Ditch the fad diets and embrace the power of small changes that make a big impact. In this post, we’ll explore 10 realistic and effective ways to manage weight that can have a significant influence on your overall health and long-term success.

These strategies are not only helpful for weight loss and maintenance, but overall mental and physical health. In a perfect world, you would practice all of these healthy eating approaches – but just choosing a few can make a big difference.
The key to long-term success is consistency, not perfection – which is precisely what this site stands for. What this means is that it’s best to start small – say, one new habit every two weeks. Over time, these habits will become second nature, leading to big results without the pressure of diet culture.
The best advice I can give you is to only select changes that you think you can accomplish. Start small and add in more goals if you feel comfortable doing so. The end result just may be consuming fewer calories than you are expending, leading to weight loss or maintenance.
Effective Weight Management Strategies
These weight management strategies can help you whether you’re on a weight loss journey or just trying to instill healthier eating habits. The best diet is one you can stick to! Lifestyle changes over quick fixes. Make sure to read #10: the most common roadblock with all of my patients!
1. Add More to Meals and Snacks Instead of Restrict
Diet culture is rooted in restriction: “don’t eat carbs” or “only eat meat” or “restrict all desserts”. This leads to feelings of deprivation, anxiousness, and just all around feeling miserable. On the flip side, the idea of “adding more” to meals instead contributes to feeling full and satisfied.
Now, you might be thinking – won’t this just add more calories to my meals? Yes, it probably will – but experiencing more satisfaction after consuming a meal may prevent you from overindulging later. It’s important to be mindful about what to add to that meal, too.
The first step of “adding more” is understanding how to create a well-balanced meal or snack. Say you want a bowl of pasta. Instead of restriction, think about what you can add to a meal to make it more filling: is there a lean protein source? Does the meal have enough fiber and nutrient-dense vegetables?
If not, add some chickpeas or cannellini beans for extra fiber. Or, swap traditional pasta noodles for a higher fiber swap. When you focus on this strategy, weight management becomes easier and more sustainable. This often leads to eating more at meals while still being in a calorie deficit.
You might see faster results by restricting carbohydrates but research has shown this is typically water weight. A 2022 systematic review analyzing 61 randomized controlled trials concluded that there is little to no difference in weight reduction and cardiovascular risk with a high fiber diet versus a low carb diet after two years of follow-up.
2. Don’t Skip Meals

You might think that having just 1-2 meals per day will result in a healthier weight. Less calories, right? However, most experts would say that this is not usually the case. In fact, an analysis of 45 research studies confirmed that skipping breakfast increases the risk of being overweight or obese.
Skipping meals can lead to mindless snacking and overeating at the next meal. I just saw an Instagram video of someone eating just one meal a day that amounted to 2,000 calories versus someone who had 4 meals a day at just 1,600 calories. Sometimes, we think we aren’t eating much but we really are!
Consuming consistent meals, even if on the smaller side, has many advantages for weight management. It can promote consistent energy levels, blood sugar stabilization, reduced hunger cravings, and you’re more likely to reach a higher overall protein and fiber intake.
So, try to make each meal a priority! Even if it’s just an easy, nutrient-dense smoothie. This is important for filling in any nutritional gaps as well.
Resources for Weight Management
Below are nutrient-dense meal ideas but with calorie content in mind.
3. Fill Half Your Plate with Vegetables or Fruit
Filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables makes meals appear larger while also increasing fiber and essential vitamins and minerals. Because of the high water content, these foods are lower in calories but the fiber content helps to increase feelings of fullness. Therefore, you can consume a larger meal that’s actually lower in calories.

Specifically, non-starchy vegetables are low in calories and carbohydrates while also being nutrient-dense. Examples of non-starchy vegetables are asparagus, Brussel sprouts, broccoli, green beans, kale, lettuce, mushrooms, peppers, spinach, zucchini, and tomatoes.
4. Aim for Meals with Protein and Fiber

If you were to ask me how to build a well-balanced meal, prioritizing both protein and fiber would be at the top of my list. I discuss the importance of both of these nutrients on basically every single one of my blog posts.
Both protein and fiber slow down the digestion of our food – with protein taking the longest to digest. This not only keeps us fuller for longer but releases glucose more slowly into the bloodstream and prevent spikes in blood sugar. Both nutrients have been shown to reduce appetite and hunger cravings.
Consuming enough protein is very important when in a calorie deficit to prevent loss of lean muscle mass. If we don’t eat enough protein and are losing weight too quickly, this can backfire by lowering our metabolic rate and reducing strength and endurance. The “ideal” amount is 1.2-1.5 grams of protein per kilogram (divide your weight by 2.2) per day!
I feel like it is very well-known that a high protein diet can assist with weight loss. However, fiber is really underrated! It is extremely helpful for weight management, improving the gut microbiome, and reducing chronic disease risk.

The current fiber recommendations are 25-30 grams per day. For some reason, it is surprisingly hard to reach this as the majority of Americans do not. Instead of avoiding or restricting carbohydrates, focus on the quality instead of the quantity. The combination of protein and fiber increases satiation (for snacks, too) and can be a game-changer for your health and weight management.
More Protein + Fiber Resources
Like I said, my entire site is dedicated to protein + fiber recipes and strategies. Below are some of the most helpful posts.
5. Increase Your NEAT
NEAT is defined as non-exercise activity thermogenesis, the amount of calories we burn from non-exercise related activities (not including digestion or breathing). Interestingly enough, the calories we burn from NEAT are typically much higher and more substantial when compared to exercise-related activity. In fact, it can account for up to 50% of total energy expenditure for those who live more active lives!

It may sound obvious or silly but small changes in your movement adds up quickly. Say you’re on the phone, lying in bed. Stand up and walk around your house. This may only burn 30-50 calories, but paired with standing up while doing laundry could total 100 calories a day! That’s equivalent to going for a walk for 20 minutes. Effortless multi-tasking!
For my complete guide on increasing NEAT, read: Simple Ways to Increase Calorie Expenditure Through NEAT with Checklist.
6. Measure Your Cooking Oil
You can eat as healthy as can be and think, “why am I not losing weight?” Oils, even healthy ones like olive or avocado oil, are calorie-dense, with about 120 calories per tablespoon. Without measuring, it’s easy to pour more than necessary, unintentionally adding hundreds of extra calories to your meals.
This is a good strategy for any calorically dense food you may be consuming in your diet. Portion control sometimes means measuring out each food to get just the right amount.
7. Volume Eating
Volume eating is very similar to filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables and adding more to your meals. Or, in other words, “more food, fewer calories“. Research studies have shown that consuming a large volume of low-density foods, such as soup, salad or fruit can enhance the feeling of fullness and lead to overall decreased energy intake.
If you’re someone who has difficulty restricting portion sizes or feeling satisfied after a meal, the visual appearance of a meal that looks large in volume but is essentially mostly vegetables may be an effective way to reduce overall caloric intake. Think stir-fries, salads, soup, omelets filled with veggies, yogurt parfaits, or cauliflower rice bowls. For recipe ideas, read High Volume, Lower Calorie Meals for Weight Management.
8. Be Mindful of Beverages
You might think you’re doing so well with you’re diet, but what about your morning coffee? Or that Starbucks beverage you drank on your way to work? Many popular drinks, such as sugary coffee beverages, soda, energy drinks, and even fruit juices, can pack in hundreds of extra calories without providing much satiety.
Being mindful of beverages doesn’t mean you have to cut out everything you enjoy. Small swaps, like choosing unsweetened versions of your favorite drinks or reducing portion sizes, can make a big difference over time. If you love flavored coffee, try using less sugar or switching to a lower-calorie milk alternative.
For those who enjoy soda, opting for sparkling water with a squeeze of lemon or lime can provide the fizz without excess sugar. These small changes can add up and help you stay on track without feeling deprived. This goes for alcohol as well!
9. Eat Mindfully
The purpose of mindful nutrition is not to lose weight, although that is often an outcome for those who adapt this style of eating. Eat slowly, without distraction – savoring each and every bite. Chew each bite 20-30 times before swallowing.
Recognize when you’re feeling full and satisfied, then stop eating. Pause when you’ve consumed about 80% of the meal and drink some water. Sometimes it takes awhile for that signal to our brain that we are full!

Benefits of Eating Mindfully
- It teaches us to listen to our body: respond to hunger cues, and recognize when we’re full.
- There’s more focus on appreciating each and every bite, with little concern for restricting intake.
- No specific food restrictions. It’s eating for both optimal satisfaction and satiety.
- Learning to eat mindfully helps reduce emotional eating, like when we’re sad or anxious.
- Helps to develop a positive relationship with food.
- By paying attention to how food makes you feel, it may lead to making healthier choices.
10. Meal prep or Component Cooking
When we’re super hungry, tired, or busy, we sometimes want to just go with the easiest option. This could be ordering takeout or reaching in the snack cabinet for a bag of chips. Or, just eating a piece of chicken for dinner instead of a well-balanced meal.
I have found that this is the biggest roadblock when working with patients. However, they often recognize that if they had an already prepared meal or components of it, they’re more likely to feel like cooking dinner or eating something healthy.
Most of us know this yet we don’t make the effort to actually meal prep or component cook. Now, there is no “right way” to strategize meal prepping: what works for you might not be the same as someone else.
Identify which meal or snack that you struggle with the most and focus on that first. If it’s lunch, think of strategies that will make homemade nutrient-dense meals a priority. Pick one day or spread it out over a few nights – whatever works for your lifestyle. There are so many resources and options available at your fingertips. You just have to have the mindset to do it.

Ideas to Try
Take into account what your lifestyle and preferences are.
- Pre-chop vegetables on the weekend and store in the fridge for the week.
- Store frozen vegetables and lean protein sources (think edamame, low sodium chicken breast) in your freezer.
- Stock up on healthy pantry staples: beans, legumes, low sodium canned veggies, pasta alternatives, and whole grain pitas.
- Component cook! Or, make more than you normally would and store the rest in the fridge or freezer. I love to do this with grains like rice or quinoa.
- Batch cooking- cook once, eat twice. Increase the portion size of a recipe and eat the leftovers or freeze in individual portions.
- Meal prep easy breakfasts like filling burritos, breakfast casseroles, or overnight oats.
- Prepare some easy snacks for the week if that is an area you need to improve. This could be homemade protein bars (or even store-bought), yogurt parfaits, roasted chickpeas, hard-boiled eggs, or cheese and whole-grain crackers.
Frozen meals are also a convenient lunch option – one that I relied on heavily after my second child. They can be healthy, too, if you know what to look for! Check out my Top 10 High Protein Frozen Meals for inspiration.
Resources for Easy Meals:
I hope this post helps you develop healthy eating habits without the restrictiveness of diet culture. Feel free to follow along for more evidence-based nutrient content and high protein and fiber recipes.