Blog > Weight Loss > How to Lose Weight Without Counting Calories: The Healthy Plate

and the Hand Rule

How to Lose Weight Without Counting

Calories: The Healthy Plate and the
Hand Rule
Written by Mariia Roza on March 31, 2021

Table of contents
Mediterranean diet as a basis

The healthy plate rule: What to put on your plate and why?

Use your palm instead of kitchen scales

Practice mindful eating

Try intermittent fasting

Stay consistent

Summing up

Calories count but it doesn’t mean that you have to count calories. Calorie
counting has multiple disadvantages including wrecked relations with food and
lack of flexibility in your diet. Fortunately, there are two rules that you can
combine to fill your meals with necessary nutrients and control your portion
sizes.

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Mediterranean diet as a basis

A number of people have no idea what food they should choose to stay healthy
and what’s the right portion size for weight loss. The abundance of information
may leave them confused and overwhelmed: Should they chose a paleo diet or
go vegan, should they try eating 1,200 calories a day, or try intermittent fasting?
Unimeal experts, along with the U.S. News rank the Mediterranean diet as the
best diet(1) overall, the best diet for heart health and diabetes, and the diet that
is simplest to follow. This is why we recommend you to use its main principles
along with two simple rules: the healthy plate rule and the hand rule.

The healthy plate rule: What to put on

your plate and why?
The healthy plate rule provides a simple and effective way to find out the correct
size of different types of food you should put on your plate. It is a handy tool for
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those who’re not sure about what to eat and for those of you, who, for some
reason, can’t follow a personalized meal plan.

A healthy plate is 1/2 vegetables and fruits, 1/4 protein, and 1/2 grains | Shutterstock

To apply the healthy plate rule, picture this: your plate is divided into four
sections. Beside the plate, there is a glass representing dairy products, it shows
how much milk or yogurt you can eat along with your solid meals. The four
sections of the plate include grains, sources of protein, vegetables, and fruits. 

Fruits and vegetables

First, fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables. It’s better to have slightly
more vegetables than fruits. Plant-based whole foods are nutritious. This means
that they contain microelements and vitamins your body needs. 

How fruits and veggies help you lose weight?

When your body receives all the micronutrients from whole foods, it doesn’t
crave them as it would if you were fueling it with “empty calories.” This is one of
many explanations why you become hungry soon after you’ve consumed highly-
processed foods and can’t get satiated with ice-cream, burgers, and candies
even though they are high in calories.

Another reason why fruits and veggies should be in your diet is that they are rich
in fiber which is quite filling and stretches the walls of your stomach quicker.
When your stomach is stretched, it sends hormonal signals to your brain telling
it you’re full. Research(2) shows that fiber intake can speed up weight loss as it
helps you control your appetite and daily caloric intake.

How to consume?

Canned fruit juices or dried fruits with added sugar are not as healthy as whole
fruits. Fruits and vegetables should be consumed as close to their natural state
as possible. To enrich your diet with micronutrients and vitamins, increase your
consumption of leafy greens. Add spinach, parsley, cilantro, and other greens to
fill your dishes with flavor and your body with antioxidants.

Grains and starchy carbohydrates

The healthy diet rule offers you to fill ¼ of your plate with grains. These should
be whole grains like whole-wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, brown rice,
buckwheat, and barley. Try to opt for these products and minimize the amount of
overly processed carbs like white bread or white rice in your diet.

Protein sources
The rest ¼ of your plate should consist of protein sources. Ideally, your proteins
should come from lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, and beans.

Why protein is essential for healthy weight loss?

Proteins are the building blocks for muscles and the main component of many
hormones and enzymes. They are necessary for body cell growth, they
participate in the production of antibodies, ensuring the efficiency of the immune
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system. They are also responsible for your skin and hair beauty: Collagen and
keratin are types of proteins.

Another benefit(3) of protein is that it has a higher thermic effect of food, which

means your body needs more energy to digest protein. Proteins have a higher
satiety(4) level this is why you feel full for longer after the meal rich in protein.
How to consume?

High-protein and low-carb diets like Adkins, Keto, and Paleo can be efficient for
fast weight, they might be dangerous for your overall health. Too much protein
can increase your risk of kidney stones(5) and other health conditions, so
consult your doctor if you want to try them. 

Remember that everything should be in moderation. Studies show that your

body’s need for protein can vary from 0,8 g to 1,6 g(6) of protein per 1 kg of your
body weight. This number depends on your physical activity level, there is
evidence(7) that athletes need more protein than people with a sedentary
lifestyle.

Sweets and other guilty pleasures 

If your major goal is to lose body fat, reduce the number of empty calories you
consume. Empty calories provide little to no nutritional value, which means they
don’t fill your body with micronutrients and vitamins. Some examples of empty-
calorie foods are soft drinks, alcohol, candies, cookies, and potato chips. 

Why you should allow yourself some treats while on a diet?

If you really love your unhealthy treats, moderation without deprivation is

important. Flexible and sustainable diets, as well as well-balanced meal plans,
always allow you to have a sugary unhealthy snack once in a while to keep your
mood and motivation up.

Note to remember: Don’t mountain your food on a plate building a tower! 

Use your palm instead of kitchen scales

The plate rule is easy to apply when it comes to full “square” meals like
breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but what about snacks? In this case, the palm rule
will come in handy. It will help you determine what’s your healthy portion size
without measuring tools.

This is how much of various products you can eat:

Vegetables or fruits = 2 handfuls

Starchy carbohydrates (grains, pasta, potatoes) = 1 clenched fist

Meat or fish = your palm (no fingers)

Butter or oil = one fingertip of your thumb

Chocolate = one forefinger

Nuts = 1 small handful

 Cheese = 2 fingers folded together

The rule of the palm allows you to determine the ideal portion of any product for

you using your hand.

Practice mindful eating

We understand that people opt for calorie counting when they have trouble
listening to their body signals. However, studies show that flexible dieting and
intuitive eating are more beneficial(8) for mental health and more efficient for
weight loss in the long run compared to rigid calorie counting.

Know the difference between physical hunger and emotional cravings to avoid
overeating. Asking yourself questions like “Am I really hungry or just
bored/sad/depressed” will help you in this quest.

Another tip that will help you stay mindful while eating is hiding your snacks. The
best decision is to stop buying sugary snacks but this might be a problem if you
live with kids or other people who’re not ready to sacrifice their eating habits for
the sake of your weight loss. In this case, you can at least hide these foods in a
cupboard, so they don’t tease you every time you see them. 

Try intermittent fasting

Some studies(9) show that intermittent fasting can decrease the level of the
hunger hormone, ghrelin, over time. You might benefit from the 16/8 IF scheme
if you’re prone to late-night dinners or have half of your daily caloric needs from
snacks. Try eating three square meals a day, like our grandparents used to.
Researchers find new and new evidence(10) proving that intermittent fasting
can be beneficial for your lifespan, health, and even cognitive functions.

Note to remember: Intermittent fasting has some restrictions, so if you’re

about to try its more extreme versions like 5:2 fasting or OMAD, first
consult your doctor.

Stay consistent
The main benefit of losing weight without counting calories is that this approach
is sustainable and you can stick to it for the rest of your life. To get all the
advantages of such flexible weight loss, stay consistent with the rules and
recommendations we’ve proposed. Remember that losing weight should not be
fast: Stay calm and just keep on going, slowly and steadily.

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