lose weight without a diet: my step by step guide on how to do it
Today’s blog post is going to walk you through my step by step guide to lose weight without a diet.
If you’re here, it means you likely have been struggling with weight loss…for a while. You’ve probably done every diet in the book and you’ve probably lost weight from a lot of them. BUT. You haven’t kept it off.
Why? Because following a diet is not something you can do for the rest of your life. You can do it for a while—especially when you’re getting results. But then, something happens. You get sick, you have a big project at work, a family vacation, you’re caring for an ill parent…and you just can’t keep up. Before you know it, you’re saying “screw it” at every meal, your pants are feeling tight and you’re back at square one.
This is not a way to live.
I coach women to learn how to lose weight without a diet so you never go back to square one again.
Without counting calories, macros or points. Without tracking every ounce of protein that you eat, without cutting out carbs or only eat dessert on cheat days.
How? Let’s dive in.
Diets are all about following rules. Which, truthfully, can sometimes makes things easier because you don’t have to make any decisions. But what happens when the food at a restaurant doesn’t fit with what’s on your meal plan? Or you’re on vacation and want to try a special food that you can only get in that place? Or you’re just really hungry and the 4oz of chicken breast and half cup of brown rice on your meal plan just isn’t enough?
You freak out because you don’t know how to handle it.
Because what you are missing are skills—skills to make thoughtful, intentional choices in ANY situation. Skills are what allow you to build consistency and to feel great in any situation—so you’re not starting over every Monday.
Here’s an example of skills we work on in online nutrition coaching to help you lose weight without a diet:
Prioritizing efficient protein at every meal
Filling half of your plate at lunch and dinner with veggies
Eating enough to be full for 4-6 hours
Learning the jobs of foods to stop labeling them as good and bad
Understanding the relationship between nutrient density and calorie density
When you learn and practice skills like these, you don’t need to follow the rules of a diet because you have the confidence and capability to make choices that fit your needs, regardless of the situation or circumstances.
How does this connect to fat loss?
Well, the first thing to remember is that fat loss happens one way and one way only: through a calorie deficit. Any time you have lost weight it’s because you were either eating less calories than your body needed in a given day or burning more calories than you were eating. There are MANY ways to get your body into a calorie deficit through different diets/restriction—the issue is how sustainable is that approach.
This is why skills are such a game changer. Because skills directly impact your overall food (and therefore calorie) intake. Here’s how:
When you prioritize efficient protein at every meal, you naturally eat less of the more calorie dense carbs and fats.
When you fill half of your plate with veggies, you get tons of fiber which helps you stay fuller longer between meals which helps reduce snacking.
When you learn the jobs of foods and stop labeling them as good and bad, you slowly reduce the guilt and shame around food which helps break the binge/restrict cycle.
With time and consistent practice of these skills, you slowly lower your calorie intake which results in fat loss; that’s how you lose weight without a diet. And because you’re not doing anything extreme or sacrificing foods you love, you’re able to practice these skills forever…which means the results actually stick.
Next on your reading list:
If you’re curious about how online nutrition coaching works and are ready to lose weight without a diet, schedule a complimentary consult call and we can talk more about what you’re struggling with and how coaching could help.
And if you’re not quite there yet, add yourself to my weekly email below which is full of useful and simple coaching tips, relatable personal stories and my favorite resources for all things food, behavior and body image.