Eating less (dieting) and exercising more is considered the best and fastest formula for losing weight. Let's face it, though! Although this equation sounds excellent in theory, it's not that easy for everyone.
Besides, sticking to a conventional exercise routine or diet plan is very challenging, especially for working professionals. More notably, health conditions like low blood sugar levels, painful arthritis, and diabetes prohibit or limit exercise.
As a result, most people always look for effective weight loss techniques that do not involve exercise or dieting.
Surprisingly, many proven tips can help you shed off some kilos without subjecting your body to strenuous physical activities or strict diet plans.
Well, here are 10 of them!
10 Proven Methods for Weight Loss Without Exercising or Dieting
Photo by Andres Ayrton from Pexels
1. Eat lots of protein
Adding protein to your diet when you're trying to lose weight without gym is essential. That's because protein affects hormones that play a crucial role in fullness and hunger, like GLP-1 and ghrelin. In other words, increasing your protein intake will delay appetite and increase feelings of fullness. As a result, you'll end up eating fewer calories, helping you lose weight in the process. In addition, proteins take longer to digest, keeping you full for longer.
A particular study demonstrated the powerful impact eating more protein has on weight. According to this study, participants lost an average of 11 lbs over 12 weeks after their protein intake was increased from 15 to 30 percent. Moreover, they consumed 441 fewer calories every day without restricting exercise or food.
Health experts also suggest that eating protein-rich foods will help you lose weight without strict dieting or exercising. So, if you want to drop some kilos in that way, start increasing your protein intake. You can achieve that by ensuring every meal you take has lean proteins like eggs, low-fat dairy, chicken, fish, and turkey.
2. Drink water regularly
Drinking water regularly has many health benefits, including fat loss. Unfortunately, most people mistake dehydration signs for hunger. As a result, they end up eating food instead of drinking water. This claim has been substantiated by a specific study that was published in Physiology & Behavior journal.
In another research, drinking water, especially before a meal, is a great way to lose weight no exercise since it helps you eat less. This study demonstrates that drinking 17 oz (½ l) of water about 30 min before a meal lessens calorie intake and reduces hunger. Consequently, participants who drank water before meals lost around 40% more weight within 12 weeks than those who didn't.
3. Better sleep
Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels
Lack of sleep disrupts the production of appetite-regulating hormones like ghrelin and leptin. Fluctuating these hormones within your body increases cravings for unhealthy food items and increases hunger. As a result, you'll end up eating high-calorie foods, causing you to increase your weight. Research shows that sleeping for less than 6 hours a night may increase your chances of being obese or overweight.
So, if you're wondering how to lose weight fast without exercise or dieting, getting adequate sleep every night is an excellent place to start. This will allow you to enjoy better quality sleep, helping to keep your appetite-regulating hormones in balance. Moreover, getting enough sleep helps you focus on your weight-loss goals. At the same time, it will reduce your risk of getting some diseases like obesity and type 2 diabetes.
4. Eat more fiber-rich foods
Like proteins, eating a high-fiber diet helps you feel full for longer. That's because fiber, especially the type in plant-based foods (viscous fiber), creates a gel once it combines with water. This gel reduces the amount of time your stomach takes to feel hungry while increasing the absorption of nutrients.
Therefore, adding more fiber to your diet is a great weight loss technique that does not involve dieting or exercise. A study published in the College of Nutrition American Journal demonstrates this. To sum up, this research shows that fiber benefits the body in the following ways;
- Slows down digestion
- Increases fullness
- Prevents constipation
- Increases nutrient absorption
One thing that makes fiber the best diet to lose weight is that it's available in various foods. They include; fruits, whole grains, vegetables, and beans.
5. Eat without distractions
Most people try to multitask while having their meals. This may include reading, scrolling through the phone, or even watching something on the TV. Although doing many things at once usually results in greater efficiency, it's highly discouraged when eating. This is because eating while distracted increases your chances of overeating, causing you to gain weight.
24 studies demonstrated that people who were distracted while eating ate 10 percent more in one sitting. According to another 2013 research, absent-mindedness while having a meal caused some people to eat 25% more calories later than those who practiced mindful eating.
Although this may sound unreasonable, avoiding distractions like TV or phones while eating will help you lose weight in the long run. Yet it's not complicated as knowing how to diet or following a treadmill weight loss plan.
6. Chew more
Mastication/ chewing food thoroughly is very important since it initiates digestion. However, most people rarely focus on their food, especially when they're in a rush. As a result, they eat very fast without chewing their food well. More notably, eating food quickly may increase your chances of gaining weight. One reason for this is that you'll end up consuming far more calories before the brain can signal that you're full.
On the contrary, eating slowly gives the brain enough time to process that you've had enough to eat. So, instead of scarfing down your meals, make sure you chew each bite at least ten times before you swallow. Research has even shown that people who chew their food longer don't overeat and consume fewer calories. In that regard, slow eaters are much more likely to lose weight faster without dieting and exercising than people who eat fast.
7. Reduce sugar intake
The easiest way to lose weight without exercise is to avoid added sugar products. In essence, these simple carbohydrates cause you to be constantly hungry and are void of nutrients. This increases your chances of overeating, causing you to gain weight. In addition, consuming too much sugar has other adverse health impacts like putting you at risk of diabetes.
Meanwhile, British research claims that regular consumption of artificially sweetened and sugary foods and drinks leads to higher body fat in kids. In another study, sugar drinks increase your chances of consuming excess calories since they don't affect fullness the same way as solid food.
Some of these popular beverages you should avoid include soft drinks, sugary coffee, and iced tea. Avoiding these sugary drinks completely will provide considerable health benefits, including weight loss without exercise.
On the bright side, there are many healthy alternatives to sugary beverages. These include; plain water with ginger, berries, mint, or cucumbers. Also, you can add lime/ lemon to sparkling water or drink green, black & herbal teas. On the same note, stay away from fresh juice since they contain high sugar levels as well. Instead, eat the whole fruit since they have fiber, which, as I stated earlier, also helps to lose weight.
8. Reduce Stress
Over the years, several studies have demonstrated that increased stress levels negatively impact our health. For instance, stress affects our breathing capacity, muscle growth, and brain function. But, more notably, it can cause weight gain and prevent people from losing weight.
Specifically, stress increases the level of a certain hormone that triggers the body to hold on to fat, known as cortisol. Also, this hormone can influence your unhealthy food cravings. In other words, this triggers emotional eating, which is when one eats unhealthy diets to improve a negative mood. Some studies have even demonstrated that individuals with high cortisol levels tend to overeat.
Photo by Nathan Cowley from Pexels
Another 2015 research also demonstrates that the body metabolizes slower when one is stressed. As a result, the body burns fewer calories, leading to weight gain. The study also found out that stressed participants had higher insulin levels. As you know, this increases the risk of various diseases like Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases.
That said, managing your stress is another way to lose weight, no exercise or dieting. You can achieve that by various techniques like therapy, writing a journal, meditation, etc.
9. Control your portion size
Over the last few decades, the sizes of portions have increased, particularly at restaurants. Such portions encourage people to consume more since we're more likely to eat past our fullness. This increases the risks of obesity and weight gain. In actuality, large portions are one of the significant causes of weight gain in the USA.
A study was conducted to show how portion sizes affect our weight gain. This research showed that doubling the sizes of dinner appetizers increases the participants' calorie intake by 30 percent.
In a different study, single meals were divided into smaller portions. This technique aimed to determine whether the participants would feel fuller after taking the same amount of food in different units. For example, after dividing meals into 3/6 separate portions, the expected fullness level of the participants was greater.
To sum up, trimming your portions by 10 -20% will be of great help if you want to shed some kilos without exercising. Combined with drinking more water and eating slowly, portion size controlling tips will help you drop weight faster than you can think!
10. Try probiotics
Some researchers are starting to link obesity with an imbalance of specific types of bacteria in the guts. As a result, they're encouraging the use of probiotics or eating fermented foods regularly to boost gut health. This will, in return, create a healthy gut and help you lose weight without strenuous workouts or dieting.
Probiotic is a kind of fiber that isn't digested in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. More importantly, they promote the growth of good bacteria, leading to less bloating and a healthy gut environment. Probiotics exist in various food items like; beans, 100% whole grain, fruits, veggies, seeds, and nuts. They also exist in fermented food items like yogurt, miso, tempeh, kimchi, kombucha, and kefir. Alternatively, you can buy OTC (Over-The-Counter) probiotics online or in pharmacies.
Recent studies claim that probiotics can influence mood, weight, and fat mass. As already mentioned, our guts act as hosts to these bacteria, providing them with food. In return, these bacteria benefit our general health and intestine, including regulating our body weight. Therefore, you can use probiotics to manage or prevent obesity without strict dieting or exercising!
Conclusion
Breaking a sweat through exercising, like using a cheap treadmill for running, may benefit your health in various ways. However, sticking to an exercise routine or a strict diet is almost impossible, especially for an average American. Besides, exercise and dieting may only help you lose weight slowly, especially if done incorrectly.
Thankfully, you don't necessarily have to engage in intense physical activity or follow a strict diet to lose weight fast. There are several science-backed ways to lose weight without dieting or exercising, as you've seen above. However, ensure that you don't try all these methods at once. Instead, try one way for a while, then move on to another if it works well.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How to lose belly fat without working out?
There are several ways to lose belly fat without exercising, including sleeping for at least 8 hours every night. Other techniques include; mindful eating, increasing your protein intake, eating fiber-rich diets, drinking enough water, etc.
2. Can you lose weight by not eating?
Although not eating can help you lose weight to some extent, it's not safe. This is because your body will enter into 'starvation mode, thus slowing down your metabolism as it tries to utilize the available food. Also, body fat loss will become slower and a bit harder in the future.
3. How to lose 10kg in 1 month without exercise?
Some health experts claim that losing 10 kg in 1 month is unhealthy. However, it's possible, even without engaging in intense physical workouts. You can accomplish that through various techniques like; avoiding unhealthy food, chewing your food thoroughly before swallowing, eating more fiber proteins, and drinking water regularly.
4. What are the best weight loss drinks?
Certain beverages effectively promote weight loss without dieting or exercising. For instance, high-protein drinks, coffee, and green decrease hunger and promote fullness. All these factors encourage weight loss. Other similar drinks include; water, vegetable juice, black tea, ginger tea, and apple cider vinegar drinks.