IF you are desperately searching for ways to lose weight but want to avoid really hard work at the gym, you don’t need to feel like you’re running out of options.
There’s lots of weight loss tips and hacks which can help you drop pounds without having to hit the gym seven days a week.
Weight loss takes work but there are some lazy, simple ways to lose weight and get rid of belly fat with no effort, no diets, and no exercising!
We’ve spoken to the experts to round up the top ten lazy ways to lose weight.
DITCH BREAD
Tim Goodwin, founder of Lean GreensBread, said if you want to lose weight ‘the lazy way’ – you need to start by ditching bread.
Out of all the processed carbs we consume, bread is the one most prevalent in our diet.
The expert explained: “Simply cutting out all instances of bread is probably the fastest way to reduce your waistline.
“The heavily processed flour used in bread products causes excess inflammation in your body and causes you to hold on to more water and body fat.
“Cut it out for at least a week and see how your body changes shape.”
STRESS LESS
Expert Tim also suggested you should stress less if you want to lose weight.
The founder of Lean GreensBread explained that stress causes inflammation and inflammation will force your body to store more body fat.
He suggested you can de-stress by drinking more water, spending 30 minutes a day walking in a quiet place and by turning off your phone three hours before bed.
Meanwhile Cate Boyd, founder of Pretty Pea Nutrition, agreed that you need to manage stress to maintain weight loss.
She said: “Belly fat has four times more cortisol receptors than other cells. Cortisol being our ‘stress hormone’.
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“So rather than try and do the impossible and try to eradicate stress from our life, focus your energy on managing the stresses we face each day and focus on how you respond to stress.”
Elsewhere Kate Shilland, Performance Nutritionist from CurraNZ added that times of stress cause the body to release hormones that are responsible for the ‘fight or flight’ response.
She explained that prolonged periods of elevated stress hormones increase appetite, making it difficult to lose weight, or lead to weight gain, particularly around the abdomen.
The expert added: “Let’s face it, life can be stressful and, although there is a much bigger picture to consider, stress does play a role in weight management, both physically and behaviourally through the food and exercise choices that we tend to make when stressed.”
PRIORITISE GOOD SLEEP
Another lazy way to lose weight is to prioritise good sleep. Pretty Pea Nutrition’s Cate explained that research shows poor sleeping patterns can cause weight gain.
She said: “To ensure good sleep, don’t have caffeine after 3pm, ensure your main meal is a good 2-3 hours before bed so digestion doesn’t keep your body awake, no alcohol before bed and wind down without blue light devices in the last hour before bed.”
Meanwhile Steve Adams, CEO of Mattress Online (PLEASE LINK) added that you can lose weight simply by sleeping better.
He explained when you aren’t sleeping, ghrelin levels increase, which is the hunger hormone.
That’s why midnight snacking isn’t a myth – you could just feel hungrier because you aren’t sleeping properly.
He said: “To help, we recommend eating your last meal three hours before bed, so you feel full enough to sleep, but not too bloated that you’re kept awake.”
Elsewhere Kate Shilland agreed that studies show poor sleep can prompt people to eat bigger portions of food, snack more and favour high fat, high-carbohydrate choices.
Plus, it can play havoc with your metabolic health.
She said: “Sleep impacts on our appetite regulatory hormones, whereby a lack of sleep increases the secretion of ghrelin – our appetite stimulatory hormone which can lead to an increased appetite for energy dense foods.
“Lack of sleep can also lead to a negative change in our gut bacteria.
“Even just a couple of nights of poor sleep can lead to an increase in particular bacterial strains that make us more prone to metabolic complications, such as Type 2 diabetes.”
DRINK YOUR BODY WEIGHT IN WATER IN OUNCES
Another simple way to lose weight is to drink a lot of water.
Cate Boyd pointed out that the body is around 60% water so it makes sense to prioritise water consumption.
She referred to one study which found that drinking 0.5 litres of water equals an extra 23 calories burned.
Over a year that’s around 17,000 calories which equates to burning around 4.4lbs of body weight. Definitely a lazy way to lose weight!
She said: “How much water a person needs is very much individual, taking into account factors such as where you live, your diet, age, weight, pregnancy and breastfeeding, activity levels, eg, those who exercise and sweat a lot and of course your health status.
“A rule of thumb is to aim for around 2 litres (8 x 8 oz glasses) and always drink when you’re thirsty.”
STOP SNACKING AND EAT MORE VEGETABLES
Expert Tim from Lean GreensBread said we should stop snacking and eat more vegetables for an easy way to lose some weight.
The modern advertising we see on our TV and online has made out that snacking is an
essential normal part of daily life. But Tim said nothing could be further from the truth.
He commented: “Most of the time mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks are extra calories none of us need. Cutting out snacking can easily reduce your daily calorie intake by 25%.
“If you want to stop cravings and the desire for snacking, then consume more vegetable
nutrients from as wide a range as possible.
“Veg nutrients will satisfy your hypothalamus (the part of the brain that controls cravings and hunger pangs).
“Juicing is a good way to increase the range of different nutrients you consume.”
USE YOUR FREEZER
Meanwhile, community registered associate nutritionist Nourhan Barakat said you should use your freezer to help you lose weight ‘the lazy way.’
The nutritionist suggested you can stock your freezer with frozen fruit and veg to bulk your meals and snacks.
Simply, throw some frozen broccoli, carrots, green beans and peas into your stews, soups or casserole, and throw some frozen banana and/or berries onto your oatmeal, milkshake or even your healthy muffins to level up your fibre, vitamins and minerals intake.
Frozen options of fruit and veg are not only very convenient but also budget friendly.
DRINK LESS ALCOHOL
Another way to lose weight in a ‘lazy way’ is to simply drink less alcohol.
Cate from Pretty Pea said alcohol is referred to as ‘empty calories’, in that it provides your body with little to no nutrition. Alcohol also slows down your body’s fat burning processes.
She said when you consume alcohol, your body will burn this first and prioritise it as a source of fuel above anything else and this also means the food you consume will also go to being stored as fat and not prioritised as a source of fuel.
Cate explained: “Over time excess alcohol consumption can lead to alcoholic fatty liver damaging the liver and affecting the way the body metabolizes and stores fat and carbohydrates making it difficult to lose weight.
“Another downside of alcohol is that it affects our judgment when it comes to food and often leads to consuming more calories than needed!”
Meanwhile nutritionist Kate agreed that alcohol is calorie dense and nutrient poor, while it is also very easy to over consume calories from alcohol.
Her top tip if you’re aiming to lose weight is to consider cutting back on alcohol – primarily for health reasons as well as weight.
She said: “Think about your mixers too, opt for low/no calorie options and stick within the recommended guidelines.
“Not only is alcohol calorie dense, but it also encourages the secretion of our appetite stimulatory hormone ghrelin, which means we easily find ourselves in a positive energy balance when drinking.”
EAT ENOUGH
Kate said something people should do, if they want to lose weight, is actually ensure they are eating enough.
The performance nutritionist said chronic dieting and months/years spent trying one diet fad after another can cause reductions in your metabolic rate which actually makes it harder to lose weight.
Rather than following the next fad, Kate said people should focus on what to keep in their diets, rather than what to cut out.
EAT SPICY FOOD
Elsewhere Cate Boyd said a ‘lazy’ way to lose weight includes eating spicy food.
The expert explained that spices such as fenugreek, cayenne pepper, ginger, ginseng, turmeric, cinnamon and black pepper have been found to help stabilize blood sugar levels.
This can help reduce appetite, reduce hunger, boost metabolism and impact fat formation and decrease fat absorption.
Get adding these spices to your meals to help your body lose weight without you having to think about it!
USE SMALLER PLATES
Lastly, Cate added that a clever way to lose some weight is to eat off a smaller plate.
She said: “Plate sizes have increased in recent decades, meaning many of us have increased our portion sizes too. Using smaller plates is an effective way of reducing your portion sizes.
“Try using a smaller plate so your portion fills the plate and it visually makes your portion sizes look bigger and you don't feel deprived when eating less.
Remember, mindset is everything when it comes to weight loss!”
Elsewhere in health, nearly half of Brits obsess over counting calories – but don’t pay attention to what else they eat.
Plus, hate exercise? Try this 4-second BURST workout to help lose weight.
Meanwhile, here’s how often you should REALLY change your pillows – and you’re definitely not doing it enough.
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