Losing weight is definitely not easy at all, especially when your love for food is bigger than your desire to shed some pounds. If you’re just like me, dieting is not subject to discussion. So, you might be tempted to look for alternatives that don’t involve the dreaded ‘D’ word. Well, we did the research for you and even more.
The number on your scale should drop significantly after implementing several changes in your lifestyle (they are so small, you won’t even notice) because YES, losing weight is 100% possible without dieting. With that in mind, let’s discover what you can do to lose weight realistically without constantly reminding yourself to watch your plate.
1. Consume more fermented foods
Fermented foods are abundant in probiotics that have been associated with a wide range of health benefits, including aiding weight loss. Adding your favorite fermented foods to your diet may actually benefit your overall health more than you think.
Apart from being weight-loss friendly, fermented foods such as kefir, tempeh, sauerkraut, kombucha, kimchi, and olives can also improve your heart health, boost your immune system, support good digestion, and prevent anxiety and depression. However, when it comes to losing weight, fermented food consumption may also be able to decrease belly fat.
Keep in mind that some people may experience some side effects after eating fermented foods. Gas and bloating are the most common ones. Here’s a great book on how to prepare your own fermented foods!
2. Add healthy fat sources to your diet
Yes, we mean that! As astonishing as this may sound to some of you, eating fat could improve your weight loss process. However, not all sources of fat are created equal. You can’t compare the type of fat you get from eating a burger with the one avocados offer.
Healthy sources of fat such as seeds, avocados, olive oil, nuts, dark chocolate, cheese, and fatty fish should be found in all households. Plus, healthy sources of fat are rich in omega-3 fatty acids that have been linked to decreased inflammation. Try to include more friendly fats in your diet as they really do wonders for your health (and body, too).
3. Make friends with fiber
If you make friends with fiber, you’ll make friends with your scale, too. How so? Well, fiber-rich foods have the unique ability to make you feel full and for longer; they basically expand in your stomach, giving you the sensation of fullness and satiety.
Whole-wheat pasta, barley, chickpeas, edamame, lentils, berries, pears, artichokes, Brussels sprouts, chia seeds, and many more veggies and fruits are awesome sources of fiber that will most likely help you lose weight. Doctors suggest eating more fiber-rich foods for those who suffer from constipation and heart disease.
In fact, studies have shown that fiber could reduce your risk of developing colon cancer significantly, as well as maximize your odds of beating obesity.
4. Take your veggie and fruit intake seriously
Enjoying an apple a day really keeps the doctor away, and not only apples but almost all fruits and veggies. So, how many fruits and veggies are you eating in one day? One? Two? None? Because the recommended daily amount for adults is at least two cups of fruit and three cups of veggies. So, how about now? Do you respect the recommended amounts?
Maybe you’re not sure what “one cup” really means, and this should no longer be an issue since Jonathan Valdez, R.D.N., spokesperson for the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, said that one cup of fruit equals one whole fruit. This means that a large banana qualifies as one cup.
If you really want to lose weight, make sure you’re getting the recommended amounts of fruit and veggies. After all, you have no excuse, since most fruits and veggies are delicious…
5. Drink plenty of water
First off, water is vital in many processes. Secondly, drinking water can increase your metabolism, which means that drinking plenty of water can help you lose weight. Staying properly hydrated gives you more energy, prevents cancers, improves brain function, reduces joint pain, and enhances dental health.
So, not only you’ll be able to shed some pounds, but you’ll actually feel better in your skin each time you decide to sip on the mighty water. Some studies even suggest that it even minimizes the chance of a hangover. In other words, when partying, forget about soda and other sugary beverages and focus more on water.
6. Take a second look at your morning cup of Joe
Since we are on the topic of beverages, it is time to point out how much sugar is stirred in your morning cup of Joe… Nutritionist Lisa Richards CNC, says that adding tons of sugar, high-fat sweeteners, and creamers can easily result in a cup of coffee that offers more than 200 calories.
And if you add your morning bagel, too, you could actually reach half of your recommended daily intake for calories in less than 20 minutes.
Avoid adding sugar, sweeteners, or creamers to your coffee at all costs… If you can not live without sugar in your coffee, measure out precisely how much sugar you’re adding to each cup of coffee you have. What you put in your morning cup of Joe will most likely appear on your waistline. So is it worth it?
7. Limit your refined carb sources
Your weight loss efforts will be in vain if you don’t watch your refined carb intake. According to Allie Lansman, RDN, LD, registered dietitian and founder of The Freelance RD, refined carbs are basically grains that have had almost all of their fiber, minerals, and vitamins stripped from them during processing.
In other words, everything that’s good in them is gone as soon as the processing is completed. So, foods such as white bread, cookies, white rice, crackers, and white pasta have literally no nutritional value. Things get even worse when you find out that refined carb sources can easily destroy your weight-loss efforts.
Pro tip: You should replace all your refined grain sources with whole grain products. Can you do that for your body and overall health?
8. Watch your portion size
How many servings do you think are on your plate? If you say one, you’d probably be wrong. Because one large plate doesn’t equal one serving, that’s for sure. Truth is, most Americans eat two (sometimes even three) servings per sitting, and this happens due to the size of our plates.
That’s why you should be sizing down your plates when you’re trying to lose weight. Numerous studies have demonstrated that eating on small plates supports your weight loss process significantly. So, if you’ve been trying for a while to shed some pounds and nothing worked, maybe it’s time to measure your plates.
9. Listen to your internal hunger cues
Although it sounds pretty simple, it seems that not all of us are able to listen to our internal hunger cues. Or we simply choose to ignore them. Nutritionists say that you should be eating when you’re hungry and stop eating as soon as you feel full. Sadly, most times this doesn’t happen.
Health pros suggest being mindful of the hunger-fullness 1 to 10 scale. One meaning “I’m not hungry because I just ate.” and 10 suggesting “I’m so hungry, I could eat one pie at once.”
So, if you think you’re approaching 10 on the scale, you should eat. Don’t wait for that scale to be on ten; you’ll most likely overeat.
10. Take time to eat
Another factor that could easily erase your weight-loss efforts is eating fast. No matter how many tasks you have to complete in a given day, don’t shovel down your food saying you don’t have enough time to eat. First of all, eating in a hurry promotes overeating.
Second of all, it could lead to several health issues, including type 2 diabetes, poor digestion, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. The problem is that people tend to eat pretty fast when sitting in front of a screen, and this is a guilty pleasure most of us have.
When you’re hungry, just settle aside at least half an hour per meal without staring at a screen.
