Good rules to follow if wanting to have break from counting calories but want to keep losing weight?
cyaneverfat
Posts: 527 Member
What would you recommend?
I'm thinking move everyday, cut back on bread and only get high quality, filling bread, stop eating potatoes, cut back on white rice (I don't eat much rice as it is), eat more greek yoghurt, add healthy fats to meal, try fasting, drink more water, cut back on processed foods, eat protein with every meal, stop eating when full, no more energy drinks, cut back on soda.
I'm trying to be healthier and cut out junk food and fast food 95% of the time because I have developed fatty liver and am probably in line to get diabetes. I want to lose my taste for certain foods, like donuts and pizza and prefer things I can make in my kitchen. My sister said to make a list of ten meals I enjoy that I can eat on rotation, but I think most of my favourite meals are somewhat unhealthy.
I'm thinking move everyday, cut back on bread and only get high quality, filling bread, stop eating potatoes, cut back on white rice (I don't eat much rice as it is), eat more greek yoghurt, add healthy fats to meal, try fasting, drink more water, cut back on processed foods, eat protein with every meal, stop eating when full, no more energy drinks, cut back on soda.
I'm trying to be healthier and cut out junk food and fast food 95% of the time because I have developed fatty liver and am probably in line to get diabetes. I want to lose my taste for certain foods, like donuts and pizza and prefer things I can make in my kitchen. My sister said to make a list of ten meals I enjoy that I can eat on rotation, but I think most of my favourite meals are somewhat unhealthy.
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Replies
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Personally I don’t count calories. But as a rule any recipe I make, if intended for 4 I portion it out to 5-6 servings instead. I live alone so this is easy to do.
It sounds like you have a lot more empty calories in your day than I do, also if you want a break from counting you would need to regulate those through habits. Honesty you might prefer counting and enjoy planned treats in moderation.6 -
Honestly you might do better with a simpler set of rules: such as, half my plate each meal should be salad or steamed veggies, as that will limit your calories without even trying. Or maybe- only use the small bowls for calorie dense meals13
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Maybe a veggie target:
Eg. At least 8 serves (half cup per serve, or one full cup for leafy greens) per day - potatoes don't count.
Or maybe mindfulness:
Eg. No multitasking while eating.
At least 15 chews per mouthful2 -
Maybe I should weigh new foods and track the calories the first time I eat something, then eat that amount each time so I have awareness?4
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Or, you could look at the recipes and foods you love and try and change them to substitute lower calorie ingredients. I'd use the recipe builder for my favorites and then when you see how much they are you can get an idea of how big your portion can be. Cut out the non-essential calories. Save a couple of things, in moderation, so you won't feel deprived. It takes awhile to acquire new tastes so don't get frustrated.
I remember that you have problems with calorie counting. Have you looked at some of the old threads for ideas for not counting? There used to be good information in them. You'll have to watch every meal at first and just stop yourself from going overboard. Maybe taking your measurements could help you see your progress. I'm sure that you can do this. Good luck and keep us informed.3 -
Eliminate or seriously limit meals out, like fast food and restaurant meals. Don't drink your calories, so cut down or out on alcohol, soda, fancy coffee drinks. Limit desserts/sweets. Limit fat, like fried food and large amounts of butter, mayo, etc. Increase fruits and vegetables. Eat whole grains instead of processed ones. Limit processed foods generally.
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I mean, it’s just as easy to overeat healthy foods as non healthy, so personally, it’s not a risk I’m willing to take. If you want to try it though and see how it goes, for you though, there’s nothing wrong with that.2
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cyaneverfat wrote: »What would you recommend?
I'm thinking move everyday, cut back on bread and only get high quality, filling bread, stop eating potatoes, cut back on white rice (I don't eat much rice as it is), eat more greek yoghurt, add healthy fats to meal, try fasting, drink more water, cut back on processed foods, eat protein with every meal, stop eating when full, no more energy drinks, cut back on soda.
I'm trying to be healthier and cut out junk food and fast food 95% of the time because I have developed fatty liver and am probably in line to get diabetes. I want to lose my taste for certain foods, like donuts and pizza and prefer things I can make in my kitchen. My sister said to make a list of ten meals I enjoy that I can eat on rotation, but I think most of my favourite meals are somewhat unhealthy.
From a calorie standpoint:
How much soda do you drink?
If, for example, you drank four 12 oz cokes per day, replacing those 560 calories with something zero calorie would be the only change you'd need to make.
(Make sure you have a caffeine substitute or you will get nasty caffeine withdrawal headaches.)
From a nutrition standpoint:
Most of your ideas, with the possible exception of fasting, as you did not define it, sound good.
I painlessly cut back on pizza (and other calorie dense foods) by eating it less often, and when I do, have a slice less and a big salad with it.3 -
I used to follow old school Body for Life guidelines. 6 meals a day with each meal a protein size of palm, complex carb size of fist. Veggies with at least 2 meals. An handful of nuts a day or two thumb size oil/fat. 10 glasses of water.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/87398049005375757/3 -
cyaneverfat wrote: »What would you recommend?
I'm thinking move everyday, cut back on bread and only get high quality, filling bread, stop eating potatoes, cut back on white rice (I don't eat much rice as it is), eat more greek yoghurt, add healthy fats to meal, try fasting, drink more water, cut back on processed foods, eat protein with every meal, stop eating when full, no more energy drinks, cut back on soda.
I'm trying to be healthier and cut out junk food and fast food 95% of the time because I have developed fatty liver and am probably in line to get diabetes. I want to lose my taste for certain foods, like donuts and pizza and prefer things I can make in my kitchen. My sister said to make a list of ten meals I enjoy that I can eat on rotation, but I think most of my favourite meals are somewhat unhealthy.
I would encourage you to explore all the positive reasons of portion control. On paper having a medical diagnosis and the possibility of another seems like a good enough motivator but these cause stress and many people cope with stress by craving certain foods.
One of the things you can do is instead of focusing on the health as an actual health problem, focus on how doing what you need to do will free you from the anxiety that it causes. It is a burden that you carry that weighs you down. I can tell you from personal experience that being liberated or mostly liberated just of the health stress is worth everything I have done all by itself.
But there is more. There are a whole list of current quality of life and future quality of life benefits to eating the right amounts. The more you invest in the whole spectrum of benefits the more your food and portion control will seem like minor inconveniences.
That is how I prefer to eat the way I do now. My system still allows for treats but all of that is moderated now... most of the time.
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*I'm thinking move everyday*
Everyone should do this if they can. No weight loss guarantee.
*only get filling bread*
Sounds smart: the more filling for the calories the more full you'll get on fewer calories! Sometimes fun things are good too... as long as sometimes is not all the time! 😹
*stop eating potatoes*
I find boiled and even roasted or bbqed potatoes quite filling for the calories myself as long as I don't dress them up with cheese, butter, and sour cream which are all things I used to do.
But if they are not a good caloric bargain for you... well then why go there.
*cut back on white rice (I don't eat much rice as it is)*
I have noticed very few nutritional and satiation differences between the various types of rice that are easily accessible to me, especially since most available white rice tends to be fortified.
What I consider an acceptable portion of rice and what the calories in rice say about acceptable portions makes me opt for boiled potatoes instead! 😹
*eat more greek yoghurt*
At times I like a smaller amount of thick Greek yogurt for the calories, other times I prefer a larger tub of normal yogurt...
*add healthy fats to meal*
This can work if you're deficient in certain fats, or if you eat very little fat in general (because you do need to eat some).
A few years before I joined MFP I started adding olive oil to more "unhealthy" meals in order to balance out the unhealthy fats I was eating with good healthy ones instead!
The year before I joined MFP I bought and consumed a 1l bottle of EVOO every two months. About 6, or 48,000 Cal a year. In the six years since... about 2, or a bit less than 3000 Cal a year...
*Substituting* healthier fats may work better for most of us as compared to *adding* healthier fats.
*try fasting*
If it helps you control calories better. For some it does. For many it does not. For most of us it does not keep working long term.
*drink more water*
If you're dehydrated or substituting water for other items you used to drink. If the color of your urine is appropriate then you're drinking sufficient water...
*stop eating when full*
That one would be sufficient for a lot of people as a weight loss strategy, especially if modified to "stop eating a little bit before you already feel full"
Problem is many of us over eat for reasons that go beyond simple hunger
*no more energy drinks, cut back on soda*
As mentioned above substituting with diet varieties would cut the calories to zero, or in any case a negligible number close to that.
Make sure to manage your potential caffeine withdrawal if you cut down substantially on energy drinks...
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The thing that works the best for me is "No eating after dinner." That means as soon as I have eaten my last bite of dinner, I don't eat anything else. This makes it easy to avoid after dinner snacks, and I also enjoy my dinner a lot more, usually, since I'm paying attention to what I'm eating. Do I slip up occasionally? Absolutely, but I find having that rule makes for an easier time losing weight. This is kind of an easy way to do some intermittent fasting without actually counting the hours.2
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Look over diary for patterns for each meal do you can have a simple template in mind for each meal. I lost 150 and logged for only the first 25.
You also need to be familiar with the portion sizes that fit within your calorie goal. I found it easiest to compare portion sizes to my hand because it is always available for visual comparison lol
Examples:
Breakfast
2 eggs prepared a variety of ways and fruit
oatmeal and yogurt and berries
Dinner
A grilled protein, salad, and veggies
Snacks
Yogurt & berries
Protein bar
I eat pretty consistently and don’t mind eating a lot of similar things from day to day. This also provided me a guideline when back in the “old days“ we could eat out.
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I roughly tracked my calories today. Doing good! Gonna try eating cleaner in the future.1
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I haven't actually started doing this, I didn't know how to implement it, so I am basically counting calories but trying to make most better choices. Turns out, its really easy to go over your daily allotment.1
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A trainer I follow recommends 3 plates (meals) and 2 snacks per day to lose weight without calorie counting. Each meal should consist mostly of protein and fruits/veggies, while each snack should be roughly fist-sized, depending on what it is.
I can maintain my weight very easily by using this method and really just focusing on most of my food being protein and fruits/veggies. If I want to lose, I need to count, though.2 -
I basically eat a similar diet most of the time, so don't have to think about it too much. I always start the day with a workout followed by coffee with protein. Then, I have either a fruit with nuts or an egg. My lunch is almost always veggies (roasted cauliflower or kale/mixed veg) with either a lean meat or chick peas/lentils/beans. I'll make a large batch on Sunday and eat the same lunch at least 3-4 days. My snack is fruit with nuts or a protein bar. Dinner has also been batch cooking(like casserole or noodle dish) but I like to also base this on a protein and vegetables, and then add a carb.
If weight creeps up, cut back on the dinner carbs or cheese, or less nuts for breakfast/snack.2 -
cyaneverfat wrote: »What would you recommend?
I'm thinking move everyday, cut back on bread and only get high quality, filling bread, stop eating potatoes, cut back on white rice (I don't eat much rice as it is), eat more greek yoghurt, add healthy fats to meal, try fasting, drink more water, cut back on processed foods, eat protein with every meal, stop eating when full, no more energy drinks, cut back on soda.
I'm trying to be healthier and cut out junk food and fast food 95% of the time because I have developed fatty liver and am probably in line to get diabetes. I want to lose my taste for certain foods, like donuts and pizza and prefer things I can make in my kitchen. My sister said to make a list of ten meals I enjoy that I can eat on rotation, but I think most of my favourite meals are somewhat unhealthy.
I haven't counted calories in years. I've more or less maintained my weight for about 7.5 years, but typically put on about 10 Lbs over the winter when my activity typically declines and then I take it off in the spring. Part of that is increased activity in spring time...moving everyday is important for your overall health and also makes losing weight and maintenance a little easier as you have more to work with.
I eat pretty healthfully for the most part, whether maintenance or trying to drop a few pounds...it helps me to fill up on lean proteins, veggies and fruit, and hardy sources of more complex carbohydrates like beans and legumes and oats...and I would also include potatoes in there. They are actually quite nutritious and IMO, not really calorie bombs for the nutrition they provide.
When I'm trying to cut a little weight, it's really a matter for the most part of cutting out a few snacks or desert to cut around 500 calories per day.
In general, even in maintenance, I limit the amount of eating out I do or take out...in my house, Friday night is usually take out night and that's pretty much it for the week...it is often pizza, but we've also been branching out to other local restaurants to give them our support. There are of course exceptions from time to time, but so long as exceptions don't become the rule, it's not that big of a deal...like yesterday my football team was on TV locally, which is rare...maybe once or twice per season...so I decided to go ahead and order wings and nachos for my wife and I from the local brew pub down the street for the occasion.
Fasting is something I tend to implement more in the summer months as we tend to have more social gatherings at the house with pool parties and BBQs and whatnot...so as a tool to help me maintain weight I will often skip breakfast so that I can have those calories available later in the day. It is something I do often when we have bigger social plans later in the day or we're planning on a big night out at a restaurant or something.
As far as stopping eating when full...I'm actually rarely "full"...I don't really like the feeling of being full. I'm usually just satisfied and good to go until the next planned meal. I rarely go back for seconds of anything, which isn't always a thing anyway since I often cook for just my wife and I and only make enough for a serving each for the meal. Things like soups and stews and casseroles I like having leftovers for the next day or two.
I for the most part try to avoid empty calories that really don't do a whole lot for me...I gave up full sugar sodas years ago and drink a diet soda if I'm really feeling like a soda...I'm usually more inclined to drink water or iced tea or bubbly water though.
Adding healthy fats is good if you're not getting enough of those from a nutritional standpoint...but I'd say swapping out the use of healthy fats in lieu of other fats is probably more beneficial when trying to lose weight because if you're already eating fats and then adding on more fats, you're just adding on more calories, not taking them away.2 -
I lol at portion size having one portion quickly gets me to see my portion is too big1
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Me tooangelexperiment wrote: »I lol at portion size having one portion quickly gets me to see my portion is too big
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