If you want to lose weight by just winging it with your diet, here are some helpful strategies for reaching a calorie deficit without directly tracking calories. You will most likely reach quicker results by tracking, but to each his/her own. I bet you can see immediate results by following these simple rules.
1) Drink more water to stay full.
2) Don’t drink your calories when trying to lose weight. Just drink non-caloric beverages such as water, black coffee or black tea without sugar/milk.
4) Increase your daily activity levels with some 45-60 minute walks, 2-3 mile runs, or whatever activity you enjoy the most (2-3 times per week). Note: don't eat more because you exercised or you will negate the calorie deficit.
5) Put your fork down between bites to create awareness of what you are eating, and to slow down your eating process.
6) If you are in a group setting, find the person eating the slowest, and match their pace.
7) If you have a bad eating day, don’t punish yourself with extra exercise, as this will create an unhealthy relationship with food and exercise. Just try to do better the next day.
8) Don’t snack in between meals.
9) Try skipping breakfast, and just drink water and black coffee/tea until lunch. You will be able to eat bigger and more satisfying meals. Check out this blog post on Intermittent Fasting.
10) Plan healthier meals in advance, with less cooking fats, less sauces – and stick to no more than 5 ingredients within each meal.
Bonus tip:
11) Pick a consistent time each night to stop eating. Late night snacking can easily eliminate any kind of caloric deficit you may have achieved throughout the day.
