to maintain your new physique without even trying. Oh, and did we mention that you can still eat the foods you love? That’s right! No food is off limits in this process. You are free to include all the foods that make you and your body feel good. All you have to do is incorporate any or all of these strategies into your lifestyle, and let your body do the rest!

Strategy #1: Ditch the Sugary Drink

The saying, “Don’t drink your calories,” applies in our method. Now, we’re not saying give up your favourite drink completely, but rather consume less of it. By consuming even one less sugary drink per week, you can achieve some serious weight loss results. To illustrate our point, let’s say that your favourite sugary drink is 250 calories and you drink it three times a day, every day. By taking out just one of these sugary drinks a day for seven days you’d be effortlessly saving yourself 1750 calories--that’s half a pound gone without you even breaking a sweat! Crazy, right? Now, just imagine what you could achieve once you fully transition from your high-calorie, sugary drink to a flavoured water, a low-calorie drink, or maybe even water!

Strategy #2: Drink More Water

Water is one of the most underrated tools when it comes to weight loss. Aside from keeping you hydrated, water takes up volume in your stomach. Your stomach has limited volume available, meaning that once it reaches a certain volume it will let you know that you’re full. By consuming an adequate amount of water throughout the day and at meal time, you’ll reduce your likelihood of overeating. Nonetheless, it is not advisable to over consume water as overhydration is harmful to your body. On average, individuals are advised to consume 8 glasses of water per day or 2 litres. However, this will vary per person. As a general rule of thumb, simply drink water whenever you feel thirsty. A good trick is to always carry a water bottle around. And, if you don’t enjoy the taste of water try adding some flavour drops or some fresh fruits (i.e. strawberries, lemons, kiwi etc.) and veggies (i.e. cucumbers, etc.) to your water.

Strategy #3: Catch More Z’s

This would probably be our favourite strategy of them all: get more sleep! Sleeping is not just a time for you to get some rest, but also a time for your body and mind to reset. When we don’t get enough sleep we can become moody leading to emotional eating. Additionally, our bodies crave more food, and more unhealthy food to be specific, when we don’t get a good night’s rest. On average, you should aim for eight hours of quality sleep -- this means in pitch black darkness, without any devices or controllable noises that could interrupt your sleep. To learn more about how to get a good night’s rest read: What To Eat Before Bed For Better Quality Sleep.

Strategy #4: Get More Protein

PSA: A high protein diet is not just for bodybuilders! Protein is your best friend when it comes to weight loss. Protein is the most filling nutrient in food. By adding a quality source of protein (plant-based or animal-based) to each meal you can automatically reduce the amount of calories that you consume per meal. Additionally, consuming a source of protein in all your meals will help regulate your blood sugar and prevent severe spikes and drops; This is important because dramatic drops in our blood sugar levels can trigger cravings amongst other symptoms. Moreover, stabilizing your blood sugar will cause you to feel more energized, resulting in better workouts or activity throughout the day. As you can see by the benefits explained above, protein is necessary to achieve your weight loss goals without counting calories. Ensuring that you have a source of plant-based or animal protein in each meal and snack is the secret to success. Some examples of protein sources are: nuts, beans, legumes, fish, eggs, chicken, and beef. 

Strategy #5: An Apple a Day, Keeps The Extra Weight Away

As much as we’d like to ignore it, it is essential for anyone looking to shed a few pounds to get in their fruits and vegetables on the daily. Why? Fruits and vegetables contain high amounts of fibre. Fibre is what helps to keep us full and our gut happy and healthy. By ensuring to eat foods high in fibre in every meal and snack you’ll stay fuller for longer meaning less cravings, overeating and excess calorie consumption. By reaching for fruits, vegetables, and whole grains at each meal, you’ll easily meet your fibre goals and your weight loss goals. And, if you’re not a fan of fruits, veggies, or whole grains on their own, look for products that contain these as the main ingredient. Check out our high fibre section here!

Bonus Strategy: Reframe Your “Why”

When it comes to weight loss, there will come a time where the scale will fight back. A weightloss journey is not an easy and straightforward path, rather a dimly-lit one with lots of twists and turns. And, when these twists and turns occur, you’re going to need a stronger reason than an aesthetic-based reason to want to keep going. For this reason, it is recommended to develop a more meaningful “why”. Yes, you may want to lose weight to “look better”, but why else? To live a healthier lifestyle? To be able to play with your kids? To be able to attend your grandchild’s wedding? To fight a disease or clinical condition? No matter what your “Why” may be, ensure that it is strong enough to help you fight through the tough times of the weight loss journey. To help you develop a stronger “Why” ask yourself these questions:

1. What will my life be like once I achieve this goal?
2. How will I feel if I don’t achieve this goal? 
3. What will happen if I don’t achieve this goal?

Final Steps 

After incorporating any or all of these strategies, your final step is to weigh yourself again and see if you lost weight. If the number on the scale went down then great, we can confirm that you’re in a caloric deficit--keep going with the plan! If the number stayed the same, then you may need to add a little more physical activity into your day or to incorporate more of these strategies into your lifestyle. Make small adjustments until you find that sweet spot that allows you to lose weight. Continue to build healthy habits until you achieve your goal!

Key Take-Aways

Losing weight without counting calories is possible with simple lifestyle changes. By adopting these strategies you can achieve your weight loss goals and maintain your results. The key to taking off the excess weight is to learn to undo the habits that caused you to gain the excess weight and to maintain a positive mindset. You can achieve weight loss without eliminating any foods from your diet or excessively exercising. Including lots of rest, water, protein, and high fibre foods that you enjoy in your diet can facilitate the weight loss process. Ready to shed the extra weight? Shop essential foods here!