Weight loss options without calorie counting

[minipie]

I’d like to lose a bit of weight, not loads but 3/4 stone to a stone. I’m healthy BMI but am 5’3 and small framed so every pound is quite visible as extra squidge.

I know I will never, ever stick to calorie counting. I’m more likely to stick to something with big broad rules like no wheat, or fasting windows.

Ideally I’d like to be able to eat the same as the kids/ DH (but smaller portion or without the bread for example) for weekend meals. Weekdays I can be more strict.

Are there any programs I can follow that will work for this? 5:2 maybe?? Would be grateful if someone can give me a rundown of the options!!

Honestly? I’ve done loads of diets hoping each would be the one, but the only the only time I actually found success, and have kept the 4+ stone off long term, is by calorie counting and logging food on My Fitness Pal.
Tdee helped me realise what my calorie target needed to be and MFP helped me stay on track when losing and now (for 4+ years) for my maintenance calories. No foods are off limits, so I don’t feel deprived, and I don’t have to stick to an eating window.

https://tdeecalculator.net
reduce tdee by 20% for weight loss calorie target.

try 16:8 intermittent fasting. easy clear rules

Thank you for this. I have just done this and feel focussed! 😊

16:8 is an obvious one but personally I only ever maintain on it rather than actually losing weight, unless I do some element of calorie counting.

5:2 you would need to calorie count 2 days a week but I did lose weight doing it.

Low carb could work if you have good portion control (I don't, so piled on a load of weight)

I kind of expected some replies saying it has to be calorie counting! I do understand that is the only “cheat proof” way. I can imagine on low carb I would just eat loads of cheese 😬

But I know I won’t stick to the calorie counting and logging, I don’t have enough weight to lose to make it worth the hassle, iyswim.

Best option for me sounds like 5:2 and I’ll do the 2 days in the week. Maybe I can look up some meals which are 500 cal so I don’t have to calorie count those, I just make the recipe and know that’s what they are? I’m hoping there are websites with 500cal recipe ideas …??

I suppose the risk is that I might eat more than usual on the 5 days, so no overall benefit. But hopefully unlikely as it’s a different day.

16:8 I kind of do already as I don’t really get hungry in the mornings

It has to be calorie reduction, then how you reduce them, by restricting how often you eat, restricting a macro, be it fat or carb, restricting them overall by counting is indifferent.
Everything comes down always at the number of calories you ingest and how you body will process them. Forget the calories out part.
Intermittent fasting will work if you overall calories on average between fast days and normal days are lower than your needs.

You can calorie count your typical meals.
But what you should really do, is learn how the processing of food will change the way it is broken down by your body. Take almonds. Whole almonds and almond flour have the same number of calories , 579 for 100g , but when eaten whole, the body will only absorb 70% of those calories as breaking the cell matrix consumes energy, whereas almond flour, easy peasy, you absorb 100%.

You don't want to count, you don't have to. Cut the UPF, the takeaways, the alcohol and the snacks. Start there. Double your veggies (without sauce). Have whole grains and not too much.

Mad1988 I do already eat a good diet nutritionally, cook from scratch, plenty of veg grains pulses whole nuts/seeds etc. Unfortunately also plenty of butter, cheese, olive oil and other high calorie stuff. I eat good stuff promise, just a little too much of it!

I probably ought to cut out butter and cheese but 😭

Cut the butter, cheese and no more than 35 gr of nuts/seeds per day.
Don’t take them out completely but you fancy cheese, that night your dinner is a big salad and cheese. The day you want butter on your steak, don’t have any nuts, and so on.
All calories add up.

Maybe use smaller bowls and plates to easily reduce portion sizes?

What do you do exercise wise? Strength training, if you aren't already doing it, might be the answer. Or take up dancing?

I'm currently losing weight without calorie counting (like you I can't do it) It's part being very conscious of hunger levels, and reducing processed carbs and alcohol and increasing exercise. Basically a few small changes. And have a tight dress to measure changes as the scales won't show changes in size or body composition and you many get discouraged.

Check out Dr Jason Fung’s YouTube or website (The Fasting Method) for why we shouldn’t be calorie counting.

I am doing the six pack revolution programme. There is no calorie counting but it might not fit in with the need for the same meals for everybody. There is a strict meal plan to follow. I am managing it because my husband will eat anything put in front of him. Children might not be so accommodating. The exercise routines are also very strict.

I think calorie counting would be easier to be honest.

This is what I was going to say

Just work out breakfast and lunch calories for a few specific things that allow for your evening meal with your family.
Then just have those on rotation.
You might be better off to skip breakfast or have something like yoghurt and berries.
Then have a lunch that's substantial but low in calories like a soup or salad containing protein.
Then nothing till dinner.

Thanks

Yes I think maybe having something low cal for lunch every day (soup salad or dal) would be good. And then the tricky bit, restraining myself from topping up with cheese/pate/nuts mid afternoon!! I don’t eat breakfast (except milky coffee so some cal there).

Yes portion sizes are an issue too, DH eats huge portions and it’s too easy to automatically serve myself the same as what he’s having. Need to watch that.

Exercise I do 4x 45 min per week, mix of weights and Pilates. 10k steps a day. So not bad and I’m happy with the fitness benefits. But it makes me hungry!!

Will look up Dr Jason Fung thanks. Also six pack revolution (but that sounds hardcore!!)

Ok so
low cal lunch and no mid afternoon snack
watch portion size esp dinners with DH
maybe try 5:2

I almost do 16:8 already but it doesn’t work for me as I just eat a shedload in that 8 hrs

Lean protein (palm size) and fruit/veg at every meal. Reduce carbs - 1 meal carb free. Small quantity of fat.
Take a photo every time you eat so you can see in the evening a truthful account of your food. Drink plenty of water. Minimal booze.

I’d recommend listening to ESG Fitness podcast - it’s a PT called Emma Storey-Gordon who apparently specialises in smaller women. She’s all about losing fat whilst having life balance.

I’m a massive fan of her 3/1 approach - work out a rota of breakfast, lunch and a snack that adds up to 900 calories and then eating a fairly normal dinner. Rinse and repeat and you don’t really have to track calories. I’m inside the healthy BMI range but have lost weight doing this and lifting weights & spinning.

https://esgfitness.substack.com/p/the-31-method - her SubStack is free to read.

The core of Jason Fung theory is that Insulin causes weight gain. Too bad that all the drugs that have made the revolution in weight loss such as Ozempic and Mounjaro act by raising insulin. He is a fraud. And a bully https://biolayne.com/articles/research/its-not-calories-its-hormones-a-response-to-dr-jason-fung/
Anytime you reduce calories by any mean, you lose weight. Fasting reduces your eating time. Low carb your eating choice . Low calorie your eating amount, take Fast 800 which is a combo of fasting+low cal+low carb . Of course you lose weight.

The core of Jason Fung theory is that Insulin causes weight gain.

His theory is that insulin resistance causes obesity.

It is ultimately about calories, so if you don’t want to count them, you could create the deficit by significantly ramping up your activity levels.

If you’ve never dieted before, don’t do it now, particularly with so little to lose. Just cut down on treats or portion sizes for a bit.

Dieting will destroy your relationship with food

LoveSandbanks agree I don’t want to get into any very onerous or unsustainable type of diet. I don’t even own scales. And I have 2 tween girls so don’t want to introduce the idea of “a diet” at all.

Hence looking for something that is limited to times when they aren’t here! And yes maybe I can manage it just by changes that are sensible anyway like not eating same portion size as DH, and not snacking… more water is another one…

No, he doesn't say that. He says " instead of a surplus of calories, obesity is caused primarily by high insulin levels. "

Here is the full quote:
“Once we understand that obesity is a hormonal imbalance, we can begin to treat it. If we believe that excess calories cause obesity, then the treatment is to reduce calories. But this method has been a complete failure. However, if too much insulin causes obesity, then it becomes clear we need to lower insulin levels.”
― Jason Fung, The Obesity Code

Now, ozempic and Mounjaro significantly increase insulin and kill his theory at the same time.

I don’t think they do “kill” his theory. There’s still plenty of evidence that people have lost weight, kept weight off, and reversed Type 2 diabetes following his methods and eithout the costs associated with drugs.

Fung does state that ultimately losing weight is about calories, but CICO is like saying alcoholism is caused by drinking too much alcohol, so can be cured by drinking less alcohol.

The way these drugs work is interesting, especially how they challenge Fung’s explanation of why fasting works (and the benefits of fasting beyond reducing calories for some people).

Fung does state that ultimately losing weight is about calories, but CICO is like saying alcoholism is caused by drinking too much alcohol, so can be cured by drinking less alcohol

It is nothing like the same thing.