Can You Lose Weight Without Dieting?

Misconceptions About Weight Loss

Springtime is definitely a funny time. Although you feel joy, an extreme amount of happiness and a rush of positive energy, you can also feel like something is pulling you down. Something “heavy.” At that moment, you cannot help but feel like the body you are in is not yours.

That feeling could be caused by a discontentment in your current physique. If you are honest with yourself (and they say mirrors don’t lie), then you must admit there are some “leftovers” from the winter. No wonder newspapers are full of speed-dieting tips! Let’s admit it – you had enjoyed all the delicious sweets offered, and ate a bit more than you should have eaten.

But now it’s time for a change. It’s time to take care of those “extra parts” and get in shape. And remember – It’s never too late.

On that subject, the Ecellulitis team have a confession to make. When we first decided to write an article about getting in shape, we didn’t want to include tips that would leave you hungry and desperate. We wanted it to be an easy journey – a journey to eating healthy with moderate exercising. As such, we came up with a few ideas of how you can lose weight without dieting.

So, let’s go back to the title of this article and try to answer this question: Can you lose weight without dieting? YES! Is it really true that you don’t have to diet to get a flat stomach? YES, it is! Further, you can easily keep an eye on your weight and not be hungry – all at the same time.

But before we give you the actual tips, let’s first enjoy some fun facts and bust a few myths about dieting.

 

Fun Facts About Losing Weight

Life is about having fun. If you want to lose weight without dieting it doesn’t mean you are not allowed to joke about it. We guarantee the following statements will not only put a smile on your face, but will shed some light on your body:

● According to Fact Retriever, Elvis Presley had an interesting way to keep himself from gaining weight – the Sleeping Beauty diet. In this diet, a person had to be sedated for a couple of days, in order to sleep. Why? Simple – because people who sleep don’t eat. We believe this diet was pretty effective for him, since Presley took almost 80 types of drugs and it probably made it hard for him to stay awake.

● Fat cells live for about 7 years.

Eating dark chocolate in moderate amounts can actually lead to a flat stomach.

● Have you ever heard about the Byron diet? The name is inspired by the poet Lord Byron, who was a fan of eating an unusual combination of foods in order to stay thin.

● Some people simply have a larger number of fat cells. We can’t reduce them, but can take care of them.

● Stress hormones can create more fat storage.

 

So Here’s Why You Don’t Need To Diet

4 Super Efficient Fat Burning Tricks to Try | eCellulitis.com
Don’t get us wrong – being on a diet can definitely help you lose weight. In most cases, the strictest diets can do wonders for your physique! However, have you ever tried being on a diet for a long period of time? Have you tried making dieting your new lifestyle?

You have probably tried a couple of times, but haven’t succeeded. It is completely understandable, since these fad diets are not meant to be a part of your healthy daily routine. They are temporary fixes. In fact, dieting will lead to great results pretty fast, but the weight will come back once you starting eating normal. It is for this reason and more, we wanted to write an article on how to lose weight without dieting.

In addition, we have found that diets are not the way to go, if you are looking to lose weight. What’s more important is eating moderately and including all the nutrients in your daily meals.

 

What Are the Tips for Losing Weight?

Let’s go through the list of tips that will help you get the figure you deserve:

 

Never Skip Breakfast

Can You Lose Weight Without Dieting - Never Skip Breakfast
This is one of the most effective tips that can help you lose weight without dieting. We are sure you have heard this tip a million times and we agree – breakfast is the easiest meal to skip when you are in a hurry. It might seem ideal to skip it and avoid the “unnecessary” calorie intake, but this is far from the truth. The fact is, you should, and are supposed to, eat higher calorie foods in the morning. Doubt this? Let’s see what the experts say.

According to Dr. Elizabeth Ward, author of The Pocket Idiot’s Guide to the New Food Pyramids, people who eat breakfast regularly have lower BMI (Body Mass Index). Additionally, John de Castro, in his study of 900 men and women, found that high-portion intake in the mornings lead to eating smaller portions during the day. The research was to find the cause of night overeating and how to prevent it. More on this later.

In fact, de Castro suggested that if you want to lose weight without dieting you should eat one-third of your daily calorie intake in the morning, which is, for most people, around 600 calories. Wow, that’s a lot!

What should you be eating for breakfast then? Our suggestion would be cereal with fruits and some dairy products. If you really want to watch your weight, you can choose low-fat dairy products. Furthermore, we would advise you to take make your own mix of cereals and fruits in order to avoid additional processed sugar and additives.

As you can see, in order to lose weight without dieting, you have to keep an eye on the time of the day you choose to eat, not just the variety of foods you are eating.

 

Eat Less in the Evening

Because of our life choices in the US, we tend to come home from work later, and eat the most for dinner. This is also the time when most family members gather together to have a pleasant meal. Therefore, it can be hard to lose weight without dieting.

According to de Castro, having a late night meal is the first mistake we are making, if we want to lose weight.

Professor de Castro is the chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of Texas in El Paso. One of the main thesis of his study was the concern about the urge to eat more in the evening. As mentioned before, he wanted to find the cause of night overeating and the way to prevent it.

Through his research he concluded that to prevent overeating at nights, one should have a larger meal in the morning. However, the cause of late night overeating was not so easy to find. Eventually, the professor found out that overeating was caused by the lack of discipline during the day. To be precise, people who didn’t keep an eye on their eating schedule and didn’t have a routine during the day, felt disappointed in themselves and desired to have more than one meal in the evening. Another cause was compensating for exhaustion. Eating at nights was also seen as a way to cope with stress.

De Castro only proved what we have known deep inside of usー sometimes even the most disciplined of us can be so-called “emotional eaters.” It is interesting how emotions and state of mind can produce such an effect on human behavior and one of our primal instincts. Precisely for that psychological reason, planning to lose weight without dieting is most effective.

 

Keep an Eye on the Beverages

Can You Lose Weight Without Dieting - Keep an Eye on the Beverages
We have all been there: You went on a lunch break and ordered something “healthy” (that has “fewer” calories), like salad, then added a juice to accompany it. Huge mistake! Juices and other high-sugar beverages are, in the world of diets, called liquid calories.

Liquid calories are a danger to your diet-free, losing-weight plan. The only beverages that don’t contain any calories are water and tea. Plus, water with the addition of lemon juice, can be more helpful than plain water, as it cleans bowels and liver and boosts up vitamin C level.

Let’s not forget about the psychological aspects of the liquid calories. According to Katherine Tallmadge in a post for livescience.com, people have a hard time understanding that liquid calories count. Also, the time spent taking in food is less than the time spent chewing.

We have to admit there are a few healthy juices that can help you stick to the plan to lose weight without dieting, and we wrote about them in one of our previous articles.

If you are still not convinced that we are right and want to try a juicing diet for a couple of days, keep in mind that liquid calories cannot produce a high level of satiety as the solid form calories could. According to David Cummings, liquid calories can produce different levels of satiety, but they can never be compared to the satisfaction you receive from consuming solid calories.

 

Eliminate Temptations

What are we talking about? Hypothetically, it has been a week since you started your mission to lose weight without dieting, and so far you have managed to “play by the rules.” Suddenly, an unexpected invitation to a party comes up, and the first thing that pops into your mind is, there is going to be cake! Luckily for you, we also have a solution for this.

First of all, eliminating temptations should start in your own home. Remove all unhealthy groceries from the kitchen and replace them with healthier options. However, the real temptation is not in the kitchen, but comes from the outsideーwhen a friend wants to meet you in a specific restaurant or when you don’t have time to grab a meal and you are hungry.

Whenever a friend invites you to go somewhere, be sure to eat a snack before you go and then if you are still hungry, order the healthiest meal on the menu. The same goes for being a guest at a party. If you are not too embarrassed, you can say that you are keeping an eye on the food you eat and that you are trying to lose weight without dieting. Keep in mind that one piece of cake is not going to ruin all the effort you put in the weeks before.

The biggest challenge occurs when you don’t have the time to eat and there is a McDonald’s right around the corner. Well, we have good news! According to George Miata, in a post for Reader’s Digest, you can eat a salad–just be sure to take no-fat dressing with it. Problem solved!

 

Add Proteins to Every Meal

Can You Lose Weight Without Dieting - Add Proteins to Every Meal
Well, the Ecellulitis team is not that cruelーwe are not going to advise you to eat vegetables and fruits only, then encourage you to ignore the hunger that usually follows. In fact, to make you feel more full and to make sure you are getting enough nutrients, we advise you to turn to proteins, for every single meal, which amazingly complements your plan to lose weight without dieting.

Why proteins? We touched a bit on this matter in our previous article on vegan diets. According to editors of Eat This, Not That! proteins help you build muscle mass and are the reason you feel satisfied and full after a meal. Proteins are also highly recommended when you are working out, as they can ease and relax sore muscles. Not only that, but they are also vital for healthy and strong bones, hair and nails.

So, what proteins would we recommend? The obvious answer is eggs, dairy, meat, and fish. However, out of all these food groups, we would advise you to stay away from the meat, as it can be hard to digest. The most important thing is to remember you can get your protein from fruits and vegetables (like spinach, beans, peanuts), as they will definitely help you lose weight without dieting. Some of them, like walnuts, can be a good meal-on-the-go.

 

Walk off the Weight

Just to remind you – this is an article about how to lose weight without dieting, not how to lose weight without exercising. So we must add a bit of exercise on this list.

Warmer weather is great for long walks in the park or by the beach. Use it to your advantage! Take your dog out and stay a bit longer in the dog park. Why? Because, believe it or not, that is how you are going to lose weight without dieting, and even without noticing it.

So, how much time should you spend walking in order to lose those extra pounds? Well, according to Wendy Bumgardner in a post for verywellfit.com, a brisk, daily walk that lasts between 30 and 90 minutes should be enough. Total walk time for the week should not be less than 150 minutes.

Here are seven tips and fun facts that can motivate you and ensure you are properly exercising:

1. If you are new to walking, start with short periods first. Eventually, the number will go up.

2. Try to walk every day. If that is not possible, try not to skip more than a day without walking.

3. At a brisk pace, you can lose up to 300 calories in 30 minutes.

4. According to Eat This, Not That!, you should drink green tea after walking because it can help the cells to recover faster after exercising. Not only that, a study showed that participants who drank this tea five times a week after a 25-minute workout lost two more pounds than the ones who didn’t.

5. Find someone to walk with. It will not only boost your mood but can bring you closer to the person.

6. If you can, try walking first thing in the morning. Because your body doesn’t have enough calories, it will start burning fat. After the walk, it is mandatory to eat breakfast.

7. Don’t keep the speed at a constant level. Turn up the pace when you feel like you have enough strength, then slow down when you need it.

 

Know Your Substitutions

Can You Lose Weight Without Dieting - Know Your Substitutions
By now, you are probably confident that all the previously mentioned tips are going to work. But, there is only one challenge. What happens when it is ten o’clock at night and you would like to eat something sweet, like that piece of cake “just waiting” for you? At that time you have to say, “No!” Then choose the healthier alternative. This is the only part of the lose-weight-without-dieting plan in which you have to compromise a bit.

According to Marc Perry from BuiltLean, there are several substitutions you can use. For example, instead of adding mayonnaise to your sandwich, choose mustard. Choose coconut oil instead of butter; yogurt instead of sour cream; or dark chocolate instead of the milky ones.

We have one more tasty advice for you. If you haven’t tried hummus yet, grab it the next time you go to the supermarket. This creamy spread is full of proteins and can come in handy as a salad dressing. To conclude: The plan to lose weight without dieting is about being healthy and eating tasty foods with nutritious ingredients in order to keep you full.

 

Is There More to It?

There actually isn’t. If you try to lose weight without dieting, you need to know it is all about finding a balance in your lifestyle. It is not a complicated process, but we know it is not the easiest thing to do.

We hope you found this article helpful, and are now ready to include some of these tricks in your daily routine.

Have you managed to lose weight without dieting before? What was your experience like? Tell us about it in the comments!

 
Image credits: pixabay.com

 
Last article update: 4/24/2019