18 Ways to Lose Weight without Dieting
The shape of the human body is changing drastically. Losing weight has become an essential aspect of our lifestyle. Lifestyle changes impact on your weight. Following a strict diet plan is a challenge. But the problem comes in keeping the weight-off, after regularly exercising or dieting. There is an inbuilt survival mechanism controlled by our brain, known as a famine reaction. What the body mounts after dieting is known as a famine reaction, which leads to an increase in appetite.
It affects our diet as it does not signal to fullness and adds on craving food. Due to this, you tend to binge eat, which leads to increased weight. Now the question arises, “How to lose weight without diet or exercise?”
Following are Some Painless Strategies to Help Lose Weight:
- Importance of chewing – Chew the food slowly. When we eat in a hurry, we do not chew thoroughly and tend to swallow it simply. Ideally, we need to chew the food 32 times as it impacts our digestion. The brain requires time to process that you ate enough as it associated with signals of fullness and reduce food intake.
- Using small plates for meals – In the earlier decades, an ideal food plate was smaller than what is used now. It is a great idea to use smaller plates for unhealthy food and a larger plate for healthy eating. A smaller plate makes the portion size appear large and bigger ones make you seem the portion size smaller. The brain is tricked by making you think you are eating more than enough. According to a study, when intake of appetizer was doubled, 30 percent calorie intake increased. Hence, it is crucial to serving a little less food than usual, which helps in a significant reduction in calorie intake. A large portion size is linked to obesity as it increases cravings. To reduce cravings and control the appetite one can also take medical weight loss supplements, such as Wegovy in Miami. It is an injectable prescription medication to support long-term weight loss management.
- Increasing protein-rich food consumption – Including protein affects in losing weight without conscious efforts. It has a powerful impact on our appetite as it increases your feelings on fullness, reduce calorie intake, and satisfy hunger. Protein has effects on several hormones that are related to hunger and fullness. In a research study, it was found that when protein intake increased from 15 to 30 percent, 441 calorie intake per day was reduced, which helped reduce weight by 11 pounds within 12 weeks (on average). Adding protein to our diet is linked to weight loss as there are no known restrictions. Another way for a lower intake of unhealthy food can be serving them in red plates. The color red signifies “stop,” which acts unconsciously. According to a study, this technique has been proven to be helpful.
- How to control food cravings – The best way is to store unhealthy food out of sight and avoid buying them. When unhealthy food comes to our sight, it causes cravings, which are misunderstood as hunger causing more food intake. As we eat more, our weight increases rapidly. According to a study, when a bowl of fruit was kept visible, people did not binge eat, but when unhealthy food was kept visible, their food intake increased, resulting in increased weight. If unhealthy food is placed at a visible spot, you are more likely to have snacks at regular intervals because it is tempting, which leads to cravings. Therefore, it’s essential to place healthy food at the center.
- Laying importance on fiber-rich food – Like proteins, a fiber-rich food satisfies hunger and indicates fullness. It helps you to feel full for a longer duration. Viscous fiber, a type of fiber, is particularly helpful in weight loss as it signals fullness and reduces food consumption. The viscous fiber can be found only in plant food, for example- whole grains, psyllium seeds, beans, oranges, whole oats, asparagus, etc. A gel is formed from this fiber, which empties the stomach slowly and absorbs more nutrients. Glucomannan, a weight supplement, is rich in viscous fiber. It also slows digestion.
- Regular water intake in an adequate amount – Drinking water helps you eat less, especially before you have your meal. This helps in losing weight. According to a study, when adults had half a liter of water before their food intake, their hunger and calorie intake was reduced. This results in 44 percent of weight loss within 12 weeks. Replacing sugar-rich drinks with water has a more effective outcome. For proper digestion, it is essential to have ample amounts of water intake. It is recommended for male adults to have 3.5 liters and for women to have 2.7 liters of water per day.
- Avoiding distraction while having meals – People have the habit of using an electronic device while having food. This distracts us from what we are having and may end up eating more than required. Distraction results in not keeping track of how much you have eaten, which may result in overeating. Unable to put focus and attention on what you are eating influences the food intake of the day. According to a review study, there was a 10 percent increase in food intake by those who used electronic devices. There was a 25 percent more calorie intake by those who were distracted. Usual distraction because of electronic devices while eating has a massive impact on eating more, and the calories keep on adding, which has long term impact. When we pay attention to our meal, we eat less, and it allows our brain to process.
- Following a proper sleep cycle – Disturbed sleep pattern affects our food intake to a major extent. It has a powerful impact on our appetite, which influences weight. Due to lack of proper sleep, leptin, and ghrelin hormones which are appetite, regulators are affected. When these hormones fluctuate, our craving for unhealthy food is increased, which leads to high-calorie consumption. On average, adults require 7 to 8 hours of sleep every day.
- Controlling stress in your life – Sleep and stress are closely related. Here it is important to note that you need to manage stress rather than another way round. Stress leads to incorrect food choices and can also amount to skipping your meals. Sometimes you may have no desire to eat or would eat more than usual when under stress. Also, sometimes you may eat while working, which results in loss of track of how much you have had. This is since your brain is unable to process due to distractions. Lifestyle habits can help you lose weight when stress levels are under control.
- Impact of sugary drinks on health – It is essential to replace these with water. Most of the drinks have added sugar, which affects the cardiovascular organs leading to various diseases like obesity, eating disorder, diabetes, etc. The liquid calories do not modify the fullness and do not satisfy hunger. This scenario is the main reason why sugary drinks consumption does not help in weight loss. It is recommended to consume green tea, coffee, and water.
- Not to skip daily breakfast – People often skip breakfast. According to Elizabeth Ward, people tend to skip breakfast because they think it helps cut down calories. But throughout the day, they end up having more calories than what they would have had in their breakfast. Studies have proven that people who have breakfast every day have a low Body Mass Index and can perform better.
- Controlling kitchen visit post-dinner – Following the rule not to eat anything at night after the kitchen is closed. This will signal your brain that the time to eat is over and will reduce cravings and munching habits. Another habit can be of brushing teeth, suggested by Elaine Magee, reducing our likeness to eat or drink anything post brushing.
- Smart choice on food substitution – Substituting food with refined grains for bread, cakes, cookies, etc. It fills the stomach and is rich in fiber. Another replacement can be maida noodles with wheat ones with loaded vegetables, regular rice with brown rice, etc.
- Controlling the different environmental factors – When you go shopping, it is vital to practice simple strategies. Buying healthy substitution for your cravings would help reduce calorie intake. Stocking healthy food in the kitchen is another important aspect. Choosing a restaurant that provides a healthy diet is a great option. When you go for parties, be selective on what you want to have while filling the plate. A good strategy would be to have a healthy snack before going to a party. When going for another round in a buffet, wait for 10-15 minutes, and have a glass of water before eating.
- Keeping a balance of food quantity – It is a great idea to reduce your meal by 10 to 20 percent. The food that we order in restaurants and what we eat at home is usually served in large quantities. To avoid overeating, use measuring cups before serving them on your plate. This portion control can be done using small cups, plates, or bowls that do not make you feel deprived of food because it looks plentiful on the dish.
- Staying active daily – Throughout the day, keep a count on how much you walk (a pedometer can be used). This helps in adding steps until you reach the target of 10,000 steps for a day. Simply being active can include: walking while talking over calls, marching during television advertisements, or talking your pet for a walk. Pedometer serves as a motivating factor and a reminder.
- Including protein-rich food – Including protein to your meals and snacks impacts on keeping your stomach full for a longer duration. This controls overeating. It is recommended by experts to keep on frequently having snacks every 3 to 4 hours, which keeps the blood sugar levels steady. Some examples are eggs, peanut butter, low-fat yogurt, etc.
- Smart choosing of food alternatives – Look for other options with low fat; for example, in coffee, skim milk can be used in place of milk fat products, while having sandwiches mayonnaise can be replaced with mustard and more. We can aim to consume food which has low fat and are lighter products. Emphasis should be on looking for smarter substitutes rather than avoiding food.
Key Takeaways
The body defends itself from your efforts to lose weight, but practicing these above healthy ways to lose weight without dieting will have a great impact. These are habits by which many people have lost weight, which requires time and dedication.