Healthy ways to lose weight without dieting


Whether you want to lose a bit of holiday weight, slim down for the gown, or just want to be a bit healthier, losing weight can be a big commitment and a lot of hard work. There are so many conflicting pieces of information, especially when to comes to dieting, that it is easy to become overwhelmed and decide to just give up on the whole idea. If dieting isn’t for you (and some research suggests that it is actually rarely effective, and does more harm than good!) here are some other ways to lose weight in a healthy manner but without dieting.

Drink more water

This is one of the most often-cited pieces of advice when it comes to any health issues, and that’s because it works. Water is what fuels us, and often when we think we are hungry, we are actually just a little dehydrated. Having a glass of water whenever you feel a little hungry may help make the feeling of hunger go away if you are actually just thirsty. Of course, if you have had a drink and the hunger is still there, maybe it’s time for a snack! Water helps with digestion too, so get chugging that H2o.

Reduce stress

Stress has been proven to increase your weight, above and beyond the normal levels. This is because stress causes an increase in the production of cortisol which then creates insulin spikes and blood sugar drops – this usually makes us crave sugary or salty food. Not only that but sometimes food can make us feel good emotionally when we are feeling low or stressed, which is why we reach for the chocolates or chips! By reducing stress, we are also reducing our weight-gain!

Exercise well

It will probably come as no surprise that a top way to lose weight without dieting is by doing the correct types and frequencies of exercise. Don’t feel that you need to spend an hour running for it to make a difference, in fact, HITT, or high-intensity interval training, has been shown to be as effective, if not more so, than cardio. This is where you do short, hard blasts of exercises such as squats, lunges, and deadlifts. Increasing your muscle mass through weight training will also speed up your metabolism which will allow your body to burn more calories and fat throughout the day, even when you are not working out.

Sleep

We could all use more sleep, for many different reasons, but one of them being that the fact that sleep affects your metabolism and if you are sleep deprived, your metabolism will make it easier for you to gain weight. Try to get around 7-8 hours a night, and you will significantly decrease your risk of obesity when compared with someone who sleeps five hours or less a night. There are several theories as to why a lack of sleep causes weight gain, for example, if you are tired, your hormones can run amok, and you will reach for a quick energy fix from sugary foods or simple carbs. You might feel too tired to get a decent meal, and when you are asleep your body digests food so if you don’t give it enough time to work, it won’t all be digested properly.

As you can see, you don’t have to go on a fad diet to lose weight, but increase your sleep and water intake, and decrease your stress, while adding a little more weight training into your gym routine – et voila!

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