50+ lbs lost with No Counting: Calories or Points

Posted: April 15, 2012

Did you know I've lost 50+ pounds without counting? No counting daily calories. No counting points - activity or food related. No counting # of meals or # of fruits/veggies. No COUNTING.  Though I was a math major in college and am currently teaching Babycakes to count (She's really good with "one two" and "eight nine"), I have never found it very manageable in my daily life to count calories.  First of all, it's super tedious.  Second of all, most of us underestimate our daily calorie intake by as much as 30%!!  So even if you ARE counting calories, it might not be effective.  Additionally, I've come to believe that a calorie is NOT just a calorie, and the type of foods you're eating make much more of a difference in your overall health and weightloss than just cutting calories. 

What I've found to be effective:

  1. Adding veggie juices to my diet.   After my initial Reboot last year, I kept on juicing about once every other day or so.  I would juice at night, enough to have a glass in the evening and to take a blender bottle full to work.  I found that drinking veggie juice between 2 - 3PM really helped me get that extra energy I needed to finish my day.  Rather than the other office "snacks" available.
  2. Cutting out sugar from my diet.  For the most part I don't eat much sugar.  I rarely eat sweets or dessert.  In fact, from my birthday last year (Sept through Feb), I only had one dessert: a slice of pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving.  And it wasn't even that good!  I "treat" myself in other ways.   And honestly, I don't feel I've missed out on that much over the last 8 months of not having added sugar.  My life is full of so many other amazing things!
  3. Eating smaller portions.  Portions are such a major factor in losing weight!  For me, I just use the guidelines on each particular food for serving size.  1/4 cup granola = 1 serving, well then I'd eat 1/4 cup of the granola.  3/4 cup yogurt = 1 serving, well then I'd eat 3/4 cup.  I also started eating more out of bowls, which have a finite (MATH NERD WORD!) amount of volume they can hold, versus a standard dinner plate that you can just pile, pile, and pile higher. 
  4. Preparing healthy meals at home.  I have eaten out much less often while losing this weight - and have cooked homemade meals.  You can make smart choices when going out, like substituting fattier things with grilled, asking for sauces on the side or not at all, boxing up half your meal at the start, etc... but most restaurant meals are double or TRIPLE the portion size most of us should be eating!  Check out my recipe list for lots of healthy homemade meal ideas.  I'm adding to the list daily!
  5. Eating intuitively.  Only eating when hungry.  Stopping when I feel full.  Not eating based on an emotional need or to numb something inside.
  6. Bringing healthier snacks.  I almost always pack snacks to work now - veggies & hummus, yogurt & granola, roast beef & a slice of cheese, etc...  This helps me avoid overating or snacking on unhealthy alternatives.

Some people have asked me if I eat carbs.  The answer is yes.  I eat carbs... sometimes.  When I do, I'm purposeful about it.  

Things I love (when I'm not on a Juice Reboot):

  • Hummus, hummus, & more hummus (my fav is edamame hummus, which right now I buy at my local market, but I'm determined to make my own recipe to share with you so you can make your own!!)
  • Bell Peppers
  • Bowls of blueberries
  • Wraps - with veggies & roast beef or ham
  • Eggs - scrambled with cheese, red peppers, and salsa served with black beans (OK, NOW I'M SERIOUSLY HUNGRY!!)
  • PEANUT BUTTER!!  (though I'm trying to adjust to PB2, which is a powdered pb with less than half the fat and calories)
  • Yogurt w/protein granola
  • FISH TACOS... seriously, I can't believe this wasn't #1 on the list.  Clearly this juicing is getting to my head!
  • Tomatoes 
  • Chicken Sausage with Apples & Gouda
  • Did I mention fish tacos? :)
So, what I've chosen for my weight-loss journey is a lifestyle change.  It is something that can continue for the rest of my life.  It is not a season.  It is not a specific amount of time where I'll sacrifice and count and scrutinize every bite.  It is relearning how to eat.  It is giving my body the fuel it needs to do life.  It is choosing to love myself more.  The best part is, it's working.  And I am really starting to live the sweet life... no sugar added! 

Questions:

  1. What "methods" have you used to lose weight / get healthy?  Have they been effective?
  2. What are some of your favorite healthy foods?

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Comments

Submitted by Lauren @ Oatmeal after Spinning - April 16, 2012 - 7:48am

Kelly, this is truly inspiring! You must be SO PROUD of your accomplishments!! I love that you lost all of this weight with intuitive eating and just listening to your body. You're a strong woman for being able to to do that!
I've had success with both methods- but for now, I need to be accountable by logging what I eat. But, I have thought about taking a week off from that and seeing how I do. For me, I think it's much more about getting to the root of "why" I eat .
Congrats on all of your success! And your tips are great!

Submitted by kelly - April 16, 2012 - 8:34am

Thanks for the nice comments. And yes, you're right... different things work for different people. So, you gotta go with what works! Looking forward to seeing you SOON girlie!!!

Submitted by V - April 16, 2012 - 11:54am

Having counted calories a lot in the past also, I totally agree with you. It's not always so much the calories of what you are eating, but WHAT you are eating. I find when I just eat healthy, nonprocessed, whole grain foods, I always lose weight.

Submitted by Rebekah - April 16, 2012 - 12:03pm

Congrats on all of the weight loss! I know it is rewarding and exciting to see it gone :) I'm a tracker. I have tried the portion control, serving control, eat when hungry, etc., but I have found that I need the accountability to really see what I'm "eating." I use the loseit app on my phone and their website to track. I completely agree that a calorie isn't just a calorie, so finding the right balance of lean proteins, healthy carbs and fats is always good. And yes, eating at home and menu planning helps immensely!

Submitted by Crystal - April 16, 2012 - 1:30pm

I actually switched this past week to Weight Watchers (again, tried once and it worked at first, then FAIL. I wasn't watching they TYPE of food I used my points on). I really needed it to help myself relearn portion control & to keep myself more accountable for each bite or sip I put in my body. HOWEVER, I am being much MUCH more careful with the types of foods I use my points on this time. :) Eating much more raw than I did in the past. And, Hummus! Pair that with bell peppers and it's like a snack made in heaven! *amazing* And, I must be weird. I LIKE counting points. lol I did a quick sneak peak on the scale this morning because I was worried about my weekend sugar splurge on a dessert and was so happy to see that I'd lost 3.4lbs since last Wednesday. (I do my weigh-in days on Wednesday) So, I've been smiling all morning! While it's only a small start when looking at the whole big picture (or, errr, self), it's better than not starting at all! Major congrats on your 50+lbs loss! Well done.

Submitted by kelly - April 16, 2012 - 1:32pm

Sounds like you're doing GREAT, Crystal!! 3.4 pounds in a week is a LOT!! Keep up the good work :)

Submitted by Cathy - April 16, 2012 - 1:30pm

So, I went to this AMAZING farmers market this weekend - never been - it's out in Dekalb. Entering this place was like entering a foreign country - so amazing and everything produce under the sun around the world! My question is this - coconut water - I saw these things that looked like a 6 inch high 12 inch round white pencil and it was right by the coconuts and asked one of the produce staff - he said it was coconut water - light bulb - I need coconut water for the classic - so he used a machete and ripped open about 10 of these things and poured into a 1/2 gallon container - so I get it home and I'm suppose to drink 16 oz a couple times a day - I DON'T like it :( - it's got a really distinct smell and sweetness that makes me gag a bit. Is all coconut water like this? I've managed to swallow about 20 oz since Saturday but yikes - that's a hard one. Any insight from your perspective Kelly?

I'm not feeling so great - I had the purple power juice yesterday and felt nauseous for a few hours. I’m sticking with it although I had some of my veggie soup last night with my coconut water – yummy soup but YUCK to that Coconut water.

I figure if I keep juicing and eat my soup at night I'm still going to see good results - it's got to be better than eating non veggie/fruit foods??? Right???

Cathy

.

Submitted by kelly - April 16, 2012 - 1:34pm

I'm allergic to coconut, coconut milk, coconut "water"... so I skip it altogether when I do my Reboot! I'm sure there's nutritional value there, but I just stick to regular water - to avoid completely swollen shut eyes :)

Listen to your body and do what feels right - as far as the soups at night. If it's working, stick to it!

Submitted by JoAnna - April 16, 2012 - 10:05pm

Great post! Putting it on my facebook page! I'm an on-again off-again Weight Watcher so I get used to counting. It does work but it takes a lot of thinking which is sometimes kind of defeating the purpose. It certainly doesn't exactly get my mind off of food. I love that you don't count and you've really changed and incorporated so many awesome habits (and that you eat peanut butter regularly!). Giving up sugar must have been tough. Crack is probably easier to give up than sugar, I would imagine, but you are doing your body such an awesome service! The more I read about sugar, the more it seems to be from the devil, for the most part. At least, all the sugar I enjoy :). I'm going to take a lot of your suggestions into action. Thanks, Kelly :)

Submitted by kelly - April 16, 2012 - 11:10pm

Thanks for your kind words and for sharing on FB. :) It's true - I love Love LOVE peanut butter!

Submitted by Corrie Anne - April 19, 2012 - 10:43am

I missed this one while I was gone. That's sooo awesome! Congrats. I'm not real good with the counting myself so I love to hear that!

Submitted by tammy werthem - May 29, 2012 - 3:57pm

stumbled upon your blog via healthy eats on pinterest. love you blog and the great recent photos of you. love your theory on weight loss too. i have recently released 18 pounds and am beginning training for a 1/2 marathon. mostly i gave up sugar, like you.
now, if i can get the whole family on board:) i look forward to following you on Facebook.
You can follow me on FB here: https://www.facebook.com/tammywerthem

Submitted by Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers - June 4, 2012 - 6:39pm

Wow, what an inspiration you are! I lost 30 + pounds over the past couple of years and I have been pretty well maintaining. What helped, which is the same as you is portion control and eating the right foods. I try, key word is try to stay away from processed foods. When I'm hungry or board, I'll eat fruit and vegetables. I cook at home all the time and try to stay away from restaurants. We pretty much do the same things. I would love to try juicing, and maybe I will for tomorrows afternoon snack! Thank you for posting this. Sometimes we need a kick in the butt to motivate us again, because it can be so easy to fall back into old habits!

Submitted by Janet Reed - June 5, 2012 - 11:06pm

Hi Kelly-your mom shared the link with me and I really enjoyed reading about this newest chapter in your "sweet life"! It is very difficult to make food look appetizing, but your photographs are very appealing. Great job on the blog and on your pursuit of a healthier body. I'm going to try some of your recipes! Good luck with all of your goals...and don't forget to REST :) .

Submitted by kelly - June 6, 2012 - 3:29pm

So glad you took the time to stop by and peruse the blog :) It's been really fun so far and I am enjoying it so much!

Submitted by April - June 13, 2012 - 12:39pm

When did you see your first lb of weight loss? I am on day 5, adhering strictly to the reboot menus and the scale has not moved even 1 lb. I should look at the bright side and be happy it's not moving up either, but geesh. I get extremely discouraged when trying to lose weight because if I don't see results, ANY results, soon after trying my hardest, I give up. I think my body hates me.

Submitted by kelly - June 13, 2012 - 12:46pm

My first weight-loss was in the week or two BEFORE my Reboot - when I started eating more of a plant-based diet (~5 lbs). The loss actually slowed DURING the Reboot (~3 lbs over the 15 days), but the good work was still being done. I think the main thing the Reboot accomplishes is re-programming your body to function normally/well without sugar. So once the Reboot was complete, and I continued to juice every other day or so and really watch my portions of regular healthy food, the weight continued to come off slowly... ~1lb/week. My journey was not a fast / quick weight loss / diet "fad"... but rather a complete shift in my way of life. I hope that helps and you feel a bit encouraged. Also feel free to also peruse the www.jointhereboot.com website for other helpful tips... b/c I'm sure you're not the only one who has had this same question/feeling!

Submitted by Bailey - July 13, 2012 - 7:29pm

I love your weightloss strategy - too many people are focused more on cutting healthy caloric amounts and eating nasty processed "health" foods than actually nourishing their bodies. Truly inspiring! And I LOVE edamame hummus!!

Submitted by Elizabeth - August 15, 2012 - 1:10am

I came across your blog through Pinterest, and I have to say I'm inspired. I'm down 82 pounds from my highest weight ever, but my weight's on a plateau right now and it's frustrating. The first 30 pounds of that were just from ceasing to drink any beverage with calories; good nutrition came later, but that drastically reduced my sugar intake. After that, I added yoga, then tried to take up jogging but my joints couldn't keep up (after all, I was asking them to carry an awful lot of excess me) so I've switched my cardio to recumbent stationary bike. I was gifted three months of Curves Complete, and that's helped immensely; it got me to add resistance training to my workouts, and the diet plan focused on portion size and healthy foods rather than counting. I feel like I need to change something up again now to keep moving forward, which is where stalking your blog comes in.

I think my favorite healthy food at the moment is greek yogurt pancakes, but I'm not sure that counts, and they only exist on Saturday mornings. Avocado, maybe; it has to be the yummiest way to add a dash of healthy fat to a salad.

Submitted by Kammie @ Sensual Appeal - December 28, 2012 - 4:56pm

This is so inspiring. I too am trying to live more intuitively and not counting anymore. It's good but I've had some back lash but I think it's all a matter of getting used to. I have to focus on eating less sweet things and more savory things.

Submitted by Anne - February 27, 2013 - 9:47am

Hello I just stumbled upon your page on face book and followed the links to your blog. Thank you for sharing.

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