It is a myth that you cannot effectively lose weight without exercise. If it were true, then people who truly cannot exercise due to health reasons would be doomed to be overweight forever. The truth is that some people FIRST have to lose some (or a lot) of weight before they can safely exercise. If you need to lose weight without exercise, then this article is exactly what you need.
First, it is important to realize that exercise does have many benefits and can make weight loss a lot easier. At the same time though, exercise cannot override a bad diet. A good nutrition plan, however, will let you drop significant amounts of fat whether you exercise or not. And if you already exercise and are not seeing results, then you need such a nutrition plan because the combination of the two will have you losing fat faster than ever.
So remember, your aim should be to get into an exercise program once you're ready. Don't just jump straight in if you're very overweight and very unfit. Adding exercise that is too intense can make that combination deadly. Literally.
To lose weight without exercise, you have to eat less calories than you burn. That's just physics. If anyone tells you that you don't, then they're either lying to you or are just ignorant. However, you must not cut calories too drastically. 400 calorie days are just silly and counterproductive! Eating too little can cause your body to go into starvation mode, where its main goal becomes to store fat. Your metabolism will also eventually slow down so much that your weight loss stops.
How many calories to lose weight? I recommend cutting calories to 1000 calories for men and 800 calories for women. But that's just a tiny piece of the puzzle. And cutting calories must be managed or things go wrong quickly...
You need to ensure that you eat a lot of lean protein. Protein keeps your metabolism running fast, prevents your body from burning lean tissue for energy, and even helps to control your appetite. If you don't like eating protein, then at least drink it in the form of whey or vegetable protein shakes. Skip this one and you're setting yourself up to becoming skinny fat, where you're lighter but FATTER (percentage-wise)!
Another important weapon is fiber. When you eat foods that are high in fiber and low in calories, then you can eat a lot of volume. For example, you can eat a LOT of broccoli and still get very few calories. That volume helps to keep you from becoming so hungry that your weight loss plan becomes unbearable. Another bonus is that when your stomach is filled, your body does not realize how harsh your calorie restriction really is, and does not turn on the starvation signals so quickly.
The next weapon is fish oil and flaxseed oil - excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Supplementing with these is very important when you're on a low calorie diet, since they signal your body to release fat for burning and even boost your metabolism. Just supplementing with these can make your body respond to food as it would if you actually were exercising (i.e. feed muscle and starve the fat). A major bonus.
The final and possibly the most important weapon is to once in a while have a day where you eat a lot more calories than when you're dieting. This boosts your metabolism in a big way, and is very important when you're trying to lose weight without exercise. Exercise helps keeps your metabolism healthy. Just don't binge on junk food. Junk, empty calories will get stored as fat and just ruin the progress you made the days before. Really go to town with the lean protein on these 'off' days and you will really accelerate your fat loss.
Use these guidelines and you will quickly lose weight even without exercise. Just remember that they're all part of the same puzzle, and skipping any one of them could ruin your weight loss plans for a long time.
Now that you know that it IS possible to lose weight with just a smart diet.
If there's one universal truth about dieting, it is this: sooner or later, everyone falters. The willpower flags. Temptation strikes. Stress drives you to the fridge. It happens. The trick is to accept these pitfalls and get back in the game as fast as possible.
To help keep you motivated and moving forward, here are some tried and true weight loss tips.
Weight Loss Tip Sheet:
Weight Loss Tip #1: Learn to Eat Like a Thin Person.
Yes, the thin and the overweight do eat differently. Thin people eat when they are hungry, stop when they're full, and push away from the table without difficulty. They can even say no to dessert! How do they do it? Like this:
* Eat more slowly and take smaller bites. It takes your brain 20 minutes to recognize that your stomach is full, so extend each meal.
* Drink water with meals to help fill the stomach.
* Put your fork down between each bite.
* Always measure your portion onto your plate, don't eat right out of a serving dish.
* If you're still hungry after eating, wait 20 minutes before reaching for a second helping.
* Always sit down at a table to eat so you can relax and focus on your eating habits.
* Limit your meals to a designated place so you aren't tempted to cheat by snacking in front of the TV or in the car.
* Space out meals so you eat more in the morning and less at night.
* And eat smaller meals more often so you don't get ravenous.
Weight Loss Tip #2: Cheat on Your Diet and Get Away With It.
Hunger. Boredom. Stress. There are many reasons why we cheat on our diets. This weight loss tip is all about how to cheat without doing serious damage. So you can brush yourself off and get back on track.
* If you have to pig out between meals, have a "free" food snack: a cup of broth, a sugar-free Popsicle or Jello, a handful of fiber cereal... anything to quell your hunger without sugar or fat.
* For meals, eat as many veggies as you want. Raw ones, steamed one, salads, soups. No one ever got fat eating vegetables.
* The natural sugars in fruit will give you a burst of energy and satisfy that sweet tooth. Fruit does have carbs, however, so keep this weight loss tip within limits.
* If you're still hungry, take a small portion of protein (egg, slice of turkey, cottage cheese) to help tide you over to the next meal.
* If you've eaten all that, you should be full. If not, try a small serving of complex carbohydrates like hot cereal, chick peas, beans, crackers, etc.
Weight Loss Tip #3: Plan Your Meals.
The logic behind this weight loss tip is simple: Planning your meals reduces the risk of impulse eating. Write down what you plan to eat for each meal a day or two in advance. As you plan, remember these weight loss tips: well-spaced meals, snacks to keep from getting hungry, a protein food every 3-4 hours, less food as the day goes on.
Weight Loss Tip #4: Graze. Often.
Spacing out your meals into 5 or 6 smaller meals a day is better for digestion, blood sugar levels, energy levels and of course better for weight loss. Here's a sample menu:
8 am - 1 poached egg, slice of whole grain toast
10 am - 1 carton fat-free yogurt
12 noon - chef salad with turkey/lean ham, fat-free dressing
2 pm - low sodium V-8 juice, raw veggies
4 pm - slice low-fat cheese, 1 piece of fruit
6pm - 4oz fish, 2 cups cooked vegetables
8pm - 1/2c fiber cereal, 3Tb raisins, 1/2c skim milk
Grazing not only provides you with the nutrients you need, but keeps you satisfied with far fewer calories.
Weight Loss Tip #5: Dine Out. Carefully.
These days, people eat out a lot. Making it hard to maintain control over calorie intake. Fortunately, more and more restaurants recognize the growing concern over healthy eating and are open to requests for certain types of preparation or ingredients. Here's what you can do:
* Ask how foods are prepared then choose wisely: favor steamed, broiled, poached, with no butter or sauce on the side. That's cheating!
* Avoid foods that are: au gratin, in butter, oil, gravy or cream sauce, sauteed, fried, braised or escalloped. Anything made with mayonnaise is sure to be high in fat.
* Ask for dressing on the side and use in moderation.
* Consider an appetizer and a salad instead of a main entree.
* Share an entree with a friend.
* Ask for a doggy bag if the portion is too large for your appetite or your meal plan.
* Beware breakfast! Their menus are usually very fatty. Opt for fresh fruit or juice.
* Use milk instead of cream in your coffee.
* Skip the alcohol, those calories add up fast.
* Ask the waiter to remove the bread from the table.
* Ask for vinegar or lemon juice instead of salad dressings.
* Instead of sour cream on that baked potato, try plain yogurt or salsa.
* Replace French fries with a salad or veggies.
Weight Loss Tip #6: Binge... and Get Over It.
Binging is understandable. But don't use one binge as an excuse to give up on your diet. If you overindulge, your metabolism will work even harder the next day to burn off those extra calories. So return to your meal plan as soon as possible. Make up for the binge by cutting back on calorie intake for a day or two. And do a good workout to fry off those extra calories. And at all costs, don't get into a pattern of binging and depriving yourself. That will really mess up your system.