Achieving a healthy body weight helps reduce the risk of many serious diseases and health conditions, and can improve other areas of life such as mental health and your social life.
And while there’s nothing wrong with counting calories to help with weight loss, that method may not be right for everyone.
So here are some nutrition strategies to achieve weight loss without counting calories.
1. Include Protein in Every Meal
Several studies have concluded that protein is more effective than fats or carbohydrates at keeping you feeling full, which can contribute to consuming fewer calories.
Research also suggests a high-protein diet can increase the number of calories your body burns by boosting your metabolic rate. Digesting protein takes 30% more calories than carbs and fat. Also, protein helps you build muscle, which can help you burn more calories, even at rest.
2. Limit Liquid Calories
Similar to processed foods, liquid calories are less filling and often leave you hungry and craving more—which can lead to overconsumption.
Liquid calories are often abundant in drinks like specialty coffee, alcohol, juices, soda, sports drinks, and others.
Also, you can make smarter choices.
A regular cup of coffee with a dash of milk and even a little sugar has hundreds of fewer calories than the blended drinks, which are practically dessert in a cup. Same apply for sodas, juices etc.
3. Limit Processed Foods
Processed foods are often higher in calories and not as satiating, which is to say they don’t fill you up and are easier to overconsume.
Researchers have found that people consume more calories overall when they eat ultra-processed foods, as opposed to when they consume unprocessed foods—even when allowed to eat as much as they want.
4. Limit Snacking
Americans on average consume between 400-500 calories from snacking alone. That can be around 20% of all calories you consume in a day.
There’s nothing wrong with snacking, but prioritizing meals and limiting or eliminating snacking in between meals is another way to reduce overall calorie intake and aid in the weight loss process. Also, you can choose snacks with less calories. Instead of a bag of chips you can eat air-popped popcorn for example.
5. Include Fruit or Vegetables in Every Meal
Fruit and vegetables are often high in volume and lower in calories, which means they help fill you up for relatively few calories. They come packed with vitamins and minerals, which are essential nutrients that help your body function properly and stay healthy.
Fruit and vegetables also come chock full of fiber, which helps keep you full and eat better without tracking calories.
6. Eat Slowly
Neuroscience has shown us that it takes 20-30 minutes from the time you begin eating for your brain to send out signals that you’re satisfied.
Eating slowly allows ample time for the brain to signal that you’re satisfied and don’t need to eat more, therefore consuming fewer calories overall.
7. Increase Water Intake
One of the many benefits of optimal water intake is that it can act as an appetite control agent.
Drinking a glass of water before each meal can help you feel more full, helping to consume fewer calories. Also, you can eat water-rich foods like soup that will keep you full for longer periods of time.
Conclusion
How to eat better without tracking calories have 2 main goals – to make you full (or not hungry) for longer periods of time, and to make better choices with your food (eat same or similar food with significantly less calories).