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How to Lose Weight Without Counting Calories
Updated on August 16, 2022
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Diet / Weight Loss


How to Lose Weight Without Counting Calories
Updated on August 16, 2022


HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT WITHOUT COUNTING CALORIES

Written by
Kelly Jamrozy
Kelly Jamrozy
Content Contributor
Kelly has experience working with clients in a variety of industries, including
legal, medical, marketing, and travel. Her goal is to share important
information that people can use to make decisions about their health and the
health of their loved ones. From choosing the best treatment programs to
improving dental and vision health to finding the best method for helping anyone
who is struggling with health issues, she hopes to share what she learns through
informative content.
5 sources cited

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In This Article

 * Counting Calories for Weight Loss
 * Can You Lose Weight Without Counting Calories?
 * 19 Ways To Lose Weight Without Counting Calories

In This Article

 * Counting Calories for Weight Loss
 * Can You Lose Weight Without Counting Calories?
 * 19 Ways To Lose Weight Without Counting Calories

If you want to lose weight, but feel overwhelmed or discouraged by the thought
of having to count calories, you are not alone. 

Calorie counting may be a popular way to lose weight, but it isn’t your only
option. 

You can drop those extra pounds without a single calculation. And best of all,
you’ll eat plenty of satisfying, nutritious food without keeping track of
anything.


COUNTING CALORIES FOR WEIGHT LOSS

The average person should eat between 1200 and 1800 calories per day to lose
weight. Your daily calorie limit depends on your sex, activity level, age, and
other factors. 

Counting calories helps you limit your calorie intake. Basically, you want to
count calories in every food you eat. You can use a food journal but a
calorie-counting app makes things so much easier.


CAN YOU LOSE WEIGHT WITHOUT COUNTING CALORIES?

Yes. While calorie counting helps, it’s not the only way to lose weight. The key
to losing weight is to create a calorie deficit. 

There are two ways to achieve calorie deficiency:

 1. Changing your diet
 2. Exercise

Simple food swaps can have a huge impact on your total calories. For example, if
you drink water instead of soda, you can reduce your intake by 201 calories with
each meal.

Many weight loss diets can make you lose weight without counting. For example, a
vegan diet which consists of fruits and vegetables can help you consume fewer
calories.

Combining a healthy diet with exercise not only reduces your calorie
consumption. It can also help you burn fat.

Exercise increases your total energy expenditure or the number of calories you
burn in a day.

If you’re not used to exercising, you can start by walking 5 to 10 minutes per
day. As you get more comfortable, you can progress to 22 minutes of daily brisk
walking or 30 minutes for 5 days.

According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, adults need 150
minutes of moderate intensity aerobics every week.


19 WAYS TO LOSE WEIGHT WITHOUT COUNTING CALORIES

Here are some easy-to-follow tips so you can lose weight without counting all of
the time:


1. EAT MORE LOW CALORIE DENSE FOODS

It’s not just how much you eat; it’s also what you eat. Replacing calorie-dense
foods with low-calorie alternatives is a great way to reach a calorie deficit.

The key is to feel while consuming as few calories as possible. This means
choosing high-fiber and other filling foods that are low in calories.

Examples of low-calorie foods include:

 * Vegetables
 * Lean meats
 * Eggs
 * Berries
 * Legumes
 * Reduced-fat milk and yogurt

Here is a guide on calorie density.


2. AVOID HIGH CALORIE DENSE FOODS

Along the same lines as the first tip, you’ll also want to avoid calorie-dense
foods. Foods with high calorie density have more calories than they have
nutrients. 

Keep in mind that high-calorie foods aren’t always unhealthy. Nuts are high in
calories and fat, but they are also fairly nutritious. Olive oil is another
healthy option but is high in calories.

That said, there are plenty of high-calorie foods lacking in nutrition. This
includes foods that are high in sugar, processed foods, and red meats. 

Think of it this way: You want a good “bang for your buck” when it comes to
calories. The calories you consume should make you feel full and help you meet
your daily nutritional needs.


3. WATCH YOUR SERVING SIZE

Most people eat more than they realize. The ever-increasing serving sizes at
restaurants are partially at fault. People don’t know what a proper serving
looks like anymore.

While you can measure your servings, this is just as much of a hassle as
counting your calories. If you want a fast way to measure your serving size, use
your hand as a measuring tool.

Protein servings should be about the size of your palm. Carbohydrate servings
can be fist-sized. Even if this isn’t exact, it helps you get a feel of how much
food you should be eating.

Tip: Calorie counting apps can tell you how many calories there are per serving
of food. Since they do the calculating, it doesn't take much effort.


4. BALANCE YOUR PLATE

A great way to reduce your calories without counting is to make sure you eat
balanced meals. Most people aren’t eating enough servings of vegetables each
day, so increasing this benefits you.

A balanced plate is half-filled with vegetables. The other half can be filled
with protein, fat, and carbohydrates. This way, you’ll get plenty of fiber and
nutrition, and automatically reduce calories.

A good sample plate might be half full with broccoli, quarter full with grilled
salmon, and a quarter full with whole grain rice.


5. EAT MINDFULLY

If you’ve caught yourself eating “dinner” directly from the bag of chips, you
are selling yourself short. Mealtime should be a ritual. 

You should put your servings of food on a plate, sit down, relax, and chew
slowly. Focusing on your meal is a form of self-care and it helps you make
better food choices. 

The Noom Diet Plan is a great place to start if you want to eat mindfully.


6. AVOID HIGH SUGAR COFFEE DRINKS

If you’re addicted to a morning or afternoon dose of caffeine, make sure it’s
not the undoing of your diet. Many of today’s coffee orders are more dessert. 

The good news is most coffee shops offer lower-calorie alternatives, so you can
get your jolt without adding several hundred calories. Or you can also switch to
home-brewed coffee to control the amount of sugar you put in.


7. SATISFY YOUR SWEET TOOTH

Most people assume that you should stop eating desserts as part of your weight
loss efforts. But this doesn’t need to be the case. 

In fact, some of the best weight loss diets (Noom and Weight Watchers) let you
eat your favorite foods.

Besides, suddenly cutting out sweets can cause sugar withdrawal. Sugar
withdrawal causes unpleasant symptoms, including:

 * Headaches
 * Cravings
 * Fatigue
 * Anxiety
 * Depression

This can send you into a dieting tailspin and cause you to binge on sweets. So
instead of eliminating sugar from your diet, we recommend satisfying your sweet
tooth in a healthy way. 

For instance, you can eat fresh fruit to top your meal. If you must indulge in
“traditional” desserts like cakes, pies, or candy, eat half of what you normally
would.


8. LIMIT CONDIMENTS

It’s common for people to cut down on their serving sizes and make better food
choices, but get frustrated when they don’t lose weight. The culprit might be
overconsuming condiments.

Things like mayonnaise, ketchup, and salad dressings are high in calories. You
could be adding several hundred calories to each meal without even realizing
it. 

Cutting back doesn’t mean eliminating condiments. But if you’re trying to reduce
calorie intake, consider using the drizzle method or dipping the food into a
small side serving of a condiment.


9. AVOID HIDDEN SUGAR

Just because a food doesn’t have “sugar” on its ingredients list, doesn’t mean
you are safe. Many processed foods contain sugar, even if they aren’t sweet or
their food label doesn’t say.

Breakfast cereals, condiments, sweet yogurts, and carbonated beverages are some
foods with hidden sugars. When reading the ingredients list, watch out for:

 * Corn sweetener
 * Corn syrup
 * Dextrose
 * Ethyl maltol
 * Fructose
 * Fruit juice concentrates
 * Glucose
 * Maltose
 * Sucrose
 * High-fructose corn syrup

Some food tracking apps can tell you if your food contains hidden sugars.


10. BE PICKY WITH PROTEIN

If you’re eating a lot of high-fat meats like beef, you can cut calories by
opting for leaner proteins such as chicken. Keep in mind that how you prepare
your protein is important. 

If you’re cooking deep-fried chicken, the oil you use to fry it can drastically
increase your calories. 

On the other hand, grilling or baking can lessen your calories without reducing
your protein intake.


11. GET ADEQUATE SLEEP

Poor sleep can cause food cravings and hormonal imbalance. This makes it more
difficult to lose weight.

If you aren’t getting at least 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep each night, it’s
time to rethink your sleep regimen. Your body will thank you in more ways than
just weight loss.


12. STAY HYDRATED

Drinking water is a great way to improve your chances of weight loss. Water
fills you up, so you’re less likely to overeat. Sometimes, people turn to food
when they feel thirsty because they mistake it for hunger.

Proper hydration helps your body function better overall, too. In addition to
weight loss, you’ll have more energy, healthier skin, and better digestion.


13. KNOW YOUR HUNGER

People don’t always eat because they are hungry. Sometimes, emotions and fatigue
can make you want to eat even though you aren’t hungry. 

Unfortunately, you may end up eating more calories than you would. So before you
even think about food, pause and ask yourself why you want to eat.

If you are eating because you’re stressed or tired or want to “reward” yourself
after a bad day, then it’s not a good reason to eat.

You should only eat only when you’re hungry so you don’t resort to emotional
eating. The better you understand your moods, the easier it will be for you to
keep your hunger under control.

We usually recommend Noom for this. Unlike other weight loss programs, they
provide tips and coaching on stress management.


14. COOK AT HOME

While there are restaurants that offer healthy meals, cooking your meals at home
is almost always the better option. 

When you cook your own food, you have complete control over ingredients. You
know exactly what ingredients to use and how much of them go into the meals you
prepare.


15. MAKE A DIET PLAN

Creating a meal plan prevents you from making impulsive decisions like ordering
takeout. Some people do well with a very detailed food plan, while others just
need a general idea of what they’ll have day-to-day.

The key is to find what works for your schedule. Without a plan, you can easily
make bad choices and exceed your calorie limit.

You can use weight loss apps to plan your meals. Many of them provide access to
healthy recipes and meal planners.


16. INVEST IN SMALLER PLATES

Want a simple way to eat less? Put your food on a smaller serving plate.

This might seem too good to be true, but if you cannot add extra calories to
your plate, you can’t eat those extra calories. Just don’t go back for seconds.


17. DON’T SKIP MEALS

Cutting calories doesn’t mean you should limit the number of times you eat in a
day. Skipping meals can be counterintuitive, since you may eat more at a later
time.

The key to long-term weight loss is developing healthy habits you can stick
with. You don’t want to deprive yourself or do anything that only works
temporarily.

Eating three meals a day isn’t going to stop you from losing weight, as long as
you eat healthy. This means choosing the right foods and eating the right
portions.

The only exception to this rule is if you're on intermittent fasting.


18. MAKE TEA TIME PART OF YOUR ROUTINE

Do you find yourself snacking mid-day as a pick-me-up? Consider adding the
refined ritual of tea time to your daily calendar.

Tea contains catechins, which are antioxidants that speeds up your metabolism.
Studies show that tea catechins encourage fat-burning, which aids with weight
loss.

Tea is also a low calorie drink with just 1-2 calories per cup. Make sure it's
plain brewed tea and not sweetened to avoid any excess calories.


19. START EXERCISING

Most weight loss experts know that your diet is the most important part of
weight loss. “You can’t out-exercise a bad diet,” as the saying goes.

But this doesn’t mean that exercise can do absolutely nothing for you. Pairing
healthy choices with exercise can help you get a calorie deficit. 

Make sure you check with your doctor before exercising. People who are
overweight, obese, and have heart problems, may require specialized routines.
But for most people, some walking may be enough.

Tip: If you are new to exercise, fitness apps can help you get started with
simple workouts.






RESOURCES

SHOW
HIDE

 1. “2015-2020 Dietary Guideline for Americans.” Office of Disease Prevention
    and Health Promotion.
 2. “FoodData Central.” U.S. Department of Agriculture.
 3. “Finding the Hidden Sugar in the Foods You Eat.” John Hopkins Medicine. 
 4. “Higher dietary flavone, flavonol, and catechin intakes are associated with
    less of an increase in BMI over time in women: a longitudinal analysis from
    the Netherlands Cohort Study.” PubMed.
 5. "How much physical activity do adults need?" Centers for Disease Control and
    Prevention. 


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Kelly Jamrozy
Content Contributor
Kelly has experience working with clients in a variety of industries, including
legal, medical, marketing, and travel. Her goal is to share important
information that people can use to make decisions about their health and the
health of their loved ones. From choosing the best treatment programs to
improving dental and vision health to finding the best method for helping anyone
who is struggling with health issues, she hopes to share what she learns through
informative content.
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