When it comes to losing excess fat, it’s a given that dieting can help you burn off those extra pounds. However, while eating less can help you get a fitter body, many people find the process of counting calories and depriving themselves of their favorite foods taxing and, as such, find it hard to stick to a strict diet. Luckily, there are various proven ways to lose weight without dieting.
You will have to make certain changes. However, instead of cutting down on eating and dealing with the mental woes of dieting, you can lose weight by increasing your activity, changing the times you eat, or even using certain tricks to boost your metabolism. Using these tricks together can result in significant weight loss. Here are 8 proven ways to lose weight without going on a diet.
Swap Beverages
Reaching for a soda or energy drink when we’re thirsty is a habit, and we know habits can be hard to change.But every time we drink a sugary beverage, we need to think about the impact on our body and our teeth: we are consuming a surprising amount of sugar and empty calories. The good news is, just becoming aware of how many sugary beverages we drink daily can help us start making small changes that will add up to make a big difference. Here are a few suggestions to help you and your kids reduce the number of sugary drinks you consume.
Prioritize Sleep
The schedules that Americans live by are not consistent with healthy sleep patterns. In addition, poor access to educational and treatment aids for sleep leaves people engaging in behavior that is harmful to sleep and forgoing treatment for sleep disorders. This has created a sleep crisis that is a public health issue with broad implications for cognitive outcomes, mental health, physical health, work performance, and safety. New public policies should be formulated to address these issues. We draw from the scientific literature to recommend the following: establishing national standards for middle and high school start times that are later in the day, stronger regulation of work hours and schedules, eliminating daylight saving time, educating the public regarding the impact of electronic media on sleep, and improving access to ambulatory in-home diagnostic testing for sleep disorders.
Eat Early in the Day
Eating early in the day can have many benefits, including:
Improved energy and concentration
Eating breakfast can help you feel more energized and focused in the short term.
Better weight management
Eating early in the day can help you lose weight by reducing hunger swings and changing your metabolism.
Reduced risk of disease
Eating breakfast can help reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease in the long term.
Improved brain function
Studies show that eating breakfast can improve memory, attention, and test scores in children.
Reduced risk of acid reflux
Eating dinner early can help reduce heartburn and acid reflux, which can be caused by eating late.
Reduced risk of cancer
Eating dinner earlier can reduce your risk of breast and prostate cancer.
Improved blood sugar control
Eating breakfast can help control blood sugar, which can help prevent insulin resistance and diabetes.
Choose a Smaller Plate
When you use a smaller plate, the same amount of food occupies a larger portion of the plate’s surface area. This creates a visual illusion that the portion is larger than it is. Your brain interprets this as a more substantial meal, leading to feelings of satisfaction and fullness. By perceiving your meal as larger, you’re less likely to feel deprived and are more likely to be satisfied with a smaller amount of food, ultimately supporting your weight loss efforts.
Use a Fitness Tracker
Many Indians, these days, use wearable devices to keep up with their health and fitness. A fitness tracker is a device that uses sensors to track your orientation, movement, and rotation. The device collects data and converts it into steps, calories, sleep quality and general activity you perform through the day. Some trackers even have a sensor called ‘altimeter’ which measures your altitude, thereby tracking the number of flights of stairs you’ve climbed. A fitness tracker can easily figure whether you are running or spinning. The alarm in the tracker reminds you about a range of things such as- completing the number of steps, drinking enough water, standing, walking, sleeping on the right time and much more.
Keep a Food Journal
A food journal is a tool that you can use to keep track of what you eat and drink throughout the day.
In addition to logging specific foods and beverages, you can note down:
- how much you consumed
- who you ate with or if you ate alone
- the time and location
- how you felt before, during, and after each meal or snack
Food journals are sometimes recommended by doctors and dietitians, who can use them to better understand your eating habits. In some cases, a healthcare professional will also use them to determine which foods or ingredients you may be sensitive to.
While many people keep a food journal for just a few days or weeks, others may find it useful to track their intake for longer. For example, you may feel that it keeps you accountable for your dietary choices or assists with a weight loss process.
Take the Stairs
One good way to add extra steps to your day and improve your fitness level is to take the stairs when possible instead of an elevator or escalator. Stair-climbing is a great way to fit in a few minutes of activity during the workday or at home (assuming you have a set of stairs available). Adding even small amounts of extra activity to your day can add up to big fitness rewards.
Cook at Home
Cooking at home means that you have complete control over the ingredients you use. This means you can choose to use high-quality, nutrient-dense ingredients that are beneficial for your health. You can also customize your meals to meet your specific dietary needs, and you’ll always know that there won’t be an accidental ingredient added that may cause an issue.
Homecooked meals tend to be lower in calories, unhealthy fats, and sodium compared to restaurant or processed foods. By using fresh, whole ingredients and minimizing the use of additives and preservatives, you can create nutritious and balanced meals that support your overall health.
Eat Slowly
Your appetite and calorie intake is largely controlled by hormones.
After a meal, your gut suppresses a hormone called ghrelin, which controls hunger, while also releasing fullness hormones (Trusted Source).
These hormones tell your brain that you have eaten, reducing appetite, making you feel full, and helping you stop eating.
This process takes about 20 minutes, so slowing down gives your brain the time it needs to receive these signals.
Drink More Water
Some research indicates that drinking water can help to burn calories.
In another 2014 study, 12 people who drank 500 mL of cold and room temperature water experienced an increase in energy expenditure.
They burned 2–3% more calories Trusted Source than usual in the 90 minutes after drinking the water.
Water may also temporarily increase the body’s resting energy expenditure or the number of calories burned while resting.
Drinking cold water may further enhance water’s calorie-burning benefits because the body expends energy, or calories, by heating up the water for digestion.
Try Intermittent Fasting
Some people may try intermittent fasting to help with weight management, while others may use it to help with medical conditions like irritable bowel syndrome and high blood pressure.
Intermittent fasting may result in the following benefits:
- Decreases inflammation.
- Decreases blood triglycerides.
- Decreases appetite.
- Improves blood sugar.
- Improves blood pressure.
- Improves gut health.
- Improves immune system.
- Improves concentration.
- Improves sleep quality.
- Decreases signs of aging.
- Reduces weight.
“Intermittent fasting has been shown to have several positive health outcomes, from reducing insulin, appetite and inflammation to improving health conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and IBS,” shares Zumpano.
Avoid Stress And Anxiety
It may sound surprising, but stress actually plays a large role in your waistline and how easily you can lose weight. For example, multiple studies show how stress and lack of sleep can lead to an increase in your cortisol levels (the stress hormone). Having higher levels of cortisol in your body can cause you to:
- feel hungrier; and
- crave foods that have a lot of sugar, calories, and fat.
Higher cortisol levels can also cause people to build up fat around their bellies.
Learning to reduce stress through exercise and meditation—while also being more mindful about food—can have a large impact on your well-being and help you keep weight off in the long-term.