you don’t need to be perfect to lose weight
Did you know you can lose weight while:
1. Eating foods from all food groups – including chocolate, ice cream, and chips
2. Not wanting to eat certain things whether it’s from being picky or moody
3. NOT exercising
4. Not having to cook or prepare food – or hire an expensive meal prep service
5. Not having to feel hungry or deprived
In addition to this, I was SET FREE from all the obsessions I had with eating only whole foods, AND I finally discovered the mystery how to lose weight that was stubbornly refusing to leave me after I hit my 30’s. It was all under my nose the whole time too, I was just so resistant to diving in.
Why you don’t need to be perfect to lose weight
1. You can lose weight eating chocolate, ice cream and chips
When you count macros, you are following scientifically proven numbers for what your body needs macronutritionally. So if you want to eat 1600 calories worth of chips and candy a day, you could and you would still lose weight. Isn’t that wild? Of course, I wouldn’t recommend that because it certainly wouldn’t provide you with the micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) you need and wouldn’t provide great satiety (meaning you will not feel full).
How this works practically is that you can find your preferred ways to meet your macros and still incorporate some sweets and junk foods of your preference. This way you won’t need to feel deprived or have horrible cravings that make you stressed and hangry. Also, if you have a day you end up eating more junk, you can still stay on track with your weight loss goals.
2. You can lose weight without eating rigid, specific things depending on your moods or food aversions
Diet meal plans don’t account for days when you aren’t in the mood for eating those things. They can also tend to be overly restrictive. Salads every day, lean meats with plain vegetables, shakes. Yes of course you can lose weight eating these things but what if you are in a rush and just need to grab a shake or a bar? What if your friend offers you a healthy lunch and you’d like to try it? What if you “accidentally” eat a candy bar? Or stop at McDonalds?
When you get off your weight loss “plan” you can be tempted to just throw in the towel and overeat the rest of the day. That’s because your weight loss is dependent on the plan, not a general knowledge of what you are actually doing to lose weight. With the knowledge of what your macro counting guidelines are, if you eat a candy bar for lunch, you have the information you need to still meet your weight loss goal for the day, or get as close to the mark as possible.
This ensures more consistency, which we all know is the key to losing weight. You can’t eat under your target for even 3 days out of the week and expect weight loss, you need to be closer to 6-7 days a week. Macro counting is a more realistic approach than rigid plans.
3. You can lose weight without exercising
This is absolutely true. Your macro target shouldn’t account for exercising. This means no more binging because you burned 500 calories per your smart watch.
How exercise can work for you is by eating under your macro target and then using exercise to speed up your weight loss.
So no need to be beating yourself up when you can’t exercise, you go away for the weekend, are injured, or are not able to currently exercise. Weight loss is absolutely still possible without exercise.
4. You can lose weight without having to cook or prep food (or hire an expensive meal prep service)
If you want to eat out or eat prepackaged foods you purchase at the store – you can eat this way too! Whether it’s pre-cut vegetables or fruits you can weigh out, snack bars you can get the nutrition facts off the label (and weigh), or precooked meats, prepared foods, frozen foods, as long as it has nutrition facts and you weigh it and it fits your macros, you can certainly make it work.
This is so important for times when you aren’t going to have a chance to cook or need to grab something and go. Let’s be realistic, it just happens! This flexibility increases your likelihood to stay on track with your weight loss goals no matter your circumstances. More consistency with meeting your macro target means more consistent weight loss.
5. You can lose weight without feeling hungry or deprived
Conversely to eating all chips and candy and still losing weight, you can eat all of your calories of meat and vegetable, which may leave you so stuffed and full you don’t WANT to eat any more food!
Eating to your protein goal will ensure that you are satiated (full), and therefore not constantly feeling itchy to eat more, or binging when you have access to tempting (or not so tempting) foods.
You have the ability to create this balance with the individuality of your personal preference of foods and depending on how hungry or not hungry you are that day, even if it’s based on your moods.
no need to be perfect to lose weight
Although it may seem foreign, strange, and even plain difficult to you to track macros and weigh your food, the discipline of this practice allows a greater flexibility which in turn ensures greater consistency in meeting your weight loss target, ensuring weight loss.
It also creates a greater understanding of HOW you lose weight and eliminates your dependency on any weight loss plans or any stressful guesswork on if you actually ate enough/not enough food that day or not.
Leaning into the uncomfortable aspects of counting macros is absolutely worth it to ensure you are on the right track for weight loss and allows you the wisdom to make custom adjustments and accommodations throughout your days and for your lifestyle.
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