The "heroin chic" of the 1990s was replaced by fashion for a healthy lifestyle and sports. If a few decades ago the thinness of the model was enough to be considered beauty, then the athletic figure has agreed to the modern standard. women. Yes, and strict diets that promise to lose 10 pounds a month are by no means a universal remedy. But how to lose weight without dieting and exercising? Don’t trust those who say it’s impossible. Maybe if you approach weight normalization wisely.
How to calculate your body mass index and why you need it
If you are looking for a way to lose weight without a diet, the first thing you need to do is calculate your own BMI - body mass index. This is necessary in order to objectively assess the weight, figure and set the goal correctly. Without BMI, the desire to lose weight will be vague, vague, because you will not know your optimal weight.
Body mass index is a conditional value created by doctors to assess body weight. It is the relationship between body weight and height. Calculate it using the formula: weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. For example, your height is 170 cm, this is 1. 7 m, so multiply 1. 7 by 1. 7 and get 2. 89 meters squared. Let's say your current weight is 75 kg. So to calculate BMI, you need to divide 75 by 2, 89. It turns out 25, 95. This is your body mass index.
We compare this figure with the interpretation of the World Health Organization. Keep in mind that there may be other ways to interpret BMI online, but they are questionable. Focus on WHO assessment:
- 16 and less - significant lack of mass;
- 16-18, 5 - underweight;
- 18, 5-25 - norm;
- 25-30 - overweight;
- 30-35 - first degree obesity;
- 35-40 - second degree obesity;
- 40 and over - severe obesity.
So, 25, 95 is the lower threshold for "overweight". That is, you do not have to lose so much to the norm: 5 kg. If you lose 10 kg, the weight will still be within the medical norm. Therefore, you can set yourself such a goal.
But what if your BMI is already in the range of 20-22? This means that you should almost certainly not lose weight at all. Of course, the body mass index does not take into account the characteristics of the complexion, you may not have enough muscle tissue or light bones. However, if your BMI is below normal after losing weight, it is better not to risk your health and not to chase weight loss. When you are dissatisfied with your figure at the same time, it may not be about weight, but the need to strengthen muscles.
If your BMI is 30 and over, you should definitely consult an endocrinologist before losing weight. Because you probably need medical help to normalize your weight.
This must not be forgotten
- Do not use automatic BMI calculators, calculate the index yourself. Some calculators deliberately inflate the results to make you buy the goods and services presented on the same page.
- Remember that BMI is an approximate value, the index does not take into account many parameters such as skin characteristics, skeletal weight, or even gender and age. Therefore, take BMI as a guide, but not as the ultimate truth.
- To more accurately assess your condition, use a special device to determine the percentage of body fat. This indicator will give a more accurate idea of how many pounds you need to lose and whether you need to lose weight at all. Because 75 kg of muscle is not the same as 75 kg of fat.
Reasons for weight gain
To determine how you can lose weight without dieting, you need to understand the causes of weight gain. It’s one thing to eat a whole chocolate cake every night before bed. It is a completely different matter if you suffer from endocrine diseases, lead a sedentary lifestyle and do not sleep regularly. So what are the reasons for weight gain?
- An unbalanced diet. The only way to get an objective picture of your diet is to write down what and when you eat. It sounds boring, but otherwise your opinion about your own diet will not be objective. You may feel like you are not eating much, but in practice you will lose sight of many snacks or high-calorie alcohol. So keep a diet diary for a week or two, then read it again and assess how healthy your diet can be.
- Eating Disorders. A diet diary can also help identify this problem, but an eating disorder is a serious medical problem that you cannot solve on your own. You will need the help of an endocrinologist and psychotherapist who specializes in eating disorders. Possible symptoms of the disorder are guilt after eating, eating without feeling hungry, alternating strict diets with "breakdowns", discomfort when you have to eat with others and so on.
- Sedentary lifestyle. Your diet may be in perfect order, but you are not getting enough exercise. Special applications or a simple step counter in your smartphone will help you evaluate your own activity during the day.
- Regular lack of sleep and chronic stress. Unfortunately, lack of sleep can be the cause of many health problems, indirectly it can even be a stimulus for the development of diabetes. In addition, the body, exhausted by lack of sleep, uses food as an additional source of energy, so you eat more.
- endocrine disorders. Metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus, PCOS are not a complete list of disorders that can be accompanied by weight gain. Assess your physical and emotional state: are there any other symptoms that indicate health problems?
Find out why you can lose weight without dieting at home. First, eliminate the cause of excess weight: consult a doctor and seek treatment, if necessary. Try changing your sleep / wake schedule if you are not getting enough sleep. It is not necessary to exercise hard to correct a sedentary lifestyle. Sometimes it is enough to walk regularly, to walk in the fresh air.
This must not be forgotten
- If you have gained more than 5 kg in a month, even though your diet and lifestyle have not changed, a consultation with a therapist and endocrinologist is mandatory. It is almost certain that you have a medical problem.
- If you do not complain about your health, but still decide to discuss weight loss problems with a specialist, it should be a certified doctor, not a fitness trainer, trainer or a person who sells "weight loss marathons" online. The human body is a very complex system, and sometimes even medical education is not enough to give good advice on weight loss. Athletes, models, fitness enthusiasts cannot be considered "professionals" in these matters.
How can you lose weight without dieting
Strange, but the first thing you need to do to lose weight is to hide the scales in the pantry. You don’t have to weigh yourself every day, even if you can. Once a week is enough. Regular weighing creates neurosis, additional stress, and this interferes with the normalization of weight.
To get in shape without dieting and heavy exercise, you will need to change your lifestyle. Yes, it is not easy, but the existing way of life has brought your body to excess weight. In addition, not only will you lose weight, but you will generally feel better if you try to adopt a healthier lifestyle. What it means?
Even with a healthy lifestyle, you need to see a doctor in time. Whether your health problems affect your figure or not. It can be difficult to find time and money to visit a doctor behind everyday worries, but it is a task of the utmost importance. Your health and well-being should come first.
A healthy lifestyle is a good night's rest. The advice to get enough sleep is easier than following this advice, especially if you work hard and have children in the family. However, an 8-hour night’s sleep is half the battle. Always try to make a choice in favor of sleep. Wake up two hours early to run or sleep before work? Get enough sleep. Do you sleep longer or walk around the city at night? Sleep more.
A healthy lifestyle is moderate physical activity. We are not talking about exhausting exercises. However, lack of movement damages the spine, nervous and endocrine systems. Take a walk every day, choose simple home exercises for morning or evening exercises. Find a form of physical activity that you enjoy and that can become part of your routine. These can be long walks, jogging, yoga, dancing, active outdoor games - anything, as long as you want to move.
Finally, to lose weight without dieting, you will need to rethink your approach to nutrition. A balanced diet is not synonymous with a low calorie diet. On the contrary, it gives you enough energy, but does not contribute to weight gain.
Principles of a balanced diet
- The basis of the diet consists of cereals, legumes, vegetables and fruits, and meat products should be less than a third of the portion. Add nuts, seeds, herbs to your diet.
- Minimize alcohol, sweets, rich, fatty, smoked and fried foods. If you can't completely give up these products, eat them in small portions, not every day. Let them be a pleasant exception, but not a rule in the diet.
- Gradually reduce the amount of sugar. Sugar is an excellent source of energy, but it creates a sudden rise in blood glucose and reduces the satisfaction of other foods.
- Eat 5 times a day. Unexpected, isn't it? To lose weight without any home diets, you need to eat more often, not less often. Don’t skip meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner and at least two afternoon snacks in between. However, the portions should not be too large.
- Try to eat the highest calorie food in the morning. If you want to treat yourself to a bun or a piece of chocolate, do it in the morning. Dinner should be light.
- Do not eat less than two hours before bedtime. Give your body a chance to absorb food before you go to bed.
- Don't skip breakfast. This is the main meal, the lack of a full breakfast often makes you overeat during dinner and lunch or intercept fast food and sweets on the go.
- Don't starve. Among people who want to lose weight, there is an opinion that the most effective way to lose weight is to organize a hunger strike for the body. It is harmful, inefficient and threatens overeating in the long run, as well as metabolic disorders.
Avoid alcoholic beverages - they are high in calories and cause a feeling of hunger. Replace frying in a pan with grilled dishes or in the oven. Let breaded, greasy, smoked be a rare treat on the table. For a snack, you can take unsweetened yogurt, fruits, nuts, wholemeal bread sandwiches. But avoid all kinds of fast food if you want to lose weight without dieting and exercising.
Common mistakes when trying to lose weight
The worst mistake you can make when trying to lose weight is to try to lose weight fast. A normal, healthy rate of weight loss is 2-5 kg per month. If you lose weight faster, it is stressful for the body. In addition to being unhealthy, the future is fraught with the fact that the lost weight will return, and it is possible that you will weigh even more. Moreover, over time, radical diet and exercise cease to work: even when starving, the body does not lose fat. In order not to be in this situation, do not try to lose weight too quickly.
Another common mistake is to completely reject fat. Fats are an essential part of the diet. However, give preference to vegetable and not animal fats and make sure that their share in the menu is small.
The third mistake is a sharp reduction in calories. For example, a person calculates the optimal number of calories and drastically reduces portions. However, scientific studies have shown that it is impossible to reduce the diet by more than 20% of the usual number of calories. Therefore, even if you overeat, reduce calories gradually.