How to Lose Weight Without Counting Calories

We all know that to lose weight, we need... .to burn more calories than we eat, so counting calories makes sense when trying to lose or maintain weight. The problem is, counting calories can often be very time-consuming and overwhelming. Plus, I find that when people count calories, they often become so focused on the number of calories that they forget to pay attention to other important things like the nutritional value of those calories. So rather than always counting, I like to use other strategies to keep me on track--here are a few of my favorites.

• Downsizing Dishes: In the nutrition world, a standard dinner plate is 9 inches across; however, most modern flatware is much bigger than that. Often times the salad plates are closer to the appropriate size than the dinner plates. That's why regularly in my meal posts, you see that I am eating off of a salad plate instead of a dinner plate. Plus, studies show that if food is on our plate, we are probably going to eat all of it. Therefore, if we start with a smaller plate, we will probably end up eating less overall.
• Filling Up on Fruits and Veggies: We all know how important fruits and veggies are in a healthy diet, and yet most of us still don't eat enough. Five fruits/veggies a day is actually the minimum, and it is easier than you think to meet your produce quota. I like to try to have at least 1 fruit/veggie with breakfast and lunch, 2 with supper, and 1 with a snack most days. Another way to make sure you are getting enough is to fill half your plate with fruits/veggies at every meal. Produce is generally so low in calories, it's a great way to keep in check while also getting plenty of nutrients.
• Paying Attention to Portions: Portion control is key when it comes to losing or maintaining weight. Even with healthy foods, it is easy to overdo our portions if we aren't careful. I recommend keeping several sets of measuring cups on hand to measure out cereals, nuts, snacks, and more. For comfort foods like mashed potatoes, chili, casseroles, pasta and more, use the measuring cup as a serving utensil to scoop the right size portion right onto your plate. A good rule of thumb is to stick to a half cup portion for sides or a one cup to 1.5 cup portion for main dishes.
• Last, but not least, make sure you are only eating when you are truly physically hungry. If you find yourself eating for other reasons (because you are bored, stressed, etc.) make sure to identify those reasons and have a plan for how you can deal with them in a healthy way without food, such as taking a walk, calling a friend, getting a bubble bath, or even just taking a few deep breaths.

If you remember to use smaller dishes, eat plenty of produce, pay attention to portions, handle cravings in a healthy way, and only eat when you are truly hungry, you can put down the calculator and stop counting calories while still staying fit.

http://www.self.com/fooddiet/blogs/eatlikeme/2011/10/lose-weight-without-counting-calories.html