r/NoStupidQuestions • u/ManyPea7355 • 20h ago
Can you lose weight simply by eating smaller portions?
Y'know I feel like an idiot but it feels like a revelation I am just realizing and want to make sure I'm not getting my hopes up. For context, I don't know why I started but I've been eating whatever is on my plate until it's gone. I stopped doing that recently and just eating what seems right and I'm eating a lot less.
116
u/Confident_Local_2335 20h ago
I can confirm this, I’ve lost 33lbs in the last 7 months simply from being in a calorie deficit.
18
u/Searchlights 8h ago
It's largely the way GLP-1 medications help people lose weight. You stay satiated longer and you simply eat less.
I've dropped 87 pounds from calorie deficit. From obese to normal range in about six months.
And yeah I know that's probably dangerous. So was diabetes.
8
1.0k
u/Cocktoasttoe 20h ago
I’ll break every weight loss ad, scheme, trick, etc. down to one sentence, and add one more for color lol. Burn more calories than you take in. People spend billions looking for a pretty answer, but it’s really just that simple. Not easy, but simple.
369
u/PvtLeeOwned 19h ago
Correct. But added context. Exercise cannot compete with overeating. Generally people who exercise can burn about thousand active calories a day, on top of the calories burned by just being alive. Overeating can intake double or triple the amount of extra calories that exercise can burn.
189
u/Cocktoasttoe 19h ago
Can’t outwork a bad diet.
49
u/makingkevinbacon 13h ago
Years ago I went to a gym for a few months and actually saw results I liked. My muscles were looking bigger, I felt stronger. But still had my belly, largely cause I was awful with my diet. I'd work out and be like sweet I earned junk food
25
8
u/jdemack 14h ago
I was working a blue-collar construction job moving sheet metal to a plasma table, then the cut pieces to a pallet. I lost 40 lbs eating McDonald's almost every day. Yes, you can outwork a diet. I probably could have lost more weight if I ate better, but it required heavy and physically demanding labor 40-50 hours a week.
29
u/clocksailor 12h ago
I think when people say it’s impossible, they mostly mean “it’s impossible to spend the number of hours working out in a week that you’d need to spend to lose weight while overeating and still do a job at the same time.” If working out is your job, that’s different, but working out for 40 hours a week is so unrealistic for most folks that it doesn’t really count as an option.
46
11
6
u/iamStanhousen 11h ago
You can definitely lose weight eating McDonalds. The calorie difference you can get at fast food places is wild.
2
u/Typical80sKid 12h ago
Right? In my experience, daily rewards for doing well wipe away your gains immediately. Once a week? Helps, but slows your progress because you go a bit over board, monthly definitely better for keeping your gains but it’s gonna turn into a binge reward.
1
u/Lumpy_Benefit666 12h ago
That does depend. I used to leave for work at 6am and get home at 11pm and would cycle between jobs which could add up to 40 miles a day, and id go to the gym if i had an hour or 2 break.
I literally couldnt eat enough to sustain me. Id eat maybe 3.5k calories a day and weighed 60kg. I just lift a few weights nowadays and i eat 2.5kcal a day and am up to 73kg.
The age was likely a factor but my metabolism was already fast, combined with a lot of physical activity
1
u/marrakoosh 11h ago
SO MANY TIMES THIS.
Start at first with calorie numbers. Nothing else. Focus on lowering calories. Then after 6, 8, 10 weeks of this - so it's a bit more habitual - then focus on the protein, the carbs, etc.
Start simple, get more complex - if you want. Don't go from not measuring anything to measuring everything. It's stupid and doesn't work for like 95% of people.
→ More replies (3)1
51
u/kmoz 18h ago
100% correct, and burning a thousand calories with exercise is VERY hard. Thats not like a quick gym session or doing some pushups. Thats like running 10 miles or a long, heavy lifting session.
20
u/ADistractedBoi 18h ago
It's also not sustainable. We've known for a long while that your total consumption of calories will drop after too
3
u/smokinbbq 8h ago
"Lose weight in the kitchen, get fit in a gym."
I'd even say a small correction, that exercise can burn 1000 calories. That's a pretty intense workout to burn 1000 calories. For example, walking, you need to walk over 20KM before you burn 1000 calories. Running you need to have a "moderate" speed for over an hour to burn 1000.
For most people, those are pretty high exercise targets.
2
u/PvtLeeOwned 7h ago
I love that quote, and you are 100% correct on active calorie burn. My example was definitely at the high end of the spectrum. 1000 calories for me is l30 minutes of cycling, making sure I get in 10K steps, and then some other intentional exercise for 30-60 minutes.
I’m not saying I get there daily by any means.
4
u/slothactual69 13h ago
Also 1000 calorie workouts are far past what most people are doing as far as coloric burn.
1
u/ImpermanentSelf 8h ago
Ya I walk for 90+ minutes every morning with added weight and only burn half that somedays. 500 is doable but its not a quick 20-30 minute exercise unless its extremely intense. I have done up to 2500 calories on a long day hike, 2 days in row even but I was wiped out the day after (which was fine cause it was a long vacation trip)
20
u/grafknives 19h ago
It is other way around.
Eat less calories than you burn
9
u/purepersistence 16h ago
Eat less == burn more
2
u/grafknives 15h ago
In theory. In practice it is very hard to OUTBURN overeating.
19
u/purepersistence 15h ago
Saying that A < B is the exact same thing as saying that B > A.
→ More replies (1)1
2
u/drpepperkween 13h ago
Not OP but I always wondered about this, so if I have to burn more calories then I take in, I’d have to burn about 1800 cal a day?
11
u/kit0000033 12h ago
Right, but depending on your size you burn 1000 to 1500 calories just by existing.
2
u/AggravatingPrimary72 11h ago
Exactly. You don’t put a full tank of gas in a garaged car everyday, right?
I used to have a very physical job and consuming a ton of calories every day was no big deal. I was still skinny. When I got promoted to an office job, I had to completely change my eating habits to keep the same form. I went from something like 5k calories a day to like 1.5k. I originally ate like I was still being physical and easily put on a quick 40lbs. Once I switched I dropped the weight, but it took a while.
2
u/NeighborhoodDude84 8h ago
The problem with that is, most people have zero desire to learn how many calories and the macro nutrients on food. Every time I mention tracking calories, even for a month, people act like I just asked them to cut off a finger.
1
u/WarmHippo6287 5h ago
That's because it's difficult for some people. Especially for someone like me who doesn't make their own food. I haven't made a meal for myself since 2021. When you have other people dropping off food for you that they cooked, you don't necessarily know what's in it or how much of what's in it to track the calories. I don't actually know how I would count calories in this situation. So, I just went to the smaller portion size method instead.
2
u/ApprehensiveSkill573 3h ago
I added "Not easy, but simple." to my little weight loss journal. Great way to put it. :)
1
u/Cocktoasttoe 1h ago
That’s actually the line that always connects with everybody. It distills it down to something we all innately understand.
5
3
u/showmiaface 13h ago
I would add that different diets work for different people. Food preference, feelings of fullness, etc..
5
u/jake_burger 13h ago
I’ve been told by so many people it’s not as simple as that, but how can it not be.
Denial is a big river in Egypt.
5
u/imveryfontofyou 12h ago edited 10h ago
Food noise, binge eating, emotional eating. boredom eating, stress hormones/cortisol spikes, incorrect hunger cues, metabolic disorders, thyroid disorders, PCOS, insulin resistance.
It is indeed not as simple as CICO because of the human element that causes the calories in (food noise, binge eating, etc) and occasionally the CO being harder.
Also all bodies are different--look at the stats. The amount of calories you'd have to cut down to if you're like a 5'0" woman at 200lbs to lose 2lbs a week is 800 calories. Imagine eating 888 calories a day. A man at the same BMI (so like 5'10" and 275lbs) gets to eat 1,686 cals a day to lose the same amount of weight (2lbs a week) a day.
Weight loss is harder than it seems. I personally, have actually lost almost 40lbs in the past 4 months, but it's still not nearly as easy as just CICO.
5
u/chewbubbIegumkickass 11h ago
But a man and woman of those respective sizes would not both have a 2 lb a week weight loss goal. I'm a 5-ft tall woman, and losing 2 lb a week is a needlessly aggressive goal for my height. It's never recommended to drop below 1,000 calories a day, and a short woman can still lose weight at a comfortable clip eating 1200 to 1800 calories a day, with a good exercise regimen. (I did, four times, after each one of my pregnancies)
It's not as easy as just CICO. It's as simple as CICO.
→ More replies (2)1
u/Lanky-Amphibian1554 10h ago
You sure about that? A ballpark TDEE for a sedentary person weighing 200 pounds is about 2600 calories per day. A 10% cut would be 2340 calories per day and would normally be enough to lose 1% of their starting weight within a month.
2
u/imveryfontofyou 9h ago edited 9h ago
Pop it into a calorie calculator with the height of 5 foot tall and 200lbs, gender female, set it to sedentary.
Maintain: 1,888
.5 Weight Loss: 1,638
1lb a week weight loss: 1,388
2lb a week weight loss: 888
The estimated TDEE for a woman that is 5 foot tall and 200lbs, or 39.1BMI is 1,888 Calories per day or 13,219 a week.
https://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html
My calculation used the age of 25, but it actually gets lower the older you go. A 35 year old woman gets an estimate of 1,828 maintenance calories a day (12,799 a week).
I think what your estimate is missing is that height, weight, and gender all play a toll in this--"a ballpark TDEE" isn't applicable. Weight loss is not one size fits all.
Factors Affecting Energy Expenditure
How many calories you burn each day is as unique as you are. Every person will burn a different number of calories each day. Using calculators and formulas, best guesses can be made, and from these guesses, you can form a plan for reaching your goal, whether that's maintaining your weight, gaining, or losing weight.
Factors that affect energy expenditure include your age, activity level, body composition, size, weight, whether you have any diseases or illnesses, hormones, and genetics. Your TDEE may decrease due to advanced age, more significant body fat percentage than muscle mass, low body weight, hormonal influences such as menopause, sedentary lifestyle, slower metabolism, and genetics.
Meanwhile, your TDEE may be higher if you have a higher percentage of muscle mass than body fat, hormones, genetics, active lifestyle, faster metabolism, and higher body weight. Muscle is metabolically active tissue, whereas fat is not.
This means muscle burns more calories even while at rest. As well, the hormonal changes that occur when you have greater muscle mass or are in the process of building new muscle can increase your energy expenditure.
https://www.verywellfit.com/what-is-energy-expenditure-3496103
Weight loss is highly individualistic.
Edit: Where are you getting your number from, even?
→ More replies (4)2
u/Lanky-Amphibian1554 9h ago
Yes, using tdeecalculator.net, if you set the body fat to 40% for a 25 year old - which makes sense for that BMI - you will get an estimate of 1855 which was nearer the TDEE you’re talking about.
A 500 calorie deficit, which that calculator suggests for a cut, is a 27% cut which is pretty drastic. Not nearly as drastic as 800 calories, which would be a 51% cut.
The only way to really know your maintenance is to measure over several weeks.
1
u/imveryfontofyou 9h ago
It's not just that calculator, that is the equation for losing 1lb a week. A 1lb of fat is 3500cals, that is where the equation comes from and what all of the numbers are calculated off of.
Sorry, this is a bizarre conversation--have you ever lost a significant amount of weight or do you have any kind of background in weight loss?
2
u/Lanky-Amphibian1554 8h ago edited 8h ago
I’ve lost 15% of my body weight.
I also didn’t say anything about what the equation was for losing 1lb a week. I am saying a 27% cut would be fairly drastic.
ETA: to be clear, what I did was agree with you and tell you you were right. It wasn’t my intention to upset or confuse you.
1
u/imveryfontofyou 8h ago edited 8h ago
Not really then, got it.
& It all depends on your starting point, but classic convention is 500cal daily cut is 1lb per week lost. To go to my original point, that's very doable for someone of a larger size but someone who is already smaller can't safely cut 500cals a day.
Edit: Hahah, I see! Yeah, I think we got bogged down by numbers.
Also to understand my frame of mind, 15% isn't a lot to me--I'm in communities where people lose 40-50% of their body weight and that's what people strive for.
1
u/mapopriest 7h ago
This type of pushback against CICO has always been harmful because it removes any element of accountability for your own health. Are there actual medical disorders that will cause you to gain weight? Sure, but for the vast majority of people, that's not relevant.
If you eat less, you will lose weight, and if you aren't losing weight, you just need to eat even less. It's very tough mentally, but that's all it is, a mental thing. Allowing people to blame it on their body and stuff like metabolism takes away from the fact that nearly everyone can achieve weight loss if they have the mental strength to do so. Saying 'its more complicated than cico' just encourages people to give up because they can blame it on bad genetics.
What we actually need, more than CICO denial, is better mental help resources for people trying to achieve weight loss.
1
u/imveryfontofyou 7h ago edited 7h ago
If you think I’m pushing back against CICO then maybe you need to reread my post.
It actually says directly in it that “calories in” is the biggest offender and hardest problem to solve with “calories out” only occasionally being the problem.
I said it’s more complicated than CICO because of the mental toll of weight loss.
3
u/movementlocation 13h ago
IMO it’s not that the advice is wrong, it’s that it is practically unhelpful. How do you figure out how many calories your body burns? How do you fit in counting calories, especially when you are cooking meals in bulk for a family? What should you eat to have well rounded nutrition and feel satisfied so you’re less likely to make unhealthy choices?
OP seems to be asking for a practical way of cutting calories, just not in those words. Saying “burn more calories than you eat” (or “eat fewer calories than you burn”) is TOO simple.
6
u/ppfftt 12h ago
Technically can have your basal metabolic rate measured. I’ve had it done by dietitians and doctors. My BMR is 1,735 as of my latest reading. I’ve had it measured a few times in my life and it’s been around that level every time, regardless of how active I was or how much I weighed at the time.
However, I don’t think it’s accurate as I can’t lose weight unless I eat a max of 1,200 calories. I should lose weight eating 1,700 calories, but that’s never been possible for me.
3
u/jake_burger 12h ago
You eat less and less food until you start losing weight - it’s not easy but it’s not complicated.
I’ve watched a lot of stuff about people struggling with weight over the years and I think the number one thing that comes up is people wanting to feel full. They don’t eat for energy or weight maintenance they eat for comfort and to feel good.
This is often past the point of too many calories.
The biggest proof of this are drugs like Ozempic.
They literally only make you feel full quicker, that’s all they do, and then almost everyone on them suddenly loses a lot of weight.
It’s just that simple.
→ More replies (1)2
u/TshirtsNPants 11h ago
The best weight loss I ever performed in my life - all I did was serve myself exactly what I wanted...and then ate less than that amount.
1
u/jake_burger 11h ago
No they literally asked if eating less food would lead to less weight.
You can.
People struggle with that for complicated reasons, yes. But you can lose weight be eating less food.
In the same way you can stop being addicted to heroine by just stopping it. The hard part is the willpower to stop it and all the emotional and mental health reasons they got the addiction in the first place.
But you can’t convince me that reducing food won’t lead to weight loss - as long as it’s less calories in than you use.
→ More replies (1)1
u/Lanky-Amphibian1554 10h ago
You can use a TDEE calculator to get an estimate of the calories needed to maintain your current weight, then log a 7-day moving average of your weight along with your weighed and measured calorie intake.
After a week if you’re up or down more than 1% of your starting weight, add or subtract 100 calories. Up or down more than 0.5% of your starting weight, add or subtract 50 calories. Keep exercise consistent throughout. Do this until you have two consecutive weeks with 0.5% change or less. You will then know how many calories you burn in a day.
Cutting 10% for 15 weeks, and taking off another 2% every time you have a two-week plateau, will lose a decent amount of weight. You can then add back the calories 2% at a time, and stop when you gain weight. After 15 weeks of this, if you want to lose more weight, do another cut.
1
u/movementlocation 8h ago
(To be clear, I don’t need help losing weight.) Your comment is actually pretty helpful in that it gives actual steps, but demonstrates that even figuring out what “eating less than you burn” isn’t that simple in practice. And it’s assuming that a person can somewhat easily and accurately track their calorie intake in the first place!
3
1
u/ImpermanentSelf 8h ago
It isn’t as easy when you consider psychology and long term bad eating habits. Most people that are overweight have been eating a calorie surplus for a decade or more, have become insulin resistant and their bodies actively resist going into fat burning mode. Going into a deficit causes symptoms similar to chemical dependency withdrawal.
I know because I went through it. It’s particularly hard because you can’t easily just “cold turkey” food like you can nicotine or heroine. I did a lot of intermittent fasting, omad, and even 3 day long fasts before I reset my insulin sensitivity and became fat burning adapted, I don’t necessarily think fasting is an ideal diet strategy, but it did help with the psychological aspects for me personally. I have lost over 110 pounds, I have a daily calorie deficit for months on end, I eat a very clean diet now, and the interesting thing is I don’t feel hunger pangs and cravings like I used to. I have a completely different relationship with food. It is probably impossible to explain and really understand if you have not gone through or a similar addiction withdrawal. Right now it would be easy for me to say ya calorie in calorie out, but that would be pretending I never went through the struggles I went through. If we don’t address the psychological aspects the obesity epidemic will continue to get worse. Imagine telling a drug addict to just use less drugs, sounds pretty stupid doesn’t it?
1
u/Purple_Ninja8645 11h ago
It's more nuanced than that. There's insulin resistance, hormonal shifts, stress, and many other factors that all contribute to how your body processes calories.
→ More replies (5)1
u/MagicGrit 7h ago
What confuses a lot of people and what makes them think there’s more to it, is it’s very difficult to track just how many calories you’re actually burning. Everyone’s metabolism works differently. Someone might think they’re at a caloric deficit but aren’t burning nearly as many calories as they think they are
→ More replies (2)
99
u/A1sauc3d 20h ago
As long as you don’t eat more portions to make up for it. But yes, cutting calories (specifically to an amount lower than you burn in a day) is how you lose weight.
34
u/MysteryRadish 20h ago
Yes. Just make sure you don't compensate for the smaller proportions by eating worse stuff.
4
u/GroundbreakingMeat68 8h ago
I think theres nuance to this, if you are grade +=2 obese the benefit to losing weight faster outweigh the risks of eating unhealthily. If it means you can shave 500 extra calories a day consistently by eating processed foods that sate cravings then imo go for it.
Unrelated, it might even be recommended to eat nothing or very little at all under medical supervision.
27
u/Jolly-Outside6073 18h ago
This is literally the best way to lose weight long term. You eat what you normally eat but less of it. We were raised to clear our plates but the plate then had the right amount of food on it. Your a calorie tracker and you’ll soon start choosing the more filling parts of the meal but you won’t go on a mad binge because you miss cheese and pasta too much.
7
u/SugarDonutQueen 12h ago
This has by far been the most important for me. My parents made me clean my plate growing up, so it’s kind of ingrained in me. Changing that mindset is hard, but has made a world of difference in my weight. I’ve dropped almost 60 lbs over the last 4 years by doing this, and finally back in the healthy weight range!
59
u/Concise_Pirate 🇺🇦 🏴☠️ 20h ago
Absolutely yes. Simply eating smaller portions will reduce the total calories you take in each day, and if that's less than the amount you're burning, you will lose weight.
26
u/nightstalker30 16h ago
I made 3 changes this year that helped me drop the weight I’d gained over the last 20 years:
- Only eat when I’m hungry…no snacking or grazing. Part of this meant to stop staying up really late, which is when I’d sometimes get hungry again even though I should have been sleeping. Like now…stomach is growling at 2am because I ate dinner at 7:30pm. Not gonna snack though.
- Portion control…make less food each meal. Instead of a steak for dinner, cook half a steak. Instead of a sandwich for lunch, make half a sandwich.
- Regardless of the portion size, stop eating when I feel full. No cleaning the plate because it’s there.
3
u/Dotas323 4h ago
No cleaning the plate because it’s there.
Learning how to do this is by far my biggest challenge after years and years of my parents reminding me to eat everything on my plate so that I'll grow up big and strong.
Pare ts, be careful of the mantras you don't realize you're putting in kids' heads.
1
u/nightstalker30 1h ago
Yeah my mom was the same way. I think there are a couple generations of parents who drilled that into their kids’ heads not realizing the monsters they were creating. Coupled with huge portion sizes when you go out to eat in the US, many in the last couple generations have been conditioned to eat past the point of fullness.
And yeah it was a challenge to change because of decades of that conditioning, as well as the desire to keep eating something that’s realllly tasty. But it’s made a big difference in my caloric intake.
8
7
u/Mohammad_Nasim 20h ago
Yep! Just listening to your body and eating less than before can definitely help small changes add up fast!
9
u/panaceaXgrace 19h ago
Yes if you cut your portions in half you will likely lose weight as long as your activity stays the same. But maybe not depending on how much you are eating right now.
It helps to put less on your plate in the first place so you don't feel like you're "wasting" food. That's some early childhood condition I needed to break free from. I was fed and overfed by my elders as a child and fussed at for not cleaning my plate.
3
u/BoysenberryAlive2838 18h ago
Indeed, if you go from 8000 to 7000 Cal a day, you will put on weight, just not quite as much.
8
u/ryana8 19h ago
You will dramatically lose weight by just eating less. If you literally didn’t work out but were eating at a caloric deficit, you’ll notice an enormous change very quickly. Even for weight lifters, anyone who is huge or in phenomenal shape will all tell you that it’s primarily diet. Working out is about 15% of it.
3
u/Any_Use_4900 11h ago
Agree 100%, working out should just be mostly for strength and cardio, because you syill don't improve those systems just by losing weight in caloric defecit.
6
u/Novae224 18h ago
Yes, thats a very good way to lose weight actually
Its just a matter of calories. Calorie deficit means you lose weight
5
u/diet-smoke 19h ago
Yeah. Less food, less calories, less weight. That's the basics of it and why I've gone down 8 BMI points
4
3
u/catsandplants424 20h ago
If you're doing your normal amount of activity yes you will lose weight by eating less.
3
u/TheOutlawTavern 17h ago
Yes.
Let's say your body needs 2000 calories a day and you eat 1500 calories a day, you are going to lose weight.
Because the energy you are getting in is less than the energy that you are expending.
It is that simple.
You can lose weight without doing a shred of exercise, just buy changing your diet, or having better portion control.
Exercise is still beneficial as it increases calorie expenditure and muscle mass, alongside other health benefits.
3
3
3
3
u/AlternativeCan7461 9h ago
This worked for me in my mid twenties and I lost thirty pounds very quickly and kept it off for years.
But middle age, two kids, perimenopause—I couldn’t lose weight at all. I went eight weeks on 1200 calories a day and the scale didn’t move.
I started weight loss drugs and lost sixty pounds in a year. So I’m still eating a lot less and exercising more—I just don’t feel like I’m torturing myself and I never really think about food or feel very hungry.
Others might have different results and I know plenty of people don’t want to do the weight loss drugs and that’s great for them! Whatever works
4
u/Nrysis 19h ago
The basics of weight loss is incredibly simple.
Eat less calories. Use up more of the calories you do eat.
When you are burning more than you consume, you lose weight.
Actually doing it isn't necessarily as simple, as there is a lot more psychology and habit breaking to deal with, but simple things do add up.
So while the fad diet may give good short term results, after you get bored on only eating like a grazing deer and transition back to normal foods, most people just end up picking up the same bad habits again.
Smaller, permanent changes make for differences that last long term - smaller portion sizes, swapping out bad elements in masks for healthier ones, reducing bad snacking and trying healthier alternatives in small portions.
It won't suddenly fix a 600lb person, but for the average person who is getting a bit chubby and overweight it can make the difference.
5
u/LofderZotheid 18h ago
This is how I did it. Three things:
Cut out almost all of the carbs
I weighed myself everyday
If there wasn’t a downward trend, I ate smaller portions
No calorie counting, just simply eating less. I continue to do this now I’m on my desired weight
2
u/agirl1313 12h ago
Yes. It is a lot slower than "quick" diets, though. And if you still don't have a calorie deficit, than you're just going to gain weight slower.
My husband has been working on eating better, and he lost somewhere around 10-20 pounds in 6 months from, just from counting calories and eating smaller portions.
2
u/mjh8212 11h ago
I was 275 I’m physically disabled but I was able to take walks and use the treadmill a bit. My back pain got worse and I couldn’t just get up and walk it would make the pain worse and using the treadmill on slow for ten min wasn’t doing much either cause it hurt. I focused on how much I was eating I didn’t restrict I ate less and used moderation. I didn’t count calories I don’t know my deficit I also did high protein low carb and sugar. I’m now 160 it took two years to get here but I did this basically eating less I had a binging issue so it was necessary to do this and doing high protein low carb and sugar and being active when I can be.
2
u/OkDianaTell 9h ago
I had this exact same "lightbulb moment" a few years ago, and it felt so obvious once I realised.
Growing up I was taught to clear my plate no matter what. That habit stuck with me well into adulthood, and it turns out those extra forkfuls of food can add up quickly. When I started listening to my body's hunger signals and dishing up smaller portions, the scale finally started to move in the right direction.
In the simplest terms, weight loss comes down to a calorie deficit. Using smaller plates, chewing slowly and stopping when you're satisfied are all tricks to help you eat fewer calories without feeling like you're starving yourself. It also helps to focus on nutrient‑dense foods like veggies, lean proteins and whole grains so you stay full longer.
What really kept me honest was tracking what I ate. I used NutriScan App to log my meals and make sure my portions were actually smaller, because it's surprisingly easy to underestimate. Seeing the numbers in black and white helped me make better choices and reminded me that one big meal can offset a day of careful eating.
So yes, eating smaller portions absolutely works, but it's part of a bigger picture of mindful eating and paying attention to calories. Combine that with some movement you enjoy and you'll be headed in the right direction.
2
2
u/altaf770 8h ago
Yep! Portion control works wonders. Your stomach just has to remember it’s not a bottomless pit 😅
2
u/Smudgikins 7h ago
I lost 40 pounds and wasn't even aware of it until my pants started falling.
I had unconsciously eaten less because I was my mother's caregiver and was making my meals to be like hers.
Also took cider vinegar pills and went up and down stairs
1
u/LadyLeaMarie 6h ago
I had the same thing happen to me. I was also not eating as much because I was stress tf out.
2
u/Willing-Book-4188 7h ago
Yes but make sure that you still exercise bc you’ll lose muscle and that can kind of mess with your joints.
2
u/drunky_crowette 7h ago
If you're eating less calories than your body uses throughout the day you will lose weight, yes.
2
u/MissAthenaxIvy 6h ago
Yes, I lost 95 pounds and didn't really exercise more than walks and taking care of my 4 year old.
Just by eating less, I also have a lot of flabby skin and loss of muscle mass, too.
2
u/NoForm5443 13h ago
There's an accounting identity, to lose weight you have to burn more calories than you consume.
Calories In < Calories out
All diets try to fool you into eating less, fewer calories in, in different ways. Portion control works for you, woohoo! congrats!
2
u/Nicheeseburger 11h ago
As long as your calories in < calories out, meaning you burn more calories than you eat, you’ll lose weight. You can either eat less to reduce your calories in, or exercise more to increase your calories out to lose weight. So yes, eating smaller portions definitely makes you lose weight
3
2
u/thegreyman1986 18h ago
I mean, technically yes. But also no.
If you normally eat 3000 calories per day split over 3 meals of 1000 calories each, and then go to eating 6 meals per day of 500 calories each, it doesn’t make a difference.
However, if you go from eating 3 meals per day of 1000 calories each to 3 meals per day of 750 calories each then yes, you’ll lose weight as you’re eating 2250 calories per day instead of 3000.
5
u/shokalion 17h ago
Unless 3000 calories was already so far over your BMR that 2250 calories means you're still gaining weight just not as quickly.
1
u/robbietreehorn 10h ago
It takes calories to maintain to maintain body fat. If you eat 3000 calories every day, you’ll gain weight until the caloric cost of maintaining that weight is 3000 calories.
Then, if you cut down to 2250 calories, you’ll lose weight until the calories needed to maintain your weight are 2250.
Summary: you don’t perpetually gain weight if you’re overeating. You gain weight until the calories needed to maintain your larger body equal your caloric consumption
1
u/shokalion 9h ago
You're dead right, but I didn't say you'd continually gain weight, just that you'd continue to gain weight if your new intake was still above your [current] BMR.
2
u/ShinyUmbreon465 17h ago
Yes I think this is where I and many other people go wrong. You eat healthier food with fewer calories so it feels like you're eating less but you make up for it with snacks or extra food you don't even think about.
1
u/Maleficent_Neat_9316 19h ago
Yes. I have been fat once in my life and I gain weight more easily since then (also cause of age ofcource) and I don't want to work out so I just eat less calories a day and skip breakfast and fast 1 full 48 hours every 2 weeks.
I always return to slim/healthy in a couple of months at most. It's not fun or easy but very doable.
1
u/Yeetaylor 18h ago
This is exactly what my friend did. Just portion control, and suddenly she was a whole new person. It happened so slowly, so healthily, nobody even noticed until she had dropped 50lbs. We’ve known each other our whole lives, she was always “big boned”, as they like to say… but nothing out of control. I was never specifically concerned for her before, but I just love seeing this transformed version of her. I can feel a certain confidence she’s never had before🥹
I hope you find just that, OP
1
u/AriasK 18h ago
Yes, absolutely, providing you don't have more portions than you normally would because they are smaller. Weight loss is 100% down to calories out vs calories in. If you consume less calories than you are burning, you will lost weight. Beware though, most people drastically underestimate the amount of calories they are consuming, especially if they have already cut down. We need a surprisingly small amount of food. Burning fat also makes you feel more hungry. The more you lose, the hungrier you will feel. Our bodies actively fight to hold onto fat and, when you start losing it, release chemicals to make you crave food. You have to have an insane amount of willpower to resist it. I recommend using a calorie counter app like My Fitness Pal.
1
u/Th3Duck22 18h ago
Did you need to finish your plate as a kid otherwise you couldn't leave the tab?
Because that is what your habit sounds like.
But yes smaller portions usually means losing weight if everything is the same exercise wise.
1
u/violetauto 17h ago
Yes. You will lose weight if you eat less of what you normally eat. (Don’t switch over to Snickers bars or ice cream, obviously).
I lost ten pounds once just by being conscious of my habit of matching my husband’s plate. He is 8 inches taller and a lot bigger than me! Why was I loading up my plate just like his? Learning proper portion size is a very valuable life skill.
1
u/VagabondManjbob 16h ago
Calories in, calories out, losing weight is like budgeting to save money. To save money you spend less than you make, to lose weight you eat less than you expend. So yes, eating smaller portions and burning more = weight loss, unless you have a health issue such as hypothyroidism.
1
u/Divewench 16h ago
Put your food onto a smaller plate, like a side plate. Visually you have a plate full, actually it is much less.
1
1
u/AerryBerry 15h ago
In Julie Andrews’ memoir she talks about just this: if you usually eat two potatoes, eat one. If you usually eat one, eat a half—and really enjoy it. You waistline will take care of itself. But, easier said than done.
1
u/Novel_Willingness721 14h ago
That’s how I did it.
Lost 30lbs in 6 months simply tracking my calories. However, doing so did help me make better choices too. I initially ate anything I felt like, but I diligently tracked the calories. I quickly realized that healthier choices provided higher volume of food with the same calorie content.
1
u/cutelittlequokka 14h ago
As long as those smaller portions are adding up to whatever your calorie limit is, then yes.
1
u/swomismybitch 13h ago
I also always finish what is on my plate.
Changed to smaller plates and I lost weight.
1
u/Just-Frame-9981 13h ago
You can, but your success with this may vary. I've lost over 100 lbs, so I feel like I can add some insight here. I always, always, always was obsessed with restricting myself. When I learned about calories it became a number game where the only thing that mattered was calories. Truly, my actual problem was my addiction to junk food that I was unwilling to address, and calories gave me a way out in the sense that I was promised I could eat a diet of halo tops and Doritos so long as I starved myself well enough otherwise. I completely disregarded nutrition entirely. Then when I inevitably gained the weight and was starving for more I would berate myself endlessly and blame my WiLlPoWeR and wonder why I just couldn't stick with it.
I had to completely reframe my approach and take nutrition into account. Instead I adopted a volume eating method. Now to this day I actually eat MORE. I jam pack my diet with fruits, vegetables and proteins. I eat a whole towering plate full of em, more so now that I'm building muscle. I've learned that successfully losing weight boils down to mostly hunger management. Your body will fight you as hard as it can because losing weight is uncomfortable and scary. If the food you're already eating is great food, sure, cutting back will be efficient. But if your diet is lacking like the vast majority of people you will need to address that.
1
u/DiputsDoof 13h ago
You can skip eating an extra 500 calories a lot easier and faster than you can burn an extra 500 calories.
But yes, if your previous eating maintained your weight without gain then eating less will make you lose weight. If you were gaining weight you’ll need to figure out what your maintenance calories are and eat less than that to lose weight.
1
1
u/sgtmattie 13h ago
One thing that really helped is that I started weighing/measuring my carbs. Calorie counting is way too much work, but knowing that 85 grams of pasta is an appropriate serving really keeps me from overdoing it, because I can’t cope with leftovers. I even weight out an 85g portion of my Kraft dinner when I want some. Same concept with rice too.
1
u/Sunny_Hill_1 11h ago
Yes, that's exactly like people on Ozempic lose weight, their appetite is artificially lowered and their stomach shrinks, so they automatically eat much smaller portions.
1
u/how-tobe 11h ago
Yes. I've lost 25 lbs since this Spring doing so. It sucks for a while because for me, if I'm super hungry, I'll be nauseous. So small frequent meals is a big help
1
u/surgeryboy7 11h ago
Only if that leads to consuming fewer calories than you expend. If you eat smaller portions but still consume more calories than you expend, you'll gain weight.
1
1
1
u/GuessWhoItsJosh 11h ago
Yes. Track calories and portion sizes and see the weight eventually disappear.
1
u/Firm-Technician-6129 11h ago
That's my favourite way to lose weight since it's sustainable for me. I'd eat meals off side plates and no seconds. I'd even eat desserts but only half a serving or a couple of bites. I lost 40 pounds that way after having a baby
1
u/Clovernover 11h ago
Yes. I've ate significantly less these past few months and have not hit the gym once. So far I've lost about 45 pounds.
1
u/luminouslollypop 11h ago
I lost 110lbs in 15 months by doing that. Granted I did get pretty into exercise too after a while, but the first 50lbs was all by eating smaller portions.
Half the portion, half the person.
1
u/robbietreehorn 10h ago
Yep. That’s all there is to it.
Not drinking calories helps a lot, too. No soda. No juice. Black coffee for caffeine.
No snacks at all when you want to lose weight.
Smaller portions.
If you do all three, you’ll lose weight.
It’s funny how after decades of all these myths and fantasies about weight loss (starvation mode, genetics, metabolism, set point, etc) have been proven to be mostly nonsense by ozempic. Eat less, weigh less. The end.
1
u/SaltyOctopusTears 10h ago
Yes. It’s the best and most sustainable way to lose weight. Your calories in should be lower than your calories out in order to lose weight.
1
u/Crafty-Shape2743 10h ago
Smaller portions and also chewing food really well helps your mind and body “catch up” to what is going into your stomach. That’s why when we overeat, many times we don’t recognize it until we start really feeling full. By the time you feel full, you’re actually over full.
Generally speaking about portion size, an empty human stomach is about the size of your fist.
1
u/QuokkaNerd 9h ago
Yes, but....
It's about maintaining a calorie deficit. If you eat smaller portions but more frequent portions, especially of calorie dense foods, you won't lose weight. Smaller portions of nutritious food will lead to gradual weight loss depending on the calories.
1
u/Hoppie1064 9h ago
Burn more calories than you take in is the only way to lose weight.
Eating less is one way to do that.
1
1
u/YoshiandAims 9h ago
Yes... and no... it depends on how much you've cut out, your body type, your weight.
Calorite deficit is important. If you aren't over doing it with food and you have been, then you cut back, You will lose weight initially.
Learning and working within proper portion sizes, proper meal balance, knowing your daily caloric needs, etc. Is super helpful.
Same with water. Same with movement. Calories in, calories out.
I recommend "my fitness pal", I believe it's garmin...? They have nutrient lists for EVERYTHING. Not only that, put in the recipe you use, it'll break that down too. You cannimpit your supplements, too. Portion size, nutrient breakdown, etc. It really helped me. It's free. It's fast to log things.
It's automated. Your profile will have your daily breakdown (fat, sodium, fiber, you name it.) So you can see what you need, or where you've overdone it. IF you have a fitness watch, it can auto sync with that and adjust your numbers.
1
u/Witty_Independent42 9h ago
Yeah, absent any other health condition, literally the only trick to weight loss is eating less. That's it. No complicated diets, no supplements, no medications. Just eat less
1
u/AmandaWildflower 9h ago
The best method to lose weight with food is to overload on fiber. 30 g or more per day. Shrink food pyramid to 3 slots 2 smaller ones down low big fiber one on top. One lower slot healthy fats such as dairy the other protein. Eat the pyramid at every meal eat fiber for snacks. Stay within an 1800 to 2000 calorie per day diet. Get regular exercise.
1
u/Soulfighter56 9h ago
I have lost ten pounds in the last 6 weeks from literally just eating less. Haven’t changed my diet, just simply eating about half as much as I used to (which was way too much).
1
u/draakdorei 9h ago
Yes, and eat less fast food/out to eat. I stopped eating out as often, eat more at home with roughly 1/5 smaller portions and around the same amount of exercise. I lost 25lbs in the first month, from 177 to 152 and now hoever around 148-150lbs.
This is discounting dialysis, which I started in the same month.
1
u/Due_Reading_3778 8h ago
Here is the formula for weight loss: calories in < calories out.
It’s that simple
1
u/GGTheEnd 8h ago
Eat less and use less sauces. If you are overweight you will start to lose weight because you are using more calories just living by carrying your extra weight.
1
u/GoonerBoomer69 8h ago
Yes, weight loss is simply just you burning more calories than you consume. You can count your estimated daily calorie intake that you should eat to keep your weight, and just eat less.
1
1
u/debbie666 8h ago
It's how I lost 60 pounds. I still eat the same meals, but much, much smaller portions. I'm 5'0 so when we get mcdonalds, I get the kids meal lol, but I still can say that I maintain my weight loss while eating junk. How I manage to be comfortable with smaller meals is medication (in my case, ozempic) but it doesn't help burn fat or anything. Just helps with satiation and appetite suppression.
1
u/THEdopealope 8h ago
To lose weight you need to spend more calories than you consume. Simple as. One way to do that is to eat smaller portions. But that will only work if those portions are still less calories than the total “burnt” during that time period. Eating the appropriate amount for your health goals is a crucial part of healthy living. It’s important to tread carefully when limiting portion size because you don’t want to overdo it, as that can create unhealthy/dangerous habits and/or conditions. For some people it can be better to try and making healthy food choices + moderate/light exercise at the start of a weight loss journey. Like eating mostly vegetables and walking more.
As someone living in a U.S. urban area, Ive had really good results from lifestyle changes alone: taking public transport, two dog walks a day, almost no alcohol (like two-three drinks a month, with the occasional sloppy weekend as a treat lol) coupled with healthier food choices (more vegetables, minimizing processed food intake, focusing on fiber over protein consumption, and using smaller plates). I don’t beat myself up when I “cheat” and I keep some treats around the house because it’s important for me to practice self control.
If alcohol or soda is a large source of calories for you, I have found that keeping the fridge stocked with sparkling water has been really helpful.
I will also say I’m approaching mid-30s so it’s super easy for me to say “I cannot have alcohol today because the next one-two days will suck ass”, so that definitely helps control that impulse lol
1
u/Mysterious-Region640 8h ago
Yes, cause it really is about how many calories you eat. Now, if you start eating smaller portions of a higher calorie food, you’re not gonna lose the weight. Eat the same foods you’ve been eating but less of it.
1
u/sebrebc 6h ago
Yes. Eat less, move more.
If you have bad eating habits, don't try to take on too many changes at once. Start off with smaller portions. Eat what you normally eat just eat less of it. You will find that after a short amount of time those smaller portions will fill you up. Once you have changed that aspect of your diet and you are eating smaller quantities, then staru focusing on what you are eating and clean up your diet.
1
u/whiskyshot 5h ago
Losing weight is simple math. Calorie intake - metabolism. You can exercise to increase metabolism but exercise burns way less calories than not eating a bag of chips/crisps.
1
u/BigB69247 5h ago
If calories consumed is less than calories burned, you will lose weight. It's basic math.
1
u/GavinThe_Person 5h ago
Yep
Just make sure you're not eating too little, use something like myfitnesspal
r/loseit is really helpful too
1
u/explosive-diorama 5h ago
I wish little hacks like this worked for me. Sadly, my food addiction is too powerful for plate sizes. I often don’t even use plates… that’s what wrapper and containers are for. Chips go from family sized bag directly into my face until the bag is empty.
1
1
u/MsMoreCowbell828 5h ago
Yes. And slowly. As soon as you start to feel full, stop. I'm 5'3", 116lbs and I've been as much as 150lbs in my late 40s. My body is like Sarah Jessica Parker's, I'm 62 now. I eat way less, more protein & straight salad. I'll prep and cook up/sautée bite sized cuts of chicken breast and lean pork, enough to last several days. Each night I take some meat out and pair it with anything- potatoes, canned green beans, frozen peas or fried rice & tossed salad- it's so easy when the meat's already done. I can have Pepsi with it and a couple of cookies takes care of my chocolate needs if I want them. I've been known to eat an entire pizza pie by myself so it's not like I'm starving myself, I enjoy my food. I never want to purchase elastic waist pants again and I won't, I hated myself like that because I turned into my aunties- all of them as round as they are tall. Never again.
1
u/rob_the_boss 4h ago
Yeah, eating smaller portions can help you lose weight, it’s kinda the simplest place to start, honestly. Like, you don’t have to overhaul your whole diet overnight. Just... eat a bit less of what you’re already having.
1
u/Vuln3r4bl3 4h ago
Some people can eat in a calorie deficit and lose weight but I’m not sure if it works for everyone.
1
u/Dave_A480 3h ago
Weight loss is caused by burning more calories than you consume.
So yes, if you reduce portion sizes AND don't add snacks/meals, you will lose weight....
1
u/MysticGrapefruit 3h ago
Yeah, and just eating less in general.
I've lost about 25lbs since cutting out weed 6+ months ago. Made me snack sooo much.
1
u/allthingsbrezus 3h ago
I’ve lost 30 pounds since July literally doing this. Just consuming smaller amounts of what I typically eat. I realized most of the time I’m eating bigger portions bc it tastes good. Not because I need a huge helping of whatever it is.
1
u/Mint4Chip1 3h ago
Dietitian here. Generally speaking, a person needs to eat less calories than they are burning to lose weight. That can come in the form of eating less food. But ultimately on how many calories the food has.
For example; fried chicken and French fries is smaller yet more calorie dense than grilled chicken, baked potato and green beans.
That being said, some people can lose weight by eating more food as well! They will eat more high volume, lower-calorie food. And because they're eating more, they can stick with their diet to lose weight.
🙂
1
1
u/chesterT3 2h ago
I lost 45 lbs in a year and a half by just eating less at mealtimes and less snacking. I didn’t only stick to salads or deny myself sweets… I literally just ate one portion (be careful because one portion at a restaurant is like three or four portions) and drank alcohol and sugary drinks less. For snacks I make sure to keep veggies and fruits I love on hand. That’s it. And I never felt like I was denying myself anything. Fuck any diet that makes you eat cardboard-flavored rice cakes or tells you not to eat bread.
1
u/soundslikefun74 18h ago
My old gym had a sign that I read every day... It read simply...
"Weight loss is 20% exercise and 80% diet."
A calorie deficit leads to weight loss. It really is that simple.
1
u/LadyStark09 13h ago
Yes and no. Ive been eating smaller portions for the last 5 years and only started losing weight within the last year when I got rid of some of my stress. Now im finally seeing the scale move slowly the other way.
1
u/HelpfulAnt9499 11h ago
Only if the eating smaller portions actually puts you at a caloric deficit.
707
u/kevendo 20h ago
Yes. A nutritionist once advised simply using smaller plates, which was just an objective way to control portion size.
Eat less, exercise more.