Lose weight without dieting: 10 effective tips
Losing weight too often rhymes with diet. But do you know that to lose weight, it is not necessary to deprive yourself? Some tips allow, indeed, to lose weight without diet and above all, without frustration.
1 – Eat at the right time
Eating well is the key to losing a few pounds and it starts with listening to your body’s biological needs. This is the principle of chrononutrition. Depending on the time of day, your body does not assimilate food in the same way. For example, fats and sugars are not stored if taken in the morning. On the other hand, in the evening, this is unfortunately the case. At breakfast you can eat fat and protein. The lunch should consist of a single dish made of protein accompanied by starchy foods. Dinner is light, preferably, based on vegetables and lean meat. As for the snack, it is an important time of the day, because it allows you to last until the end of the day without succumbing to the temptation of snacking: fresh and dried fruit and dark chocolate should be preferred to the usual sweets.
2 – Have a real breakfast
Too often, breakfastis neglected or taken in a hurry, when it is not simply eliminated from the busy morning schedule. As curious as it may seem, losing weight starts with eating well in the morning. This first meal of the day should provide 20 to 25% of the calories of the day and allow to last until noon without cravings. Ideally, it includes:
– A drink (hot or cold, the main thing is that it is not too sweet)– A cereal food (prefer breads or whole grains, sources of energy and fiber)
– A dairy product (yogurt, milk, cheese …)
– A fruit.
If you don’t have time to eat lunch before leaving for work or if you lack appetite when you wake up, you can split the catch or eat when you arrive at the office.
3 – Take the time to eat and chew
This is such a simple trick to put in place to lose weight without dieting: take the time to eat and chew your food well! For the brain to receive the signals of satiety, it takes a delay of 20 minutes. A meal of a shorter duration is therefore too fast. The risk is then to swallow much more food than your real need and to lead, at the same time, to digestive problems not very tasty (gastric reflux, bloating, gas). Start by getting into the habit of sitting at the table and avoid meals on the go as much as possible. To force yourself to take your time, put your fork down between each bite. Then eat slowly. To do this, you have to chew your food well. This is the key to assimilate them well and especially digest them well (1). The ideal is to keep them in the mouth until you reach 32 chews.
4 – Use small plates
Here is a singular trick intended to deceive our brain and very effective to lose weight without dieting: eat in smaller containers. Serving yourself on a large plate automatically leads to eating more than the normal amount, as you will tend to want to fill it. However, reducing the size of the plate does not mean depriving yourself. In equal portions, food placed in a reduced dish sends the brain information that there is a lot of it while placed in a larger container, the opposite effect occurs. This is Delboeuf’s illusion (2). The brain that sees a full plate thinks that the body will be full and this is enough to train the satiety mechanism.
5 – Avoid skipping meals
Do you think skipping a meal once in a while will make you lose weight? Unfortunately, you are on the wrong track and in the long term, this practice can even cause eating disorders and weight gain. By deliberately skipping a meal or not having enough time to take your lunch break, you are starving yourself. The risk, during the following meal, is to compensate by ingesting larger quantities of food more quickly since you will be very hungry. Your brain will not detect the feeling of fullness. On the other hand, if at mealtime you do not feel hungry, there is no point in forcing yourself to eat, as this would be tantamount to nibbling. The best way to lose a few pounds is still to listen to your physiological needs.
6 – Choose a plant-rich diet
Watching your diet is the basis for anyone wishing to lose weight. But without it being a question of diet, it is possible to shed a few pounds by paying attention to the composition of your meals. Certain types of food must therefore be favored and others avoided. Long sacred, red meat provides the body with essential nutrients, but consumed in too large quantities, it leads to weight gain. It must then be integrated into your menus in moderation, just like charcuterie. Choose a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, starches and vegetable proteins (whole grains, legumes and soy).
7 – Play sports
Exercising is an essential factor in weight loss. If you can, practice a sports activity. Running, cycling, swimming are all sports that allow the body to expend calories, burn fat and eliminate toxins. In addition to a healthy diet, it is the key asset for losing weight without dieting. By playing sports, in addition to doing good for your body, you feel good, because you produce endorphins, the hormone of happiness. If physical activity is not recommended for you, leave your home and walk for at least 30 minutes. You may not realize it, but here too you are expending energy.
8 – Sleep properly and avoid stressful situations
Sleeping well is important in the weight loss process. Scientific studies have highlighted the link between obesity and lack of sleep (3). During your sleep, you produce leptin, a hormone responsible for the feeling of satiety which helps to metabolize fat. On the other hand, during the phases of awakening, you secrete another, ghrelin, which causes the feeling of hunger with a dangerous penchant for fatty and sugary products. Weight gain is guaranteed. To sleep well, avoid taking stimulants after 3 p.m.
As for stress, its undesirable effects on organisms no longer need to be demonstrated. When it comes to weight, persistent feelings of anxiety lead to high levels of cortisol and adrenaline, which affect hormones that manage satiety and hunger. The hormonal system is disrupted, with the irrepressible desire to consume fat and sugar.
9 – Eating without electronic distraction
Do you eat while checking your emails or watching your favorite series? Bad habit and here’s why. While you’re focused on your screen, you’re not paying attention to the food you’re eating. Your brain therefore does not assimilate the information and does not receive the expected feeling of satiety. Results? You finish your dish with a certain astonishment at having already finished your meal and a feeling of hunger that is still significant (4). Also, when you are at the table, avoid electronic distractions as much as possible and focus on your plate.
10 – Drink water regularly
Last tip for losing weight without dieting, drink water regularly throughout the day ( 5). When you are hungry, your body sends a signal to your brain that is the same as thirst. Drinking a little water helps fight cravings and acts as an appetite suppressant. In addition, it gives your body extra energy to function, therefore to burn calories, which are eliminated more efficiently. To try the appetite suppressant effect of water, you can drink a glass or two about 20 to 30 minutes before eating. Of course, it must be pure water and not a water-based drink (tea, coffee, flavored water, etc.). Otherwise, the benefits would not be those expected!
Lose weight without dieting: the conclusion
How we can see simple lifestyle habits can help you lose weight without dieting, you can use smaller plates, eat more slowly, drink water and avoid eating in front of the TV or computer. Eating plant-rich foods can also help.
However, it’s probably best not to disrupt all of your habits at once. Set up one trick for a while, and if that works for you, try another.
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.