I wanted to share what is working for me in case this helps others who struggle like I do with counting calories. Long post ahead!
I’ve lost weight before by counting calories which worked for me, but it was mentally exhausting. Eventually I’d hit my goal weight or life got stressful and I’d stop, then gain again.
While I counted calories I’d usually feel obsessed with trying to get the exact amount of food I needed to hit a number, or stressing that I felt famished after I reached my calorie count.
Since reading here I have been taking a more moderate approach. I’m using plates and bowls that work for portion control and building my food and water routine around the right portions. Then I adjust what goes on my plate to ensure I’m losing weight at the right pace.
What this looks like for me - 5’4” CW 151 lb - SW 170 lb. Losing 1-2 lbs/week.
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Morning - 2 breakfast teas. Each one gets a packet of truvia and 1 small splash of whole milk. Coffee upsets my stomach and gives me jitters so I avoid it. Then I switch to water, which I drink with meals and throughout the day and evening.
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Lunch - I use a tiny plate that holds toast or a small bowl that’s barely bigger than a rice bowl. I either have a pb&j (light on the pb/j) plus a fruit, or 2% cottage cheese, sometimes with lunch meat on top and some fresh vegetables. If I’m having leftovers? Gotta be what fits in that small bowl without going over the top.
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Dinner - slightly bigger salad bowl. Make sure dinner is a healthy lean protein and a bunch of vegetables. If I want rice or another heavier starch that is getting measured in a measuring cup. No seconds unless it’s just the vegetables and only if I’m feeling hungry still. You know, for vegetables.
That’s it. Most days I don’t snack or have dessert. If I notice that I am feeling too low calorie/low blood sugar, I have options. Low cal fruit popsicle if I want something sweet or air popped popcorn if I want something with a little salt after dinner; apple or hard boiled egg during the day.
Some things to know about me:
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I already know a lot about nutrition, macros, calorie counts, glycemic index of foods etc so I know what approximate nutritional value I’m getting from what I eat
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I shop for and cook my own food and can avoid most processed food
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I do strength training (beginner level) 3x per week for 45 minutes a session
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I weigh myself regularly to check my progress so I can adjust my portions/meals to keep the downward trend
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I quit drinking. Alcohol makes me sleep like crap in addition to making me want to snack or overeat. The next day I wake up feeling worse and need more food to keep my energy levels up. If you’re drinking and getting poor sleep I highly recommend dropping that habit and working on your sleep hygiene.
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I have been focusing on being okay mentally with hunger. Listening to my body and learning what different hunger signals mean. Do I want chips because I’m still hungry? Feeling anxious about a deadline? Overtired? What else might help, like water or going to bed or maybe I should eat but do I really want chips or something more filling? Maybe I’m just really craving being able to taste a chip so I have a few and then I stop.
Give yourself some time to shrink your stomach and move to smaller portions. Give yourself time to swap out what you put on your plate.
Anyway, I hope this helps anyone out there who might be better off focusing on portion control and giving yourself healthy options with the occasional treat. It has been really freeing for me to realize I can pace myself, eat whatever food I want to put on the family meal plan for the week, and just make sure I listen to my body and do what I need to do to take good care of myself rather than restrict for the sake of hitting targets and give up certain foods forever.
Not only has my mental approach made me feel so much better about this, I have been really enjoying the journey as I lose weight. Every half pound or so feels like I’m making a difference - I can do one more good push up per set, I fit into an old pair of pants, my knee doesn’t hurt when I walk for more than a mile, and just yesterday I was taking the stairs with ease! I have a way to go but I feel like I’m making sustainable changes that I can keep for life.
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