If you’ve been wondering how to lose weight without counting calories. This week I want to tell you the story behind how I lost two pounds in a week.
No counting calories. No counting macros. Nothing hard at all.
This is exactly how I made it happen for me.
Why I decided to lose 2lbs in a week
It started in the Naturally Healthy Club, my six month group coaching program. I had an idea to run a sprint. One week where we all got really focused on our naturally healthy habits, together.
I don’t need to lose weight. But I thought, it would be a fun experiment to get the scale to go dowm.
So I joined the sprint with the group. I set my intention at the start. Lose that kilo (two pounds) by the end of the week.
And I did it.
What I didn’t do to lose weight
Let’s start with what I didn’t do.
I didn’t count anything. No macros. No calories. No protein grams.
I didn’t weigh or measure a single thing.
I didn’t change what I was eating. My meals stayed the same as my normal life.
I didn’t go hungry. Not once.
I wasn’t ignoring my hunger signals or trying to push through anything.
I didn’t deny myself. No restriction at all.
And I didn’t miss out on my life.
We had friends to stay that week. I drank wine. We went out on a boat. I didn’t curtail my social life one bit.
The one thing I did to lose weight without counting calories
So what did I actually do?
A bit of context first. I already have some good habits in place. I eat regular meals.
When I snack, I’m intentional about it. I’m not randomly grazing all day.
That foundation was already there before the sprint even started.
How to lose weight without counting calories?
The one thing I changed was this. I stopped eating when I felt satisfied.
I listened to my body. I paid attention.
The moment I felt that sense of, ‘yep, that’s enough’, I stopped.
Could I have eaten more? Of course.
But did my body need more? No.
I’ve been practising this for about six years now.
And it still surprises me every time how little food I actually need to feel satisfied.
This time I did something a bit different. I kept a plastic bag in the freezer.
Every time I stopped early, I put the leftover bites in there. A bit of meatball here. A few bites of dinner there.
Sometimes I wasn’t even halfway through a meal.
By the end of the week, I’d saved 800 grams (1.5lbs) of food.
Food I could easily have eaten.
Food that wouldn’t have left me stuffed or feeling like I’d overeaten. Just more than my body actually needed.
That’s it. That’s the whole strategy. Stop when satisfied.
It wasn’t hard.
It was a little uncomfortable sometimes, leaving food behind.
But then I’d put it in my freezer bag and feel proud of myself instead.
It felt good.
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My invitation to You
If you want the scale to move like this, working with your body instead of against it.
Not going hungry. Not fighting yourself.
Just noticing that sense of satisfaction and stopping there, I’d love you to join me in the Naturally Healthy Club.
New groups open in September and March.
Get on my email list to be alerted the moment registration opens.
And grab the free training on three micro-habits to get the scale moving while you wait.
So you can start building momentum today.
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My Best Bite
My best bite this week came on Sunday night. We’ve been watching Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy, and my Irishman has been cooking his way through it.
This week he made rigatoni alla matriciana, the Roman dish with tomato sauce and guanciale.
I had a small bit of that, plus some leftover meatballs from earlier in the week, and a shaved cabbage salad with balsamic and parmesan drizzled over the top. So good.
The rigatoni was actually the least delicious thing on my plate. The meatballs and the salad won. So I only had a couple of pieces of pasta, and the scale didn’t move the next day.
More proof that we can eat whatever we want. When we get the quantity right, the scale takes care of itself.
I’m excited about
Last year, my theme was contentment. I did a good job of it too. I was proud of how much I enjoyed my life.
The last few months have been harder. Some hormone stuff. Some anxiety. I drifted away from that feeling.
But I remembered the other day how good it felt to intentionally choose contentment. Life has hard times, that’s real. We get to choose what we focus on. The good, or the struggles.
I’ve been leaning too far into the struggles lately, and it’s not doing my sleep or my enjoyment of life any favours.
So that’s what I’m excited about. Getting back to contentment. Not spiraling. Appreciating the good that’s already there.
In your corner,
Jules from Stonesoup xx
(Your favourite Australian Food Scientist)
See my bio
ps. Can I ask a favour?
If you’ve found this helpful please forward the link to a friend who also loves food. Thank you!
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