How to Lose Weight Fast Without Dieting in 4 Simple Steps

We’re all on a diet, healthy or not. The word “diet” has been misinterpreted for years. If you need to lose weight, you don’t have to cut down on your food in a drastic way and starve yourself. All you need to do is follow a healthy regime and bringing about some changes in your daily diet, by tweaking it here and there. Weight loss diet is not a restriction – it’s about changing the way you eat, live, and treat your body and mind. It can be difficult to stick to a conventional diet and exercise plan. However, there are a number of proven tips that can help you eat fewer calories easily.

1. Avoid Dieting and Starving Yourself

Dieting isn’t the best way to lose weight quickly. The truth, experts say, is that even when you’re on a diet, you might eat a lot more calories than you think. There is often a discrepancy between what we know we should do to lose weight, and what we actually do when we try to diet. First of all, stop thinking about dieting. Instead, take a look at those everyday habits that could lead to weight gain. Going on a diet can create an obsession with food, heighten the cravings, and lead to people giving up too soon. Beware of your diet errors; the subtle ways that calories slip into your diet all day may add up to real weight loss.

Here are some dieting mistakes that you should avoid.

Don’t Skip Breakfast- Research shows that people who skip breakfast weigh more than the ones who don’t. There is a misconception that skipping breakfast, or any meal, means consuming fewer calories. The truth is that most people who eat less than three meals usually end up eating more calories throughout the day.

Avoid Calorie-Ridden Unhealthy Liquids- Liquid alcohol calories, smoothies, coffee with cream and sugar, sweetened juices, teas, and sodas can contribute to weight gain. A recent study found that Americans get around 21 % of their calories from beverages. When you consume beverages, you don’t tend to compensate by eating less, because most drinks satisfy your thirst and don’t affect your hunger. Switch from calorie-charged beverages to water, skim milk, vegetable juices, and a small serving of 100 % fruit juice. If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation, and choose a lighter drink.

Avoid Eating Food Labeled as ‘Diet Food’- Be wary of foods labeled ‘low-fat,’ ‘sugar-free,’ or ‘gluten-free;’ just because they are marketed as diet-friendly, they might actually be bad for your waistline. Most of these foods are highly processed and contain questionable ingredients such as vegetable oils, aspartame and corn syrup. It’s best to stick to food that doesn’t come in a package in the first place, like natural, whole foods or, if you have to, choose something with minimal ingredients.

2. Follow the Right Diet Plan

The rules are very simple. The only thing that you need to keep in mind is to eat the right food. But, given our food culture and dietary habits, this can feel like an insurmountable challenge. For example, a typical Indian meal is high in carbohydrates and sugar – a lot of potatoes, rice, and sweets. We love our snacks, too, and we can’t imagine a day without our ‘namkeens’ and ‘bhujias’. We pressurize our friends and family to eat too much, as a sign of hospitality and affection. And above all, we do not consider physical exercise, necessary. It’s no wonder that India is struggling with the growing problem of obesity.

No single food supplies all the calories and nutrients that the body needs to stay healthy. This is why a balanced diet consisting of macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, as well as micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals, is recommended. The best Indian diet for weight loss is a combination of five major food groups – fruit and vegetables, cereals and pulses, meat and dairy products, and fats and oils. It is also important to know how to divide the food groups, allocate portion sizes, and the ideal time to eat.

3. Include Weight Loss Foods

People should choose food that has been baked, broiled, or grilled instead of fried food. Lean proteins, like eggs, turkey, beans, fish, and chicken, are great alternatives to red meats that are high in fat content. When choosing foods for weight loss, it is also important to be aware of portion sizes, even for healthy foods. Sugar-sweetened beverages may provide a significant amount of calories but do not result in the same sense of fullness as solid foods. Choose calorie-free drinks such as water or green tea, instead of processed juice and soda. Let us have a look at some weight loss foods that can help us cut down our calories while staying healthy.

Eggs

These are popular foods, especially for breakfast, which may help to promote weight loss. Eggs are rich in high-quality proteins, minerals, vitamins, good fats, and various other nutrients.

Oats

Starting our day with a bowl of oatmeal could also result in a lower number on the weighing scale. Oatmeal itself can help you lose weight because it helps you feel full for a long time, as compared to other foods. The fiber content of oatmeal also helps the digestive system.

Pulses

Beans, chickpeas, lentils, and peas – Pulses like beans, lentils, chickpeas, and may influence weight loss as they are full of protein, makes us feel full, and have a higher fiber content in them. Similar to oatmeal, pulses contain soluble fiber which may slow down digestion and absorption.

Nuts

They contain protein and fiber, which may help to explain their influence on body weight. They are also rich in healthy fats and other nutrients. While nuts can be included as part of a healthy diet, moderation is still essential because they are energy-dense foods.

Avocados

Avocados is a fruit that provides fiber, healthy fats, as well as many other nutrients. They also help to promote weight management. People who eat avocado have a healthier overall diet and consume significantly less sugar than those who do not.

Berries

Fiber has been linked to weight management and berries tend to be some of the most high-fiber fruits. One cup of raspberries or blackberries provides 8 g of fiber. Berries can be added to a number of foods, such as oatmeal, yogurt, or salads.

4. Include Cardio in Your Routine

Cardio workout is a type of high-intensity exercise that increases your heart rate, helps you lose weight, and strengthens your heart, lungs, and cardiovascular system. In addition to these benefits, research has also shown that cardio workouts can benefit your brain, reduce blood sugar, reduce the risk of chronic disease, and improve mood and sleep. Walking, jogging and jumping ropes are the most common cardio exercises, but there are a number of other cardio exercises you can do to get a healthy, toned look. Below are five other popular cardio exercises you can do at home.

Plank Jacks

Start in a plank position to perform this exercise. Make sure your core is tight, jump with your legs apart, and then bring your legs back to the starting position. It’s very important to keep your abs engaged throughout the movement to put the workload on your abs and not on your spine. Depending on the fitness level, do 3 sets of 20-60 seconds each.

Jogging in One Place

If you like jogging but can’t get out, it’s a good exercise to get the same benefit while you’re indoors. This simple exercise does not require equipment and is very effective. To perform this exercise, do your regular jog, but stay in one place. Do it with running shoes on for the best results. Depending on the fitness level, make this move for 30-60 seconds in 3 sets.

Squat Jumps

Your feet should be shoulder-width apart from each other. Squat while swinging your arms back, then swing them back and jump. Carefully go back to the starting position and repeat. Make sure you engage your core to support the spine throughout the movement. Depending on the fitness level, do 3 sets of 20-60 seconds each.

Burpees

Start in a standing position, with your feet shoulder-width apart from each other. Then squat while you place your hands on the floor in front of you, and then kick your legs out in the position of the plank. Once in a plank position, apply a pushup, then go back to the squat position and jump up with your arms. Depending on the fitness level, make this move for 20-30 seconds in 3 rounds.

Mountain Climbers

Start in a plank position. Bring one knee to your chest, go back to the previous position, and then repeat with the opposite knee. Depending on the fitness level, do 3 sets of 20-60 seconds each.

Setting Up a Home Gym

Setting up a home gym is more convenient than getting a gym membership. As you will have your own gym right there at your home, it will make it easier for you to fit your workouts into your daily schedule. Also, you are likely to stick to your fitness routine because now you cannot make excuses about not getting enough time to go to the gym. These days, a cost-effective way to set up a home gym is to order fitness equipment on rent. All you have to do is find a space where you can put the gym equipment and start training.

Here are 10 More Tips to Lose Weight and Fight Obesity

Along with the above points that we discussed to reduce weight, there are some other things you can do to keep obesity in check. These tips include several things that we can include in our lifestyle. Not only will they help us stay in shape, but they’ll also make our immune system strong.

1. Strength Training

Studies have shown that a well-designed strength program can increase your metabolism for up to 38 hours after a workout. In other words, after strength training, you continue to burn calories.

2. Yoga

It has benefited many people in healthily losing weight. A lot of people believe that Yoga alone does not promote weight loss. Yoga, when combined with healthy eating, is beneficial as it helps to lose weight while keeping your mind and body healthy. You’ll start looking for healthy food instead of craving for foods that can increase your fat accumulation.

3. Sleep

People often give all the attention they need, and more, to proper diet and workout, while ignoring the fact that getting the required amount of sleep is equally important for good health and losing weight. Ghrelin and leptin are two hormones that shape our appetite by emitting signals of hunger. People who do not sleep enough, or who are deprived of sleep, end up with too much ghrelin in their system. The body is ‘fooled’ to think it’s hungry and needs more calories. Simultaneously, if there is a decrease in leptin levels, it can make you feel hungry too. In this way, due to more ghrelin and less leptin, one ends up gaining weight.

4. Drink a Lot of Water

Get your fluid intake, by drinking plenty of water and green vegetable juices. With every season, we get different varieties of fruits that are rich in water content. In summers, you have fruits like melons, in winters, you can consume ‘amla-water’ or warm ‘nimbu-paani’.

5. Eat Slowly

We all have heard about this but now is the time to put it to practice. You’ll be surprised how your portions will be reduced and your food will be better absorbed. To promote optimal digestion and absorption, it’s important to consume food in a state of complete relaxation.

6. Give Yourself a Goal

Before starting a weight loss program, it’s important for people to know how much weight they’re supposed to lose. Goals help us move towards a healthier lifestyle. Aim to develop lifestyle habits that will help you keep your weight healthy both now and in the future.

7. Drink Water Half an Hour Before Meals

Numerous studies have shown that drinking water before meals can lead to lower calories being consumed in those meals, which can ultimately lead to weight loss. This is because you feel full after drinking water and hence consume less quantity of food in your meal.

8. Don’t Weigh Yourself Every Day

Weighing yourself every day can create unnecessary panic and can be demotivating. Also, the scale can be misleading, as it ignores the fact that you might be adding muscle weight. So ideally you should not weigh yourself more than once a week.

9. Carry Your Own Snacks

It’s a great idea to pack a snack of your own at work or on the go. You can prepare packs of yogurt, nuts, fruit, sprouts, and cheese cubes.

10. Don’t Store Unhealthy Food at Home

It’s impossible to resist temptation if you’re sitting on your kitchen shelf. No one in your family needs processed, unhealthful, packaged food. The only way to work around this is not to buy it in the first place.