Lose Weight Without Counting Calories

Although we all know it's important to have a handle on our daily caloric intake, from a practical standpoint it's really hard to count calories. That's the reason why many of the big diet giants force you to purchase their packaged meal plans -- the convenience of those packaged meals is appealing, if you don't have the time or desire to pre-plan your daily meals.

But you can't live on those expensive packaged meal plans forever. Even if your pocketbook can sustain the costs, at some point you'll realize that you really do need to learn how to eat better in order to stay healthy and maintain your goal weight for the long term.

Our Nourish medical nutrition programs can help give you a roadmap of what to eat, and how to eat. A BMR test can give you your precise caloric requirements. But if you're still the type of person who doesn't like counting calories or following a menu, here are just three easy tips to help you maintain good health and an appropriate weight.

Re-learn portion sizes. It's easy to stick to single-serving portions if you associate a portion with a common household object. For example, a 3-oz serving of meat should be roughly the size of a deck of cards; your serving of rice should be the size of a tennis ball; and a 1-oz serving of cheese should be equal to a 1-inch cube.

Eat lean protein at every meal or snack. Aim for one or two bites of lean protein for every bite of carbohydrate -- it's an easy way to keep a healthy protein-to-carbohydrate ratio at mealtime.

Snack smart. Eat 3 meals and 2 or 3 snacks per day -- always eat a small snack at mid-morning and mid-afternoon, and consider a small low-carb snack at bedtime as well. Choose high-quality snacks such as low-fat string cheese, a handful of walnuts, or a few slices of low-sodium organic deli ham / chicken / turkey.

So even if you hate counting calories, that doesn't mean you have to settle for being overweight and unhealthy! Memorizing these three simple tips will help you achieve your goals for good health and a healthy body weight.