10 tips on how to start losing weight without dieting or working out?

Thoughtful diet and exercise can effectively lose and maintain weight, but only if they become part of life. Short-term hard restrictions on food and "raids" in the fitness club threaten frustration and a rapid return of lost pounds.

If you are not yet ready for global changes, try to make some simple habits that will help you spend a little more calories, and consume a little less.

Yes, you are unlikely to lose 5 pounds by the beach season. But you can lose weight smoothly without slowing down your metabolism and eating disorders, and you can keep a healthy weight for the rest of your life.

1. Eat slowly and chew thoroughly

Many people literally swallow their lunch in 5-10 minutes, staring at a phone or computer screen, and then switch to more important things to do. At the same time, there are at least two important reasons to stretch out your meals.

One experiment found that by eating a 600-kcal lunch in 24 minutes, people felt significantly more satiated than those who emptied their plate in 6 minutes. Moreover, three hours after a meal, slow eaters consume 25 percent fewer calories in the form of snacks.

Slow and careful chewing of a meal can not only reduce the daily caloric intake, but also increase energy expenditure.

In a recent study, Japanese scientists found that if you chew your food for 30 seconds, then after a meal, food thermogenesis increases by 1.8-4 kcal for about 90 minutes. One of the authors of the experiment noted that if you consider every meal over a year, the cumulative effect can be significant.

2. Add a salad to your meal and eat it first

One study tested how consuming this dish would affect the amount eaten afterward.

Participants were divided into several groups and given either 150 or 300 g of lettuce of different caloric value (33 kcal, 67 kcal and 133 kcal per 100 g). They were then offered as much pasta as they wanted and the total caloric value of the meal was calculated.

It turned out that the lightest salad of 150 grams helps to reduce the caloric value of the dinner by 7%, while the portion of 300 grams - by 12%.

In order not to accidentally eat more than necessary, choose dishes made of fresh vegetables and greens, without dressing in the form of mayonnaise, cheese or other fatty products.

Try salads made from cucumbers and cabbage, spinach, celery root, broccoli, bell peppers, and other low-fat plant-based ingredients.

3. Drink a glass of water before meals

There is evidence that a glass of water just before a meal helps you eat less without any portion control.

Although this technique works best when combined with dieting. In one study, taking 500 ml of water 30 minutes before lunch helped obese people lose 2.4 pounds in 12 weeks, twice as much as the control group.

In another experiment, older people on the diet lost an additional 2 kg of weight through this technique.

One systematic review concluded that drinking before meals helps people 55 and older lose weight, but does not work in younger people. Another review noted that it makes sense to consume more fluids while dieting or during weight maintenance.

Try drinking one or two glasses of water 30 minutes before a meal and see how it affects your appetite and portion size. Perhaps this methodology will help you eat less.

4. Swap foods for less calorie-dense foods

Often people adjust the main menu - for example, switch from pork to chicken or completely eliminate sweets. But they don't pay attention to sauces and salad dressings.

At the same time, these little things can greatly affect the overall caloric content of the diet. For example, in the already mentioned experiment with salads and pasta, the energy value of the servings increased by 100 kcal just from the dressing and added cheese.

A couple of spoonfuls of sauce, an extra slice of bread, cream and sugar in coffee - paying attention to these small nuances, you can remove from your diet 200-300 kcal, which over time will result in a significant weight loss.

So if you can easily give up caloric additives - do it.

5. Do not put strict prohibitions on your favorite foods

The main disadvantage of any diet and restrictions is that people can not stick to the chosen regime for a long time. So no matter how right it may seem to completely give up sweets, flour or fast food, first consider whether you can last a lifetime without these foods.

For example, in one experiment, a strict ban on bread increased the number of dieting failures by up to 23 percent. At the same time, in the group without such restrictions, only 6% of those who lost weight broke the regimen, and the results were the same for everyone.

Strict bans can cause eating disorders and mood problems, forcing gluttony and gaining extra pounds.

To stay healthy, don't go to extremes and don't demonize certain food groups. You can cut back on caloric foods, but if you really like fatty meats, chocolate, ice cream or baked goods, don't give them up altogether.

6. Give up liquid calories

Liquid calories are sweet drinks: lemonades and energy drinks, tea and coffee with sugar, as well as fruit juices and milkshakes. Unlike solid foods, these foods are virtually satiating but are high in carbohydrates.

One study calculated that by replacing sugary sodas, juices and milk with water, it was possible to reduce the daily caloric intake by 235 kcal. In another experiment, a similar action reduced the total energy value of the diet by 200 kcal per day.

On a monthly basis, giving up sugary drinks could reduce calories by 6,000 kcal. In essence, it's like spending two weeks on a soft diet without slowing down your metabolism.

7. Choose the right snacks for snacking

It's often advised to avoid snacking so that you don't consume extra calories between meals. Such an approach is not without merit, but only if you normally tolerate long periods without food and do not feel strong hunger when it is time to sit down at the table.

If stomach urges make you daydream about dinner, pounce on food and consume much more than you need to satiety, snacking can make up for it.

But they must be chosen wisely. Cookies, sweets, waffles and other sweet and fatty products will add to the diet a lot of calories, but the feeling of satiety will not provide.

In order to suppress hunger, choose protein- or fiber-rich foods: fruits and vegetables, yogurt, unsweetened cottage cheese, nuts, hummus (chickpea paste), and protein shakes.

They can help you make it to lunch or dinner without howling in the stomach and at the same time provide you with vitamins, micronutrients and dietary fiber, which are good for health.

8. Eat lunch and dinner early

A review of scientific evidence concluded that eating lunch and dinner earlier helps maintain a healthy weight.

Researchers found that eating at 3 p.m. negatively affects gut microflora diversity and health. And eating dinner after 9 p.m. impairs glucose sensitivity. Both can cause you to gain excess weight and lead to additional health problems.

Try moving dinner and lunch to an earlier time and see how it affects your well-being and weight. If you fall asleep late, cut back a little on your last meal. For example, replace a full dinner with a protein-carbohydrate snack sufficient to keep you from going to bed hungry.

9. Get enough sleep

According to numerous studies, lack of sleep disrupts the production of hormones responsible for feelings of hunger and satiety, and increases appetite and cravings for sweet and fatty foods. All this contributes to gaining extra weight and fat accumulation in the abdominal area.

To avoid increasing the risks, try to sleep 7-8 hours a night, which is the optimal night's rest for most adults.

10. Get more exercise as part of your normal routine

Increased calorie expenditure is usually associated with jogging or group fitness programs. And while cardio exercise is exceptionally healthy, you can lose weight without it.

One study estimated that daily household activity accounts for about 15% of your total energy needs per day, while exercise accounts for only about 5%.

Take as a rule of thumb the fact that any activity is better than no activity at all. A short walk, climbing the stairs instead of the elevator, doing chores at home, and a short warm-up at work can all help you spend more calories without straining yourself too much.