The "heroin chic" of the nineties was replaced by a fashion for a healthy lifestyle and sports. If a couple of decades ago, model thinness was enough to be considered a beauty, then the modern standard is a fit and athletic figure. However, regular workouts in the gym require time, which not every woman has. Yes, and strict diets that promise a loss of 10 kilograms per month are by no means a universal remedy. But how to lose weight without dieting and exercising? Don't believe those who say it's impossible. Perhaps, if you approach the normalization of weight wisely.
How to calculate your body mass index and why you need it
If you are looking for a way to lose weight without dieting, the first thing to do is to calculate your own BMI - body mass index. This is necessary in order to objectively assess the weight, figure and set the goal correctly. Without a BMI, the desire to lose weight will be vague, vague, because you will not know your optimal weight.
The body mass index is a conditional value created by doctors to assess human weight. It is the ratio 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 we multiply 1. 7 by 1. 7, and we 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 from the World Health Organization. Please note that there may be other ways to interpret BMI on the net, but they are questionable. Focus on the WHO assessment:
- 16 and less - a significant lack of mass;
- 16-18. 5 - insufficient body weight;
- 18. 5-25 - the norm;
- 25-30 - excess weight;
- 30-35 - the first degree of obesity;
- 35-40 - the second degree of obesity;
- 40 and above - severe obesity.
So, 25. 95 is the lower threshold for "overweight. "That is, you don’t need 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 20-22 range? This means that you almost certainly shouldn't lose weight at all. Of course, the body mass index does not take into account the features of complexion, you may not have enough muscle tissue or light bones. However, if after losing weight your BMI is below normal, it is better not to risk your health and not chase thinness. When you are unhappy with your figure at the same time, it may not be the weight, but the need to strengthen the muscles.
If your BMI is 30 or higher, then you should definitely consult with an endocrinologist before losing weight. Because with a high degree of probability, you 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 results in order to force you to buy goods and services presented on the same site.
- Remember that BMI is an approximate value, the index does not take into account many parameters such as features of complexion, skeletal weight, even gender and age. Therefore, take BMI as a guide, but not as the ultimate truth.
- For a more accurate assessment of your condition, use a special device to determine the percentage of adipose tissue in the body. This indicator will give a more accurate idea of how many kilograms you need to lose weight and whether you need to lose weight at all. Because 75 kg of muscle is not at all the same as 75 kg of adipose tissue.
Reasons for gaining weight
To determine how you can lose weight without dieting, you need to understand the causes of weight gain. It's one thing if you 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 get enough sleep regularly. So what are the reasons for weight gain?
- Unbalanced nutrition. The only way to get an objective picture of your own diet is to write down what and when you eat. It sounds boring, but otherwise your opinion about your own nutrition will not be objective. You may feel like you're not eating much, but in practice, you'll lose sight of the many snacks or the high-calorie alcohol. Therefore, keep a food diary for a week or two, and then reread it and evaluate how healthy your diet can be considered.
- Eating disorder. A food diary will help identify this problem, but eating disorder is a serious medical problem that cannot be dealt with on your own. You will need the help of an endocrinologist and a psychotherapist specializing in eating disorders. Possible symptoms of the disorder are feelings of 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. Perhaps your diet is in perfect order, but you are moving too little. Evaluate your own activity during the day will help special applications or a regular step counter in your smartphone.
- Regular lack of sleep and chronic stress. Unfortunately, lack of sleep can be the cause of many health problems, indirectly it can even be an impetus 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 the reason to determine how you can lose weight without dieting at home. Eliminate the very cause of excess weight first: consult a doctor and ask for a treatment, if necessary. Try to rearrange your sleep/wake schedule if you don't get enough sleep. It is not necessary to exercise hard to correct a sedentary lifestyle. Sometimes it is enough to regularly walk, walk in the fresh air.
This must not be forgotten
- If you have gained more than 5 kg in one month, although your diet and lifestyle have not changed, consultation with a therapist and endocrinologist is a must. You are almost certainly dealing with a medical problem.
- If you do not complain about your health, but still decide to discuss weight loss issues with a specialist, it should be a certified doctor, and not a fitness trainer, coach, or a person selling "weight loss marathons" online. The human body is a very complex system, and sometimes even a medical education is not enough to give good advice on losing weight. Athletes, models, fitness enthusiasts cannot be considered "pros" in these matters.
How can you lose weight without dieting
Oddly enough, but the first thing to do to lose weight is to hide the scales in the pantry. You don't need 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 diets and heavy exercise, you will have to change your lifestyle. Yes, it is not easy, but it is the existing lifestyle that has led your body to overweight. In addition, you will not only lose weight, but will generally feel better if you try to adopt a healthier lifestyle. What does this mean?
Even with a healthy lifestyle, you need to consult a doctor in a timely manner. Regardless of whether your health problems affect the figure or not. Behind everyday worries, it can be difficult to find time and money to visit a doctor, but this is a task of paramount importance. Your health and wellness 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 health. Try to make a choice in favor of sleep always. Wake up two hours early for a run or sleep in before work? Get enough sleep. Sleep longer or take a walk around the city at night? Sleep more.
A healthy lifestyle is moderate physical activity. We are not talking about exhausting exercises. However, the lack of movement harms the spine, nervous and endocrine systems. Take a walk every day, pick up 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. It can be long walks, jogging, yoga, dancing, active outdoor games - anything, as long as you like to move.
Finally, in order to lose weight without dieting, you will have to rethink your approach to nutrition. A balanced diet is not synonymous with a low-calorie diet. On the contrary: it provides you with enough energy, but it does not contribute to weight gain.
Principles of a balanced diet
- The basis of the diet is cereals, legumes, vegetables and fruits, and meat products should be less than a third of the serving. Add nuts, seeds, herbs to your diet.
- Minimize the amount of alcohol, sweets, rich, fatty, smoked and fried in a pan. If you cannot completely give up these products, eat them in small portions and not every day. Let them be a pleasant exception, but not the rule in the diet.
- Gradually reduce the amount of sugar. Sugar is a great source of energy, but it creates a spike in blood glucose and also dulls the pleasure of other foods.
- Eat 5 times a day. Unexpected, right? To lose weight without any homemade diets, you need to eat more often, not less often. Do not skip meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner and at least two afternoon snacks in between. However, portions should not be too large.
- Try to eat the most high-calorie foods 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.
- Don't eat less than two hours before bed. 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 arrange a hunger strike for the body. It is harmful, ineffective and in the long term threatens with overeating, as well as metabolic disorders.
Avoid alcoholic drinks - they are high in calories and provoke a feeling of hunger. Replace frying in a pan with dishes grilled or in the oven. Let fried, fatty, smoked be a rare delicacy on the table. For snacks, you can take unsweetened yogurt, fruits, nuts, whole grain bread sandwiches. But avoid all types of fast food if you want to lose weight without diet and exercise.
Common mistakes when trying to lose weight
The worst mistake you can make when trying to lose weight is trying to lose weight quickly. A normal, healthy rate of weight loss is 2-5 kg per month. If you lose mass faster, it's stressful for the body. In addition to being unhealthy, in the future it is fraught with the fact that the lost mass will return, and it is possible that you will weigh even more. Moreover, over time, radical diets and exercises stop working: even when starving, the body does not lose adipose tissue. In order not to be in this situation, do not try to lose weight too quickly.
The second common mistake is the complete rejection of fats. Fats are an essential part of the diet. However, give preference to vegetable fats, not animal fats, and make sure that their share in the menu is low.
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 cut the diet by more than 20% of the usual number of calories. Therefore, even if you do overeat, reduce calories gradually.