8 Tricks to Lose Weight without "Dieting"
Quick Question: Does running late for everything count as cardio? Asking for a Momillennial.
When it comes to losing weight, “Diets” can seem like the last thing you want to do first. And it’s right up there with exercise. Although those two combined are highly effective ways to lose weight and fire up your metabolism, there are other non-restrictive ways to support weight loss and a healthier lifestyle.
We’re sharing 8 simple ways to make losing weight more bearable that have nothing to do with dieting or working out.
Preparation is the foundation to successful healthy habits. Being unprepared is setting yourself up for failure, so be the (wo)man with the (meal) plan! There’s a reason meal prepping is so popular in the fitness community. But you don’t have to be an Instagram Fitspo model to get started. Simply choose a day and time each week to sit down and create a meal plan for the week or 3 days at a time. Take a look at what you already have in stock and use your inventory to brainstorm recipe ideas. Grab the missing ingredients at your local grocery store, along with some time-savers like pre-cut veggies or pre-marinated protein.
Mindfulness is a beneficial practice in all areas of our lives, so it only makes sense for it to be introduced into our eating habits. Mindful Eating or “Intuitive Eating” is the act of engaging all six senses as you eat. Taking smaller portions, savoring each bite, paying attention to mouthfeel, listening to texture, allowing the aromas to enhance flavors. Slowing down your eating to takes dedication but it’s worth all the benefits. A more mindful approach to eating not only makes meal time more enjoyable, it reduces opportunities to overeat, reduce anxiety around eating, and improve our emotional and psychological relationship with food.
Opposite of "mindful eating" would probably be passive eating. When you pay attention to what you eat, it may help you consumer fewer calories. A recent study discovered that people who were distracted during their meal ate roughly 10% more in one sitting than those who were not. And it gets even worse throughout the day. Absent-minded eating could cause up to 25% more calorie intake later in the day than those who were being mindful. So if you're looking for a way to consume less and decrease inadvertent eating, slow your scroll and don't turn every meal into a TV Dinner!
You might have done this naturally already, but here’s the reason why you should continue to drink water before your meal to help you eat less and lose weight without dieting: many people actually mistake being thirsty for being hungry! Drinking half a liter (17 ounces - or one generic water bottle) of water 30 minutes before meals was proven to reduce hunger and decrease overall calorie intake. In a 12-week period, people who drank water prior to eating lost a whopping 44% more weight than those who did not. So don’t go too far without your favorite water bottle friends. Continually drinking throughout the day also promotes proper hydration to support weight loss and keep you feeling full longer!
It might sound like a minute change in your routine to move tooth-brushing from right before bed to immediately after your meal, there's actually a logic to it! When you brush your teeth after dinner, you create a barrier of inconvenience that decreases the likelihood that you'll reach for that little snack. Next time, you'll have to ask yourself if that "something sweet" is worth grabbing your toothbrush again?
Speaking of, let's talk about late night snacking. This tip goes hand in hand with the previous one. That little piece of chocolate covered espresso beans, or spoonful of peanut butter ice cream is perfect for late night eats with late night TV. But those little snacks add up quickly before you know it! Set a deadline for what time is too late to eat and consider the kitchen shut down until the morning.
This strategy for losing weight may sound unusual, but one study found that volunteers ate fewer snacks from red plates, versus white or blue plates. It’s possible that our association with the color Red to stop signals and other man-made warnings trigger our brains to discontinue an action. So next time you have a choice of colored plates, try this technique and see if it works when it comes to unhealthy foods.
We don’t mean for you to eat with your mouth full! We’re saying you should engage in conversation during your meal as a means to slow down your eating. In addition to putting away technology as we eat, those looking to lose weight practically can benefit from having meals with others to enjoy conversation in between bites. Have you ever noticed how long a meal can last when you’re with good company? That’s the perfect opportunity to practice regaining those internal cues that let us know that we’re actually full - a skill we lose in early childhood. It takes our stomachs approximately 20 minutes to register that we’re full, so keep this trick in mind the next time you (and a friend) want to grab food without gaining the extra calories!