HOW TO LOSE FAT WITHOUT TRACKING

Many people want to lose fat and they are not comfortable with weighing themselves on a scale or tracking their daily food intake. These practices may cause feelings of sadness, demotivation, and obsession with specific numbers. Seeing the number on the scale can be challenging: it makes the person feel unacceptable because they are attaching their sense of self-worth to a precise figure. Also, calorie and macronutrient tracking may cause the person to feel constrained and overwhelmed with trying to perfectly reach each target: leading to an emotional roller coaster.

Can you make progress without weighing yourself and tracking daily food intake? Yes!

CONSUME WHOLE FOODS

Whole foods are minimally processed and are mostly found in nature form. These foods contain essential nutrients and are associated with lower rates of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and depression. Also, a whole food diet can improve energy and appetite. 80% of your diet should consist of high quality and nutrient dense calories from whole food sources. Use the food list below for examples of protein, carbohydrate, fat, fruits, and vegetables:

HAND SIZE PORTIONS

Understanding how to estimate portion sizes with your hands is an ideal approach if you do not want to track specific calorie and macronutrient targets!

• Benefits

  • Provide a consistent size and reference

  • Scaled with the individual: bigger people need more food and tend to have bigger hands while smaller people need less food and tend to have smaller hands

  • Easily track food choices and nutrients

Use the table below to grasp an idea of how to estimate portion sizes with your hands:

• Meal Framework Example

  • 1-2 palms of high quality protein

  • 1-2 fists of fruits and vegetables

  • 1 cupped hand of carbohydrate

  • 1 thumb of fat
    

Individual needs and preferences vary depending on body size, activity level, and lifestyle!

INCREASING FOOD AWARENESS

Developing awareness and increasing mindfulness of eating habits is key when aiming to reach goals without tracking. This will help you identify struggles and understand hunger and fullness cues!

• Monitor Hunger Levels: only eat when you are hungry: eat slowly and pay attention to how the body feels after each bite to assess your fullness level. This will improve appetite regulation and mindful eating habits. You do not want to be extremely hungry or full: find that mild hunger area to be in a calorie deficit which will lead to sustainable fat loss

• Eat To 80% Full: this means stop eating when you are satisfied or mildly hungry. This helps build tolerance with slight discomfort and increases food awareness

• Use Small Plates: putting food onto a small plate helps control portion sizes and decreases the likelihood of overconsuming calories. By using small plates: the brain will be tricked into thinking you are more satisfied with fewer calories

• Remove Distractions: keep tempting foods out of sight and replace snacks with a bowl of fruits and vegetables. Put your phone away and do not eat in front of the TV to practice mindful eating habits: remain aware of your hunger and fullness cues

• Cook Meals At Home: restaurants often provide meals that are greater than the average person's needs and it is easy to overconsume calories. By cooking meals at home: you are in control of portion sizes and ingredients used

MEAL STRUCTURE

Aim to compose each plate with at least 25-35% of protein and 40-50% of fruits and vegetables before adding your carbohydrate and fat sources!

• Prioritize Protein: consuming protein at the beginning of each meal will lead to increased satiety and help maintain muscle mass

• Fruits And Vegetables: consume at least 3 to 4 servings of fruits and vegetables each day as this will aid in essential phytonutrients, digestion, and fiber intake

• Hydration: drink lots of water each day to aid in digestion and hunger management: a general rule of thumb is to drink 0.5 ounces of water for every pound of body weight as a minimum daily goal

INCREASING ACTIVITY

Daily exercise is a primary component of enhancing fitness and overall health!

• Resistance Training: essential to building muscle and improving body composition: focus on slowly increasing performance in the gym and training each muscle group 2x per week with each set taken within 1 to 3 repetitions of failure

• Daily Step Count: aim for a minimum of 10,000 steps daily and slowly increase from there: research has shown more steps per day improves fat loss and decreases all-cause mortality risk from chronic diseases

PRIORITIZE SLEEP

Inadequate sleep will negatively impact every aspect of life including mental cognition, performance, recovery, hunger, and risk of adverse health conditions. Also, research indicates that sleep is underappreciated and often a neglected component of fat loss. Aim to sleep 8 hours nightly and limit blue light to 1 to 2 hours before bedtime!

TAKING ACTION

Begin with small steps. You have to create the habits and confidence in increments because it will not get easier but you will improve at healthy nutrition practices by completing small steps over and over again. Setting too big of goals in the beginning can lead to failure and feeling bad about yourself!

• Accountability With Empathy: the goal is progress, not perfection. If you have a binge episode or make a mistake: do not beat yourself up. Instead: recognize what started it and what led up to the event. From there: identify barriers that can help prevent it from happening again! Ask yourself questions including what time of day does this happen and am I hungry or stress eating? Also, say it out loud: "this is usually where I have a binge episode." Saying things out loud to yourself can increase behavior change and improve mindfulness. Another helpful tactic can be to put a note on snack cabinets that remind you of your goals. More barriers will create mindful moments and take you out of autopilot mode!

HOW DO I KNOW IF I AM MAKING PROGRESS?

There are a few methods to monitor progress without tracking weight or food intake:

• Energy and Hunger Levels: monitor how you are feeling throughout each day and when you are most hungry. Remember: you do not want to be extremely hungry or full. Aim to remain in that mild hunger area

• Clothing: pay attention to how your clothes are fitting. If you are fitting into smaller sizes or notice your current clothes are looser or baggy: that is a great sign you are experiencing fat loss

• Progress Photos: take photos every 2 weeks to assess your physique and see physical changes happening to your appearance

PROTOCOL

Adhere to these guidelines for 3 to 4 months and reduce food intake a little bit each time you feel full for a week. Focus on consistency, positivity, and being in control of powerful habit building: set weekly realistic goals and celebrate each win. This creates momentum and intensifies confidence over time!

SUMMARY

Losing fat without tracking daily weight and food intake is possible! If you are curious about tracking and want to go for it: consider completing optional trial runs for 1 to 2 weeks at a time. Begin with small steps and find a specific approach that fits your lifestyle and preferences!