When it comes to weight loss, a healthy diet is the most important aspect. By making small changes to your lifestyle and eating habits, weight loss doesn't have to be an unhealthy obsession!
You may have heard before that losing weight is down to 80 per cent diet and 20 per cent exercise. To lose weight you need to be in a calorie deficit.
Here are 13 easy, low-maintenance and effective ways to lose weight without exercise.
1. Turn down the thermostat
Simply turning down your thermostat can help you to lose weight as your body is forced to work harder to stay warm.
A study from Japan in 2013 found that when participants were exposed to 63 degrees two hours a day for six weeks, their average body fat mass decreased by about five per cent.
2. Take your coffee black or skip the sugars in your tea.
Coffee and tea are consumed by most people regularly. Instead of adding calorific additives like sugar, cream, or sweeteners, maybe consider using non-dairy milk or semi-skimmed milk and cut out the sugars.
According to a study in the journal, Public Health, taking your coffee black can save you nearly 500 calories a week, as 60 per cent of calories comes from sugar. Leaving out the sugar is an easy way to save on your daily calorie intake.
3. Drink lots of water
Sometimes when you feel your tummy grumble it is not because you are hungry but thirsty instead. The same part of our brain controls our thirst and hunger and can sometimes mix up the signals.
If you keep a water bottle on hand and sip all day you will be less inclined to snack or feel pangs of hunger.
4. Buy only healthy snacks to keep in the house and for on the go.
If you are hungry, don’t wait until your next meal when you are starving. Eat a healthy snack and this will help you to eat smaller portions at dinner or lunchtime. Studies show that those that end up going a long time without eating anything are more likely to consume more calories during their next meal.
The reason behind this is that when you’re hungry, your body automatically switches to starving mode and stores the fat. It will increase your hunger hormones and leave you starving for your next meal.
Snacks like low sugar granola bars, fruit, raw veggies and spiced roasted chickpeas are great at keeping your hunger at bay on the go. This will help you to not grab fast food if you are starving and out and about.
5. Keep chopped fresh fruit and veg in the fridge for easier snacking access
Arrange your healthy snacks such as sliced fruit and vegetables, hummus, olives and protein-rich foods to the front of your fridge and on the middle shelf. If these snacks are pre-prepared and on your eye-line, you will be more likely to grab them!
6. Have at least one meatless meal a day
To lose weight without exercise, you will need to be in a calorie deficit and cutting out meat from one meal a day will help you to keep under the calorie threshold. Researchers have found that those who eat a vegetarian high protein meal consume 12 per cent fewer calories than those who consume meat. High-protein plant-based products are foods such as chickpeas, lentils, beans, tofu and tempeh.
7. Cut out sugary foods
Drinking fizzy drinks and eating sugary foods leave you feeling hungrier. Making an effort to cut out sugary beverages, processed baked goods and biscuits will help you stay under a calorie deficit.
Cutting out sugar can be hard as it is so addictive. If you have a sugar craving, reach out for high percentage dark chocolate or fruit. A great healthy sweet treat is banana ice-cream. Just freeze some peeled bananas and put them in a blender with a dash of milk and some chocolate powder and you have yourself a healthy creamy treat.
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