I’m about to describe how I eat, in general.
I think that for most people, a diet like mine will allow them to lose weight – even without exercise. And yes, even without counting calories.
All you have to do is listen to your appetite.
This is basically it:
- This is KEY: I’d guess that 3/4 of my diet is veggies, by volume. I eat as many veggies as I want. Many greens, but I don‘t shy away from starchy vegetables.
- I dress my salads however I want – sometimes including croutons, seeds etc. I personally only like a small amount of dressing, and usually no dressing at all.
- I eat a small amount of meat several times a week. Many weeks I don’t eat any meat at all.
- If I’m not eating a TON of greens for a particular meal, I use small plates. Large plates are ridiculous.
- I eat lots of soups, usually broth based (rarely creamy)
- I eat lots of eggs, every day. With a little bit of olive or coconut oil.
- I’m not big on dairy, but I have it when I want it
- I try to stay away from refined foods
- I eat not too many beans, but probably more than most people
- I eat 1 or 2 squares of chocolate every day
- Some days, I drink wine
- Occasionally, I eat bad stuff
The foods I eat most often are:
greens, eggs, sweet potatoes, avocados, tomatoes and onions
On Meal Frequency (and this is important!!):
I eat as often as I want, but I NEVER eat simply because it’s meal time. Some days I eat very often, and some days not at all. I eat completely according to my appetite.
On Physical Activity:
I stay active, but only because I enjoy it. I don‘t do harsh exercises. I walk often, hike often, and sometimes jog.
Three caveats to all of the above
1. Losing weight is different than maintaining weight. What I’ve described, to me, is a healthy diet – based on what we know now. If you eat like this, and according to your own appetite, then your weight should take care of itself, barring some other major issues.
If you go from eating processed foods to eating like this – I imagine you’ll lose weight without counting calories. But if you always eat like this, and you haven’t been losing weight, then of course you won’t. For you, adding exercise or cutting out some calories might work.
2. Getting from A to B is a trip. If you rely on processed foods and carbs for the majority of your needs, it could be very difficult to suddenly transition to a diet like this. You don‘t want to torture yourself, and yes – it may take time. I suggest adding vegetables to your diet first, rather than taking anything away. Believe it or not, I actually enjoy and prefer eating this way. It just took some getting used to.
3. This diet makes me feel full and satisfied. If this doesn’t make you feel full and satisfied, it’s not going to work for you. This is why I suggest adding rather than subtracting. Fill up on veggies that you love, and begin to gingerly try ones you don‘t care for. You might find that you get to an ideal weight without even trying.
Sometimes, Counting Calories is Good.
In some situations, counting calories might make sense. For more on that, check out my post On Counting Calories.
Happy not-counting 😀
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