Do you feel like you have tried diet after diet, only to realize that the results they produce (if any) are not sustainable? The problem is not YOU, it's the diet! The key to losing weight and keeping it off is to alter your diet in a way that's not only health promoting, but also SUSTAINABLE. If you can’t see yourself eating this way long term, it’s unlikely that you will see lasting results. Even tracking macros, one of the more flexible diets out there, is not sustainable for everyone. Don’t get me wrong, I am a big advocate for tracking macros and recommend it to many of my clients! For many people, it allows for flexibility with their food choices while working towards their body composition goals and for beginners, it helps bring more awareness of what their food is made up of and how to enjoy all foods in moderation. But, one of the reasons some people may struggle with tracking macros is that can be tedious and time consuming, especially in the beginning, and that isn’t a sustainable method for their lifestyle.

(*A calorie deficit is still necessary in order for any diet or weight loss method to produce results .)

(**With any diet, it is important to prioritize overall health and not just weight loss. Aim to consume as many nutrients through whole foods as possible while restricting total calorie intake.)

Here are some sustainable alternatives to tracking macros or calories:

Method #1: Restricted Eating Times (Intermittent Fasting)

Reducing your eating window can help put you in a calorie deficit without even having to count or track your intake. One of the most common IF schedules is 16:8, where you are fasted for 16 hours consecutively, and fed for 8 hours. Of course you can slightly tweak these numbers if necessary, what’s important is that your eating window is reduced from what it is currently. Let’s say you wake up at 6am, eat breakfast at 7am, and your last meal of the day is around 7 or 8pm. That’s a 12-13 hour eating window, start by reducing your eating window to 8-9 hours, see if that produces results and adjust accordingly.

Method #2: Reduced Portion Sizes

Measuring your portion sizes is another easy way to help limit and potentially reduce your daily caloric intake. Two of my favorite methods are the Hand Portion Guide and Plate Portion Guide. Unlike using measuring cups or a food scale, you can use these methods virtually anywhere because they don’t require any physical tools (other than your own hands and/or a plate). Of course with these methods, meal frequency still matters! (As does the size of the plate if using the Plate Portion Guide).

Method #3: Habit Tracking

Maybe tracking calories and macros isn’t for you, but you still like the idea of having some sort of metrics in place to measure progress. If that’s the case, try habit tracking! I suggest picking 1-2 habits to start with and work on getting consistent at them. Over time, these habits that you once had to actively work to remember will slowly become more automatic and a part of your day to day life. At which point, you can add new habits to pick up if desired. The best part is, they don’t JUST have to be nutrition habits. Studies show that focusing on implementing new habits in one area often lead us to make better choices in other areas too. But, for the sake of this post, here are some nutrition habits you can focus on:

• Drink ___ oz of water per day

• Eat _____ meals per day

• Include protein with every meal

• Include fruit or vegetables with every meal

• Limit sweetened beverages to ______ per day/week/month

• Limit alcohol consumption to _______ per day/week/month

• Cook all meals from home

For a FREE Printable Habit Tracker, click here.

Method #4: Food Diary

While this method may seem like the same thing as tracking macros and calories, its not! You’re simply writing down the food and drinks you consume (either digitally or in a notebook). You can be as vague or specific as you see fit, what’s important is that you are becoming more present and aware of your food choices, and can look back to analyze them. Simply acknowledging the foods you are consuming can help influence you to make better choices. This method is especially helpful if you find that you are a mindless eater.

A simple food diary would only include the foods eaten and time or meal in which they were consumed. However, if you want to be more detailed, you can also include the quantity or portion size, cooking method, brand name, etc.

Which of these methods resonates most with you and your lifestyle?!