3 Simple Ways To Lose Weight Without Counting Calories

Last Updated August 31, 2018 By Brad Elgan

I think you’ll agree with me when I say:

Counting calories for losing weight can be a pain in the ass. I’ve tried it, you may have tried it, many people I know have tried it with little success. Sure, some lose a lot of weight, but most of those same people gain it back.

But can you lose weight and keep it off without counting calories?

Absolutely. I’ll show you 3 different ways you can lose weight, keep it off, even eat whatever you’d like, without counting calories.

Here are my 3 methods…

Choose a simple diet/lifestyle menu and use it every day
Portion control containers
Eat whatever you want, but with some modifications

Choose A Diet/Lifestyle Menu That Simplifies Your Foods And Watch The Weight Fall Off

When I did p90x several years ago, I lost 20 lbs. and got in the best shape of my life with the most simple, albeit boring diet/lifestyle ever conceived.

I started the workout program and decided that if I was busting my ass every day with these difficult workouts, I’d have to alter my diet to really see my progress.

I tried calorie counting for the first 3 weeks, but wanted to pull my hair out because it became a boring, tedious chore. I hated it and decided to simplify my plan.

Disclaimer…this plan only works if you can realistically live a simple, maybe boring diet/lifestyle and don’t need a variety of foods to spice up your life. Here’s how it worked…

Instead of counting calories every day for every meal, I simply chose healthy foods, and ate the same foods every day for about 3 months. Here’s how it went…

Breakfast: Organic peanut butter sandwich on wheat bread
Snack: 3-4 hard-boiled eggs, handful of almonds, and water
Lunch: Turkey burger without a bun, salad with plenty of vegetables, no cheese, and a light dressing like balsalmic or oil and vinegar.
Snack: More almonds and water
Dinner: 1-2 baked chicken breasts with mixed vegetables
Snack: Homemade popcorn (old-school style on the stove)

This was my diet every day for 3 months. I lost over 20 lbs. and changed my life.
Sure it was boring, but totally effective. For variety I would swap a turkey burger with a veggie burger sometimes, add hot sauce to my chicken breasts, or add some parmesan cheese to my popcorn.
No alcohol and very little carbs combined with intense workouts and the weight melted off my body and it will for you too.

21 Day Fix Portion Control Containers…Eliminate Calorie Counting And Still Lose Weight

You don’t have to purchase the 21 day fix portion control containers, these were just the ones I was familiar with. There’s a ton of these types of containers on Amazon, including some great meal prep containers too.

The nice thing about the Beachbody portion control containers is that they are specific sizes, color-coded, and have thorough instructions. Others you can find on Amazon at cheaper prices may not have the attention to detail that the Beachbody containers offer.

Here is how the 21 Day Fix Beachbody portion control containers work…

There are 6 containers of different sizes and colors

Red container for proteins
Yellow container for carbs
Blue container for healthy fats and cheeses
Green container for vegetables
Purple container for fruits
Orange container for seeds and dressings

Throughout the day you’ll eat one or more of each container based on your weight loss goals. Beachbody created a unique diet plan to be used with the containers that’s based on what your caloric maintenance should be to both maintain your weight and lose weight.

This is not to be confused with calorie counting.

It’s a simple formula that they created to help you easily determine how many calories, ie portion control containers you need to lose weight.

Also…this formula is based the 21 Day Fix workout and its also used in other programs too. So the Beachbody guidelines for using these containers is based on you actively using one of their workout programs. So if you use these containers, reference their guidelines, just make sure you are doing some workout program or you may be disappointed with these portion control containers.

You can access the 21 Day Fix calorie formula here.

The bottom line is that sticking to a guideline such as the portion control containers with healthy foods is easier than meticulously counting every. Single. Calorie you put in your mouth.

Final Alternative To Calorie Counting…Eating Everything You Want?

Ever since my my p90x diet I’ve been able to maintain the body I earned through that program with consistent workouts, and a realistic diet/lifestyle. Unlike the days of the program where I was doing a workout 6 or 7 days a week, I now workout maybe 3 times a week yet what keeps me toned and slender more than exercise, is the foods I eat and how I eat them.

Here’s a breakdown of how I keep a simple diet, yet am still able to eat satisfying, enjoyable foods without deprivation.

I never, ever eat simple carbs and even complex carbs. Simple carbs are starches like pasta, bread, potatoes, and rice. Complex carbs are foods like oatmeal, brown rice, and quinoa. My source of starchy carbs comes from alcohol if I decide to have a drink. There is no need for pasta, breads, and potatoes if you want to lose weight. Brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, even whole wheat bread are better, but still too carbohydrate rich to eat on a regular basis.
As an alternative to bread for a sandwich, I’ll use Ezekiel bread, romaine lettuce, or simply one half a sandwich.
To replace the body’s need for complex carbs I’ll occasionally indulge in tortilla chips, Cheeze-Its, or a small bag of chips. This is rare, and still satisfys my need for carbs without an entire bowl of noodles or pasta.
If I eat pizza, I’ll take the cheese and toppings off, get rid of the crust and bottom of the pizza, and just eat the cheese and toppings. This cuts my carb and calorie intake down significantly yet still allows me to eat a satisfying food.
To cut down your calorie intake significantly only eat one half of a sandwich. Take either the top bun or piece of bread off or the bottom. You can still enjoy whatever sandwich you’d like, but this eliminates unnecessary carbs.
Always be on the lookout for protein. Its completely fine and realistic to eat out whenever you want, but choose a protein rich meal. Enjoy a nice steak, salmon, or even a burger (only one bun) instead of a carbohydrate rich meal.
Be mindful of rich dressings and prepackaged flavorings. For example, its common to marinade chicken or steak in a prepackaged season to add flavor, or often people use Italian dressing as a marinade. Use these sparingly. They add extra calories and are loaded with salt which will bloat you and add weight. Use a dab of hot sauce, parmesan cheese, or light salad dressing to top these foods and add flavor without unnecessary calories or salt.

There are many good alternatives to counting calories. Along with portion control containers, a simple daily meal plan, or modifying foods you currently eat, keep the focus on simplicity rather than the tedious task of counting calories.

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