Here’s a truth about diets: ones that focus on calorie counting often fail. While a restrictive diet should work in theory, it's a dieting method with the least amount of success. Why? Because it’s unsustainable to expect people to count calories for every food they eat. While it is true that a calorie deficit is a must for losing weight, trying to calculate every one that you eat in a day isn’t the best plan.

Studies show that some diets will yield results for a few months, but many people end up in a yo-yo cycle where they gain back all the lbs they lost. The crushing cycle tends to lead people to give up on losing weight altogether. The way to diet without counting calories may be easier than you think. Instead of endless tallys, focusing on a few key bigger picture objectives is actually the way to crush losing weight.

Calorie Counting Is Overrated

Good news: It’s time to ditch the old-fashioned way of dieting and calorie counting and get onto something that works. The first step is realizing that there are multiple ways to achieve a calorie deficit. Rather than going on a restrictive diet, you can find ways to make simple lifestyle changes that can add up to that deficit. 

Cheat your way through your calorie deficit. Here’s how:

• Get in 10,000 steps per day. Sound tough? It’s not. Find an excuse to get out and go for a walk––even if it's just 20minutes on your lunch break.
• Practice Healthy Food Swaps. Have a sweet tooth? Eat more fruit. Love snacking? Try some simple meal prep recipes–like a chia and acai collagen bowl or protein crunch granola.  
• Commitment to eating mindfully. Try eating when you’re hungry vs. emotionally eating. Check in with yourself every time you reach for an unhealthy snack, you may find that you’re eating out of stress or wanting a quick pick-me-up rather than nourishing calories. 
• Get enough sleep. Believe it or not, getting enough sleep can actually reduce your cravings and support intuitive eating. When you are sleeping enough, you have an easier time focusing on what your body needs. 

Forget calorie counting, because ultimately workouts are what you need to count. Offset calorie intake by burning through more calories in a day. Adding in just 20minutes per day can help you obtain a calorie deficit without counting. Research shows that people have an easier time committing to new routines if it's something that fits into their lifestyle.

Balance Your Diet

Do an audit on what you consume every day. Do you have a good macros balance? Are you overeating or leaning towards more fattening snacks? Try these tips for losing weight without counting calories.

• Balance your plate. Aim for half veggies while splitting the rest between protein and starch/healthy carbs.
• Optimize your proteins. Not all proteins are processed the same by your body. Aim for lean proteins (like chicken) or seafood to help you build lean muscle mass and reduce your overall fat & cholesterol intake.
• Look at serving sizes. Most foods come with “suggested” serving sizes. Use these as a general guideline and after a while, you’ll get to know the typical serving size and it’ll become second nature.
• Eat whole foods. Most processed foods are loaded with empty calories and carbs, and also often contain high levels of sodium and sugar. Whenever possible, swap processed foods for whole foods.
• Skip the hidden sugars. Sugar is an easy way to go over your daily calorie intake. While many foods disguised as “healthy” contain more than your recommended daily dose of sugar. Find healthy alternatives to satisfy your cravings.

Focus on Nutrition, Not Calories

It’s important to listen to your body and nourish yourself when you are hungry. Don’t starve yourself. One reason that too many people fail on diets that focus on calorie counting is because calorie counting isn’t sustainable for most people over a long term period. Instead, making easy swaps and portioning can create a healthy, long-lasting relationship with food that leads to enduring weight loss. Healthy nutrition with extra protein to help keep you feeling fuller for longer.

Transformation Protein’s formula was developed with your fitness goals in mind, so you can get results from a balanced multi-protein formula. Three types of protein support your need for strong, sustained energy throughout your workouts and throughout the day. 30g of total protein per serving with plant, collagen, and egg white proteins also includes essential vitamins and all 9-amino acids to help fuel your body the way it needs.