Lose Weight Naturally: 16 Simple Strategies Beyond Dieting

“Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie”- Jim Davis. Well, that’s definitely not the way to lose weight! We have all been carrying around some extra 5-10 pounds that we picked up during the vacations and parties. These extra piles of pounds have been driving us crazy. The best way to tone up and firm up is to follow some simple steps that don’t entail dieting and self deprivation. Going on a diet and hitting the gym are often considered as the effective options to lose weight. Fortunately, they yield results. Unfortunately, considering our daily hectic schedules, dieting and exercising is not everybody’s cup of tea. We are often left with very little time to pay attention to diet or to working out for hours in a gym. Moreover, diets and exercise programmes can help in losing a few pounds in a short time, but this weight loss is only temporary. Dieters are likely to get back all their lost weight and perhaps some extra weight as well after reverting to their normal schedule.

How to Lose Weight without Dieting?

Let’s turn the idea on its head and look at losing weight without a diet plan. Following a healthy lifestyle is equally important in maintaining an ideal body weight. As Jackie Gleason put it, “The second day of a diet is always easier than the first. By the second day you’re off it.” Wondering on how to reduce weight without dieting? By trying the following strategies, you can slim down in a healthy and painless manner without suffering from starvation or from monotony of following a diet.

1. Get your 40 Winks:

• Sleep is believed to be the nature’s preservative that nourishes the mind at the end of a day’s hard work and tiredness. The importance of sleep cannot be ignored when it comes to triggering weight loss.
• While you are asleep, your body is working to regulate your systems and heal any damage done from any wear and tear. Even the digestive system is pumping hard to process your food, metabolize the carbohydrates and break down fats.
• Sleep deprivation results in changes in hormone levels, particularly cortisol and insulin. Cortisol regulates sugar, fat, protein, mineral and water metabolism and insulin is responsible for blood sugar and fat storage. Sleep deprivation triggers cortisol production and leads to increased levels of insulin which makes weight loss even more challenging. Thus, treating yourself to a good night sleep can help a lot in reducing weight.

2. Chew on it:

• Studies have proved that if you spend longer time in chewing food, you are likely to consume lesser calories.
• Chewing for a longer time prevents over-eating because it gives the brain extra time to receive signals from the stomach that it is full. This also facilitates proper digestion and limits your portion size. Therefore, it is recommended that the food should be chewed about 35 to 50 times per mouthful.

3. Pay Attention to Your Food:

We have often heard (and even ignored) our elders advising us not to talk, read or watch TV while eating food. When you are multitasking during your meals, you are likely to consume more amount of food and put on extra pounds. Hence, paying attention on what you are eating is very important.

4. Avoid Overcooking:

• Overcooking your food results in considerable reduction of nutrients. If you are deprived of nutrients, you do not feel satisfied and may crave junk food.
• In order to prevent this you can increase the consumption of raw foods like salads and sushi. It is advisable to eat steamed, baked, blanched or grilled vegetables and grilled or baked meat and fish.

5. Eat More Produce and Whole Grains:

• Low calorie fruits and vegetables should be consumed more than other foods that are high in fat and calories. Vegetables should be consumed more often than meat as they are rich in vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and fibre.

• Whole grains like whole wheat breads and pastas, brown rice, bran flakes, popcorn should be substituted for refined grains like white bread, cakes, cookies and pretzels as they provide the much needed fibre, thus keeping you full for a longer time.

6. Have your Breakfast Everyday:

• It is a misconception that skipping breakfast is a way to cut calories and lose weight. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and should not be ignored at any cost.
• Refuelling your body a few times a day is very important. When you skip your breakfast, you start feeling extremely hungry by the lunch time and end up overeating and choosing unhealthy food items.
• Missing breakfast also slows down your metabolism. Therefore, always eat your breakfast within an hour of waking up. A bowl of whole grain cereal and low fat dairy can give a nutritious start to your day.

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