You must have heard it over and over again; regular exercise is good for your health, and even more so for anyone that may want to shed some pounds. But if you’re being honest, you can tell that exercise is an uphill task for many people. Most times, you’re expected to get out of bed in the wee hours of the day, dress up in your workout clothes, and hit the gym. After which you go ahead to face a long day at work and stuff. This is just too much for many to handle.
Is there no other way one can lose weight without breaking a sweat in the gym? Well, there is! (that sounds good, right?)
There are some healthy tricks you can do to help you lose weight fast without exercise. But you have to know this though; you have to take this seriously and be consistent if you want to see a result.
1. Take it easy on the carbs
Carbohydrates are very delicious and ever-present in most of the foods we eat. But they are not so good if you really want to lose weight. Reducing how much carbs you take per day can help you lose unwanted fats over a period of time.
Here is an important fact you have to remember when it comes to “taking it easy on carbs”. No matter how hard you try as a normal human being, you cannot totally eliminate carbohydrates from your diet. So don’t go so extreme on yourself trying to cut out every carb from every meal because you actually need some. Cut out the simple carbs completely if you must. Example: candy, syrup, soda, etc. And reduce the intake of complex carbs, also known as starchy foods. Example: rice, cereals, peanuts, etc.
2. Eat more protein
Eating more protein will ensure you get the adequate energy you need to do your daily activities. Actually, carbs are responsible for providing the body with energy more than any other kind of food. But since you’re expected to eat less carbohydrates, your next best source of energy is protein.
Why are proteins a good substitute for carbs?
After a series of experiments and observations, researchers have concluded that eating more protein in place of carbohydrates can improve body composition, increase satiety, increase metabolism, help in loss of body fat, and result in weight loss after some time. So, the more you take protein in place of carbohydrates, the faster you’ll lose weight.
3. Reduce the size of your plate
What will happen if you reduce the size of your plate? This is a tricky one guys. You see, the size of your plate, if big, will make you eat more unconsciously. But if you reduce it, you’ll be unconsciously limited to how much you can eat at a time. So, yes, reducing the size of your plate will help you eat less “at a time”.
Take note that this will help you lose weight if you stick to just a plate per meal. You’ll not lose so much weight if you help yourself to a second or more servings simply because you don’t feel full and you want more. You need to subject yourself to a heavy dose of discipline at this point. Try to get your mind off food. You can trick your belly and mind by taking a glass of water right before you eat. This will increase your satiety.
4. Don’t skip breakfast
No matter what you do in a bid to lose weight, do not skip breakfast. There are a lot of health benefits of taking breakfast that will definitely help you lose weight. Some of those benefits are as follows.
Breakfast helps to
- Kickstart your metabolism
- Set your tone for the day and helps you stay active for the most part
- Curb your cravings for food
- Keep you generally healthy
And always make sure you eat healthy breakfasts every day. Eat more protein, vitamins, and fiber-rich foods.
5. Have a goal
There are two aspects to this. One is to have a weight goal of what you want to achieve with regards to your body. You can set a goal to lose X quantity of pounds per week. Do not forget to be realistic with your plans on how much weight you expect to lose within a time frame. The other aspect is to have another form of goal that will keep you busier than usual. Something like
- Cleaning your house twice every day
- Getting a master’s degree or some form of certificate/skill
- Be a volunteer to a worthy cause
- Reading 50 pages of a book a day
Find something you love doing (aside from eating) and get on with it. Something that will help improve your quality of life, not just for the sake of losing weight.
You know what they say about goal setting; write it somewhere you can see it every day, read it out loud to yourself every day, tell someone about it, and do not think too much about it. Just do it when you have to.
6. Get a pet
According to the American Heart Association, you can reduce your risk of obesity by getting a pet. Getting a pet, preferably a dog, will help you get off your ass every now and then. They get you to unconsciously exercise and lose weight by just taking care of them – playing around and petting them, walking them on a regular basis, cleaning up after them, bathing them, etc – all these are some of the things you do with your pets that can help you burn calories without even knowing.
If you consistently follow at least two of the items on this list, including #1 – taking it easy on carbs, then you’ll definitely see results in a matter of weeks. These tips sound easier than exercising, but they require their fair share of dedication. No cutting corners or cheating. Do the right thing, taking it one step at a time every day, and you’ll start to see encouraging results with time.
