To lose weight without dieting sounds too good to be true. The fact is that it is actually possible.
Not everyone gets time for exercising. Not everyone likes to diet either!
But that does not mean that they do not get time for other simple ways to lose weight.
Today, I will be discussing some easy ways that you can lose weight without having to stick to a strict diet and exercise plan.
Simple Ways To Lose Weight Without Dieting
Okay, so some of these methods that I am going to discuss might just sound plain ridiculous, but they are in fact proven.
And I am not going to talk about exercises either.
Most of the information I have here I have sourced from authority sites and clinical studies.
Eat At Home
I must admit that I am guilty of not following this rule, and I am hoping to change it in the year to come.
Eating at home is probably the best thing you can do next year if you want to shed some weight. This is because you will know exactly what goes into your food at home.
However, if you eat out all the time, then you will have no idea what is added to the food you have ordered.
For example, in order to cut costs, restaurants and eateries reuse their oil.
Consuming reused oil is one of the worst things you can do. It harms your health in a number of ways.
Once used for frying, oil is usually left aside in the kitchen and used again another day. Any residual food material that is in the oil is a good growth medium for bacteria.
One bacteria – Clostridium botulinum – just loves left over food material in oil. It feeds on it, grows in number and waits for you to eat it.
Once it is in your system, it can lead to a deadly condition called botulism.
Not just that; reused oil is high in bad fats that can clog up arteries and lead to heart disease.
If you do need to reuse the oil, filter it and refrigerate it. The cold temperatures will prevent it from getting affected by bacteria.
Ideally, do not reuse oil more than 2 times. Repeatedly using the same oil makes it harmful to your health as any healthy elements in it would have been destroyed.
Savour Your Food
You may be hungry, but if you gobble down your food in minutes you are likely to eat a lot more.
Instead, take time to eat your meal.
When you take your time and chew the food for long enough, the brain feels that you are eating more. This stimulates the ‘satiety’ or ‘satisfaction’ center in the brain.
This tells the body that sufficient amount of food has been eaten.
In other words, by eating slowly, your mind feels that even a small amount of food is a large portion.
This can help you cut down how much you eat and still feel full.
Chewing your food properly breaks it down to easily digestible pieces. This reduces the strain on the digestive system, reducing bloating and indigestion related issues.
And yes, chewing gives your jaws a good workout too!
There is a phase during our regular meals called ‘eating pause’. This is a part of the meal where we take a short break to chew our food or to make conversation.
This phase is often missed by us when we eat.
The next time you find yourself taking a ‘pause’ when eating your meal, try and extend it a little. Maybe to even a couple of minutes.
Doing so would indicate to your brain that your stomach is full. This may help you cut down your overall food intake.
Next time you eat, keep an eye out for your eating pause.
Increase Your Fiber Intake
Fiber is an essential part of our diet. It helps fill up the stomach and promotes good digestion and bowel motion.
Fiber also has properties of lowering cholesterol and blood sugar levels, which I have discussed here.
Fiber is present in certain foods, and it is important that you choose at least one or two of these foods to eat every day in your diet.
Below is a list of high fiber foods.
1. Cereals – Oats, bran flakes
2. Berries – Strawberry, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries
3. Beans and Lentils – Broad beans, lima beans, Moong dal, pinto beans, kidney beans (rajma)
4. Whole grains – Quinoa, brown rice, millets, popcorn, rye flour, ragi
5. Greens like spinach and swiss chard
6. Nuts and seeds of all sorts – Peanuts, walnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds
7. Fruits – Any of your choice are rich in fiber
8. Dried fruits – Figs, apricots, raisins, prunes
Use A Smaller Plate
The larger the plate, the more the food we eat…apparently.
Clinical studies have shown that those who eat from larger plates consume more calories. This makes any attempt to lose weight pointless.
The principle behind this is the Delboeuf Illusion.
As you can see, the black circles appear to be of different size, but in fact they are of the same size.
If you put a small amount of food on the large plate, you will feel like you have not eaten much.
However, if you put the same amount on a smaller plate, then you feel like you have eaten more.
Try using a smaller plate for your food.
Switch To Water
Regular consumption of sweetened beverages increases overall calorie intake. The sugar content in soft drinks is high and has no energy value. All that sugar gets converted to fat.
For example, one can of a commercially available cola contains nearly 16 spoons of sugar!
Yikes!
So, if you feel that urge to have a sugary drink, try soda water with a squeeze of lime or regular water with some mint leaves in it. Alternatively, you can choose to drink a small glass of 100% fruit juice (ideally prepared at home).
Vegetable juices are loaded with vitamins and minerals and are low in calories.
When choosing alcohol, aim to practice moderation. Alcoholic beverages are also loaded with calories and can make you gain weight. There is now sufficient evidence that a small glass of wine consumed on a regular basis may protect your heart and your health.
This is usually okay provided you combine this with a healthy diet and exercise. Try not to practice binge drinking as this can be harmful to health.
Eat More Vegetables And Fruits
Okay, I mentioned about how you can lose weight without dieting, but here I have included something regarding your diet.
Fruits and vegetables are probably the greatest gift for mankind. They are packed with vitamins and minerals and other low in fat and calories.
When filling your plate with food, choose a larger portion of vegetables and a smaller portion of meat and carbohydrates.
In fact, you could also choose to have a bowl of freshly prepared salad to start your meal and fill your stomach.
After your meal, indulge in one fruit of your choice. Make sure you have sufficient room in your stomach to eat all this.
By the way, berries are a great snack in between meals. They are full of fiber and packed with vitamins. They will give you a good boost of energy and even help you stay ‘super-healthy’.
By choosing to have a salad to start and fruits to end your meal, your overall meal portion size would reduce dramatically. This means your calorie intake would also come down and this could help you lose weight without dieting much.
Follow The 80-20 Rule
One simple way to lose weight without dieting is to follow the 80-20 rule. This is something I tell my patients very frequently.
[bctt tweet=”Follow The 80-20 Rule To Lose Weight Fast. 80% of your normal portion size. 80% of the meal choices should be healthy. ” username=”drvivekbaligab”]There are 2 parts to the 80-20 rule.
One part of the rule dictates that when eating your food, eat to a point where you feel 80% full.
By eating 20% less than what you would normally eat, you would be cutting down your total calories. This can help you lose weight over a period of time.
The second part of the rule suggests eating healthy foods 80% of the time, and indulging in treats 20% of the time.
Add a good exercise routine to your 80-20 diet and you will see the weight shedding off fast!
Never Skip Breakfast
Our busy lives have now made it very difficult for us to eat our meals on time. Many of us miss breakfast in a rush to get to work or drop the kids off to school in the morning.
Unfortunately, doing so has effects on our health and body weight.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. By breaking the overnight fast, we stimulate the release of hormones that can break down fat and boost metabolism.
Choose a healthy breakfast as a part of your regular diet. Oats are an excellent way to start your day.
The traditional Indian breakfasts can be quite high in salt and fat so caution is advised when it comes to eating this every day.
Tips:
Eat a bowl of mixed fruits and having a glass of low-fat milk to start your day. This will provide you with the necessary protein, vitamins and minerals to keep you alert and active throughout the morning.
Make sure you have your lunch on time and your dinner as well. Snacking in between is not advised. However, if you feel hungry, choose to have fruits (like berries) or a sugar-free snack.
Ban The Bakery
Baked goods such as puffed pastry, bread, sandwiches and cakes are all high in sugar and fat. They are one of the worst foods you can have if you are looking to lose weight without dieting.
Baked items are made from refined flour (maida), sugar and added fats like butter and ghee.
These might taste great, but are all harmful to health and increase body weight.
Ban baked foods from your daily diet completely. If you wish to eat bread, choose whole wheat bread or whole grain bread. This is high in fiber, low in salt and low in simple sugars.
Of course, keep this to a limit too.
Get Your Beauty Sleep
Research has shown that getting a good night’s sleep can help you lose weight without dieting effectively.
In one particular study, an extra hour of sleep help to people reduce their weight by nearly 7 kg in a year (this was accompanied by a 2500 calorie per day diet).
Sleep not only resets the entire body clock but also rejuvenates the mind and gives the required rest your vital organ and muscles need.
Not just that, by sleeping for sufficient number of hours every night, you reduce the time you have in the day to snack. This can reduce overall calorie intake by nearly 6%.
The ideal sleep duration in the night should be around seven hours. Studies suggest that sleeping less than seven hours a day boosts appetite and increases overall calorie intake.
A good night’s rest is essential if you are looking to lose weight without dieting.
Closing Remarks
If you are looking to lose weight without dieting, then these simple steps should get you on your way!
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Makes a lot of sense!!!
I hate oats why not idli, dosa, upma or pooha for breakfast?
Rice based foods are high in simple sugars and calories. The excess calories will get converted to fat and will increase body weight. Oats and similar foods are slow release carbs, providing the body with energy throughout the day. The slow release of sugars means that the body will not convert it to fat but use it for energy. Upma is fine.
Nice post, things explained in details. Thank You.