EDUCATION: Can I achieve my goals without counting calories?
NOTE: if you have had disordered eating habits in the past, you can skip this section entirely.
I think learning to count calories is great if you are a complete beginner to understanding nutritional values, and it's something I think everyone should try, at least, for 30 days to get a better idea of how much they're actually eating, what appropriate portion sizes look like, and how much they need to eat to lose, maintain, & gain weight.
That said, you don't need to count calories. Actually, our aim at WAC is to be able to eat intuitively without tracking absolutely anything. Being able to enjoy life without feeling any kind of food guilt. I personally don’t count anymore, but that’s because I did for a little while and now feel like I understand things overall.
I just find it hard to tell someone to “listen to your body” when you’ve never consistently tried knowing what’s best for it. So this may help!
There are two methods you can use, both of which work awesome!
Hand Portions!
An awesome tool I have used to estimate general portions relative to my own body size and weight is my hand!
Here is how it works. In one meal, use this as a portion suggestion (all of which are cooked values):
With lean (animal) protein in your meal:
• Lean protein: size of palm
• Carbohydrates: size of clenched fist
• Vegetables: size of cupped hands
• Fats: size of thumb
• Leafy greens: as much as ya want
Without lean (animal) protein in your meal:
• Protein/carbohydrates (cooked beans, pulses): 1 and ½ of clenched fist
• Carbohydrates: ½ of clenched fist
• Vegetables: size of cupped hands
• Fats: size of thumb
• Leafy greens: as much as you want!
This can help with body maintenance & recomposition (lose fat but gain muscle!)
2. The 3 plates 2 snacks method
I learned this from @syattfitness and it helps so nicely! You’ll notice a LOT of our recipes in WAC actually already stick to this!
It's just a starting point - not a definitive law for every person - but from here you can track your progress and adjust as needed!
Losing fat too fast? Add another meal and/or snack.
Not losing fat at all? Take a snack out or reevaluate what your meals look like!
Want to gain muscle more? Add another protein-fuelled meal!
I hope this helps. Ideally you'll use it as a fat loss "cheat sheet" to give a new method a shot and see how well it works for you. Because there's no "right" or "wrong" way to go about all of this. The key is to find what works best for YOU and go for it.
Try different things, experiment, see what helps you succeed and feel your best!
MORE EDUCATIONAL POSTS AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS:
What’s the best way to “tone” my muscles?
Aesthetic question I receive often: if I want to grow glutes but also remain lean, what’s the best way to go about it?
What weights should I use for best progress?
other blog posts you might be interested in
