Is Weight Loss Possible Without Diet And Exercise?

Tape measure and a silver fork

Diet and exercise have been proven to be effective in losing weight, but in fact, they are not the only ways to do so. At times, people gain weight because of unhealthy food choices and eating habits, plain and simple.

By simply making some small changes, you would be surprised to see the numbers going down on that scale. All of these tips are based on science.

1. Chew Slowly and Thoroughly

Your brain requires some time before it registers that you are full. The problem with many people is that they wolf down their food and end up eating much more.

On the other hand, if they ate more slowly by chewing thoroughly, they will have ended up eating much less by the time the register tells them they are full. Over time, you will get used to smaller portions and eating much less.

2. Use Smaller Plates

You do not really need to avoid junk food in order to lose a few pounds, but you definitely need to control them. A trick to lessen your intake is to use a smaller plate. By doing so, your portions look bigger and you end up eating less.

In comparison, a big plate will make you add more because the servings look smaller. This means you can bring out big plates when eating healthy food and small plates when it comes to dessert.

3. Eat Lots of Protein

Protein can help you eat less because it will make you less hungry and feel very full. By doing so, you also end up consuming fewer calories. This is because protein affects different hormones that are vital in hunger and fullness, specifically GLP-1 and ghrelin.

By increasing the portion of protein from 15% to 30% may contribute to you eating 441 calories less than normal. In 12 weeks, this can amount to 11 pounds.

4. Keep Unhealthy Foods Out of Sight

If you keep that bag of chips or cookies lying on top of the table, you will feel tempted every single time you pass by. By simply putting them away and maybe putting out a bowl of fruit instead, you can avoid weight gain and even lose some.

5. Eat Foods Rich In Fiber

This kind of foods will affect satiety, making you feel fuller much longer, specifically if you eat a special kind of fiber called viscous fiber. This is very helpful when it comes to losing weight, as it forms a gel when water comes into contact with it.

The gel increases for the same amount of time you need to absorb the nutrients and empty the stomach. Viscous fiber is common in plant foods like oat cereals, beans, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, flax seeds, and oranges.

6. Drink Lots of Water

Drinking water before a meal will end up with you eating less and losing some pounds because the water will make you feel full. Moreover, if you replace juice and soda with water, you can see much better results on the weighing scale.

7. Serve Yourself Smaller Portions

Over the last few decades, portion sizes in restaurants have increased, which has led to people eating more and gaining weight. Even by just doubling a dinner starter size will increase the intake of calories by 30%.

8. Eat Without Any Electronics

Distractions while eating, like mobile phones or TV, will mean you are not paying any attention to how much you are eating. Thus, you are more likely to consume more.

Studies have shown that people who are distracted will eat at an average of 10% more and over time, all these extra calories will lead to weight gain.

9. Sleep Well And Avoid Stress

Having less sleep will disrupt the hormones leptin and ghrelin, which are responsible for regulating your appetite. At the same time, stress will increase levels of cortisol in the body. When levels of these hormones get disrupted, you feel hungrier and start to crave unhealthy food.

10. Avoid Sugary Drinks

Sugar is the main reason why many people are overweight. When you choose sugary drinks, you end up taking many more excess calories. Staying away from them will not only help you lose weight, you will also enjoy some long-term health benefits.

Following these 10 simple tips can already give you a good head start in losing weight. In fact, it is amazing to see how much additional weight you gain simply because of the wrong food choices and eating habits.

It is important, however, to note that in the severely overweight, these steps will not be able to address all that excess weight and thus, exercise and diet will be a part of the overall weight loss journey.

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