How to Lose Weight Without Exercise

The popular weight-loss mantra is to move more and eat less. And, despite being listed together, these two pieces of advice do not have to be treated equally. It is possible to lose weight without exercising. Allow us to explain.

First and foremost, we do not deny that moderate-intensity exercise is beneficial to maintaining and improving one’s health; however, dozens of studies have revealed evidence that exercise alone may not be the most effective way to lose weight.

Many weight-loss strategies claim that the more you exercise, the more calories you burn and the more weight you lose. However, according to a recent study published in Current Biology, this may not be the case. The researchers discovered that once you begin working out on a regular basis, your body may adapt to this increased level of activity. As a result, your body may reduce the total number of calories it requires.

“There is tons of evidence that exercise is important for keeping our bodies and minds healthy, and this work does nothing to change that message,” Professor Herman Pontzer of City University of New York, one of the study’s authors, told The Guardian. “What our research shows is that we also need to focus on diet, especially when it comes to weight management and preventing or reversing unhealthy weight gain.”

More research shows that exercise can sabotage weight loss by making you hungrier, and it can mislead you into thinking it’s okay to eat junk food as a reward for exercising or because you’ve created a calorie deficit. According to one Obesity Reviews study, people tend to overestimate how many calories they burn when they exercise. As a result, most participants overcompensated for their workouts by consuming more calories than they burned.

Although exercise can help build fat-burning muscle, it may not reduce your waistline as much as a change in diet.

So, now that we’ve established that “eating less” should be your top priority in your weight-loss journey, where do you begin? We’ve uncovered some slimming secrets that can help you drop pounds through diet swaps as well as lifestyle and eating habit changes because it’s easier said than done. (And, yes, taking a bubble bath is one of them.) Continue reading to learn how to lose weight quickly without exercise, and for more information on eating healthy, don’t miss these 21 Best Healthy Cooking Hacks of All Time.

Call it a Night Earlier

Do you want to eat less? Getting a good night’s sleep is your first line of defense. When you don’t get enough quality sleep, your body produces more ghrelin, the hunger hormone, and less leptin, the satiety hormone, resulting in uncontrollable hunger pangs. Furthermore, studies show that your sleep-deprived self craves more unhealthy, high-calorie, and high-fat foods, implying that you will not only eat more food, but more junk. Read up on—and then abandon—these nighttime habits that cause weight gain for more ways to lose weight at night.

Take Your Coffee Black

Over half of all Americans drink coffee on a regular basis, and many of them add calorie-laden additives to their beverage, such as sugar, flavored syrups, or cream. As a result, rather than being a zero or five calorie drink, the average calorie count of a cup of joe jumps 1,280% to 69 calories, according to a recent study published in the journal Public Health. Not only will drinking your coffee black save you nearly 500 calories per week, but because sugar accounts for more than 60% of those calories, you’ll also reduce your risk of insulin resistance, diabetes, and other metabolic disorders. One of our simple ways to cut calories is to leave the sugar packets on the shelf.

Carry a Water Bottle Everywhere

Did you know that 60% of the time, we respond to thirst by eating rather than drinking? According to a study published in the journal Physiology & Behavior. Experts believe the error is caused by the fact that the same part of our brain controls hunger and thirst, and it occasionally confuses the signals. Keeping a water bottle nearby will not only help you respond to thirst correctly, but it will also help you feel full, keep your metabolism humming, and even help you debloat!

Stash a Snack in Your Bag

Don’t put up with that mid-afternoon groan. Believe us. According to studies, those who eat late lunches and those who go the longest between meals consume more calories during those meals than those who eat more frequently. When you’re hungry—and running on empty—your body goes into starvation mode and increases production of hunger hormones, causing you to overcompensate at your next meal. Carry a snack with you at all times to prevent overeating.

Give Healthy Foods Prime Shelf Space

We are well aware of the junk food battle. Willpower is not to blame. A University of Sydney study discovered that eating junk food can become a habit that can be perpetuated simply by entering a room (such as your kitchen) or experiencing a food cue (like a fast food commercial). It will take time and patience to break these bad eating habits, but there is a simple solution: Put healthy foods ahead of junk food in your pantry. So, if you want a cookie, you have to push aside the almonds and quinoa to get to it. It will serve as a gentle reminder to maintain your fitness goals.

Keep Chopped Veggies On Hand

Fill up on vegetables and you’ll be less likely to overeat. A study published in the journal PLOS Medicine found that eating more high-fiber vegetables resulted in greater weight loss when compared to diets low in high-fiber foods. Not only are these vegetables filling, but they’re also high in anti-inflammatory antioxidants and will replace nutrient-deficient snacks like potato chips and pretzels.

Make At Least One of Your Meals Meatless

To reap the benefits of a meat-free diet, you don’t have to go completely vegan. To lose weight without exercising, try eating one lunch or dinner per week. You’ll be consuming more plant-based protein, which, according to a University of Copenhagen study, is even more satisfying than pork and veal-based meals and makes people feel fuller. Even better, the researchers discovered that participants who ate a vegetarian high-protein meal consumed 13% fewer calories in their subsequent meal than those who ate meat!

Make Your Meals ‘Gram-Worthy

You will not simply receive more likes on your Instagram photo. Making your food look picture-perfect can encourage you to eat more colorful, fresh vegetables. Furthermore, it may improve the flavor of your food! A study published in the journal Health Psychology discovered that when participants spent time preparing the food they made, it was significantly more satisfying than when the food was prepared for them, even if the food was considered “healthy.”

Don’t buy sugary foods

If you want to lose weight without making major lifestyle changes, cutting back on sugar is one of the best things you can do.

According to David, “reducing sugar intake, exercising 4-5 times per week, and introducing more protein can all be effective weight loss methods.”

And there’s one sure-fire way to cut sugar intake that always works: don’t buy sugary foods on your weekly grocery list. A 2016 study(opens in new tab) found that if high-calorie foods are more visible in the house, residents are more likely to weigh more than those who only have a bowl of fruit in sight.

However, there is evidence that suggests quitting sugar abruptly will not work. According to one Princeton University study(opens in new tab), intermittent sugar consumption can lead to “dependency,” behavioral and neuro-chemical changes similar to substance abuse over time. It’s critical to learn how to quit sugar(opens in new tab) gradually, substituting healthy alternatives for favorite snacks and drinks that have the same effect.