14 Tips to Lose Weight Without Exercise

While exercise has many health benefits and can make you lose weight a little faster, it is not a must.

In order to lose weight, you must burn more calories than you eat. One way to do this is by, well, consuming fewer calories each day.

Some people even rely too much on exercise. They spend countless hours working out but aren’t able to lose any weight.

Why?

Because the most important part – the diet – it’s not in check.

Think of it this way, “you can’t out-exercise a bad diet.”

So there’s no need to feel bad if you don’t have the time to exercise or simply don’t want to.

That’s why I wrote this article on how to lose weight without exercise.

1. Get More High-Quality Sleep

Studies (1, 2) have shown that not getting a good night’s sleep can lead to hormonal imbalances that lead to increased hunger, which can ultimately make you eat more and put on some extra pounds.

It can also make you grumpy and lethargic throughout the day and affect your will of eating healthy foods.

Here are a few tips on getting high-quality sleep:

• Avoid using your phone, computer, or TV an hour before going to bed.
• Keep the temperature in your room under 70 degrees.
• Keep the room as dark as you can by disconnecting electronic devices that have small lights even when they’re off.
• Go to sleep at the same time every day.

There are several night time habits you can adopt to help you lose weight.

2. Brush Your Teeth

If you start feeling some intense cravings, you can stop them in their tracks by brushing your teeth, especially with peppermint-flavored toothpaste.

Studies (3) show that just the scent of peppermint alone can decrease cravings and reduce appetite.

Plus, food tastes funny when you have a minty mouth. Right?

3. Experiment with 16/8 Intermittent Fasting

16/8 intermittent fasting is an eating pattern where you don’t eat anything (fast) for 16 hours and have an 8-hour eating window.

A lot of people find incredible weight loss success by using this technique; it helps them keep their calories down without having to track them.

The most common way to do it is to have your last meal at 5:00 pm and your first meal the next day at 9:00 am.

Other’s like skipping breakfast instead; so they have their last meal at 8:00 pm and their next meal at noon the following day.

But you can experiment with whatever works with your schedule.

4. Eat More Protein

Protein has a higher thermic effect than carbs and fats. That means that your body burns more calories just by trying to digest it and process it. (4)

Due to this, a higher protein diet will leave you feeling full for longer, which will prevent you from snacking and packing extra calories.

Some high protein foods are steak, chicken breast, ground turkey, tilapia, salmon, egg whites, whole eggs, and low-fat cheese.

If you’re having a rough time reaching your protein goals, whey protein powder can be a great addition to your weight loss arsenal as well.

Here are some iced coffee protein shake recipes you can try!

5. Eat More Fiber

Just like protein, fiber also takes longer to digest. Not only that, but it is incredibly important for maintaining gut health.

Adding fiber to your diet will help you better absorb the nutrients from your foods, keep your digestive system healthy, and keep you full for longer.

High-fiber foods include fruits, vegetables, and legumes.

So try to get around 14 g of fiber for every 1000 calories in your diet. So if you are eating 2000 calories, you’d be aiming for 28 g of fiber.

Note: too much fiber can cause constipation and have negative effects on your gut. Try to consume around 14 g of fiber for every 1000 calories.

6. Drink Water Before Meals

Drinking water is another great way to lose weight without exercise.

During this study (5), dieters who were told to drink a glass and a half of water before a meal lost 44% more weight than those who didn’t.

7. Reduce Your Sugar Intake

Eating some sugar here and there is no big deal, the problem is that sugary foods are not filling at all and they have no nutrients, which makes them easier to overeat and ultimately make you gain weight.

Cutting down on sugar is a great way to keep your calories low and promote weight loss.

So consider swapping your sugary snacks from some low-carb ones.

8. Reduce Your Carbohydrate Intake

Don’t get me wrong, carbohydrates are not the enemy, however, many people tend to overeat them, especially when their diets consist of mostly processed/fast-digesting carbs like white rice, crackers, and sodas.

In fact, there are many benefits to eating carbohydrates, however, if you’re not exercising much, you might not need that many carbs.

It’s no secret that in order to lose weight you need to eat fewer calories than you burn, many people find it easier to get in a calorie deficit by limiting the number of carbs they eat during the day.

9. Practice Mindful Eating

We live in a time where we are “busy” all the time, we find ourselves running around and multitasking.

Sometimes, we don’t even realize what were are eating since we are so distracted. This often leads to making bad food choices and constant snacking, which adds more calories to our days.

This is one of the several habits preventing people from losing weight.

So when you eat, try to focus on just that. Take a break, slow down, breathe, enjoy your food, and then go back to whatever you were doing.

10. If You Don’t Buy It, You Don’t Eat It

This may sound pretty obvious but it is often overlooked. Don’t buy unhealthy foods when you go grocery shopping.

Instead, try to go for healthy/nutrient-dense foods such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, potatoes, rolled oats, and the like.

Be careful with common foods labeled as healthy, such as fruit juices, since they can still have plenty of calories and added sugars.

I recommend reading the nutrition label on the foods you’re looking to purchase to make sure they’re actually healthy and nutritious.

Also, don’t go grocery shopping on an empty stomach, you’re going to be super hungry and your cravings will take control of your shopping cart.

11. Use a Smaller Plate

Using a smaller plate is a weird but useful trick to lose weight without exercise.

This study (6) showed that using smaller plates can help you reduce the calories you eat by tricking your brain into thinking that you’re eating more than you actually are.

That’s one of the reasons buffet restaurants typically give you really small plates.

12. Go for a Daily Walk

Walking kinda falls into a gray area, some people consider it exercise, while some others don’t.

Either way, walking has incredible health benefits, such as improving oxygen flow to the brain, reducing sugar cravings, reducing stress, and making your heart and lungs stronger.

Do you have any other tips on how to lose weight without exercise? Share them in the comments section below!

13. Drink Some Coffee

Whether it is decaf or not, coffee has been shown to be very effective at suppressing your appetite.

Interestingly, this study (1) showed that decaf was better at reducing hunger than regular coffee.

However, try not to add sugar or creamers as they can add up to your daily calorie intake and trigger cravings.

One of my favorite coffees is Kimera Koffee. This coffee is infused with nootropics, which are cognitive enhancers that help improve brain function, memory, and focus.

14. Join a Support Group or Community

As humans, we are meant to socialize with others. Talking to others who are on the same journey as you will help you stay motivated and accountable.

If you’re ready to start your weight loss journey, Avocadu’s 21-Day Fat Loss Challenge is the place to start!

This plan helps men and women lose 10-21 pounds in just 21 days and can be repeated as many times as you want.