The "chic heroine" of the nineties was replaced by fashion for a healthy lifestyle and sports. If a few decades ago, a thin model was enough to be considered a beauty, then the modern standard was fit and sporty. However, regular exercise at the gym takes time, which not every woman has. Yes, and a strict diet that promises to lose 10 pounds a month is not a universal cure. But how to lose weight without dieting and exercising? Don't believe 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 dieting, the first thing to do is calculate your own BMI - body mass index. This is necessary to objectively assess weights, figures and set goals correctly. Without BMI, the desire to lose weight will be vague, ambiguous, because you will never know your optimal weight.
Body mass index is a conditional value created by doctors to assess human weight. It is the ratio between 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 square meters. 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 these figures with interpretations from the World Health Organization. Please note that there may be other ways to interpret BMI on the internet, but it is questionable. Focus on WHO assessments:
- 16 and less - significant lack of mass;
- 16-18. 5 - insufficient weight;
- 18. 5-25 - norm;
- 25-30 - overweight;
- 30-35 - the first stage of obesity;
- 35-40 - second stage of obesity;
- 40 and above - severe obesity.
So, 25. 95 is the lower threshold for "overweight. " That is, you don’t have to lose so much to the norm: 5 kg. If you lose 10 kg, the weight is still 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 you almost certainly shouldn’t lose weight at all. Of course, the body mass index does not take into account the characteristics of the skin, you may not have enough light muscle or bone tissue. However, if after losing weight your BMI is below normal, it is better not to risk your health and not to chase skinny. When you are not satisfied with your figure at the same time, it may not be weight, but the need to strengthen muscles.
If your BMI is 30 and above, then you should definitely consult an endocrinologist before losing weight. Because with a high degree of probability, you need medical help to normalize your weight.
This thing cannot be forgotten
- Do not use an automatic BMI calculator, calculate the index yourself. Some calculators deliberately inflate revenue 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 skin characteristics, skeletal weight, even gender and age. So 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 you 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 with 75 kg of adipose tissue.
The reason for weight gain
To determine how you can lose weight without dieting, you need to understand the causes of weight gain. One thing if you eat a whole chocolate cake every night before bed. It’s a completely different matter if you suffer from endocrine diseases, lead an inactive lifestyle and don’t get enough sleep regularly. So what are the causes of weight gain?
- An unbalanced diet. 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 of your own diet will not be objective. You may feel like you’re not eating much, but in practice, you’ll forget about a lot of snacks or high -calorie alcohol. So keep a food diary for a week or two, and then re -read and evaluate how well your diet can be considered.
- Eating disorders. A food diary can help identify this problem as well, but an eating disorder is a serious medical problem that you cannot manage on your own. You 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, a strict diet alternating with "damage", discomfort when you have to eat with others, and so on.
- Sedentary lifestyle. Maybe your diet is in perfect shape, but you’re moving too little. Assessing your own activities during the day will help a special app or a common step counter in your smartphone.
- Frequent sleep deprivation and chronic stress. Unfortunately, lack of sleep can be the cause of many health problems, and can even indirectly be a driver of the development of diabetes. In addition, the body, fatigue due to lack of sleep, uses food as an additional source of energy, so you eat more.
- endocrine disorders. Metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus, PCOS is 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 a health problem?
Find out the reasons for determining how you can lose weight without dieting at home. Eliminate the cause of excess weight first: seek medical advice and seek treatment, if necessary. Try rearranging your sleep/wake schedule if you don’t get enough sleep. No need to work out hard to correct an inactive lifestyle. Sometimes enough to walk regularly, walking in the fresh air.
This thing cannot be forgotten
- If you have gained more than 5 kg in a month, even if 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’re not complaining about your health, but still decide to discuss weight loss issues with a specialist, it must be a certified doctor, rather than a fitness trainer, trainer or person selling "weight loss marathons" online. The human body is a very complex system, and sometimes medical education is not enough to give good advice about losing weight. Athletes, models, fitness enthusiasts should not be considered "pros" in this matter.
How can you lose weight without dieting
Strangely, but the first thing 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. Frequent weighing creates neurosis, additional stress, and this interferes with weight normalization.
To get in shape without diet and heavy exercise, you need to change your lifestyle. Yes, it’s not easy, but it’s an existing lifestyle that causes your body to be 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. It doesn’t matter if your health problems affect that figure or not. Despite the daily worries, it may be difficult to find the time and money to visit a doctor, but this is the most important task. Your health and well -being should be a priority.
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 of health. Try to make choices in favor of sleeping always. Get up two hours early to run or sleep before work? Get enough sleep. Sleep longer or take a walk around town at night? Sleep more.
A healthy lifestyle is moderate physical activity. We’re not talking about grueling workouts. However, lack of movement harms the spine, nervous and endocrine systems. Take a walk every day, do a simple workout at home for a morning or evening workout. Find a form of physical activity that you enjoy and can be part of your routine. It can be long walks, jogging, yoga, dancing, active outdoor games - anything, as long as you like to move.
Finally, to lose weight without dieting, you need to rethink your approach to nutrition. A balanced diet is not synonymous with a low -calorie diet. On the other hand, it gives you enough energy, but does not contribute to weight gain.
The principle of a balanced diet
- The basis of the diet is grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits, and meat products should be less than one-third of the meal. Add nuts, seeds, herbs to your diet.
- Cut down on alcohol, sweets, rich, fatty, smoked and fried foods. If you can’t completely give up this product, eat in small portions instead of every day. Let them be a pleasant exception, but not a rule in the diet.
- Reduce the amount of sugar gradually. Sugar is a great source of energy, but it produces blood glucose spikes and also dulls the pleasure of other foods.
- Eat 5 times a day. I don't think so, right? To lose weight without any homemade diet, you need to eat more often, not less often. Don’t skip meal times: breakfast, lunch, dinner and at least two lunch snacks. However, the portions should not be too large.
- Try to eat the highest calorie foods in the morning. If you want to treat yourself to bread 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 a main course, the lack of a complete breakfast often causes you to overeat during dinner and lunch or to skip fast food and sweets while on the go.
- Don't be hungry. Among people who want to lose weight, there is an opinion that the most effective way to lose weight is by organizing a hunger strike for the body. It is dangerous, ineffective and in the long run threatening with overeating, as well as metabolic disorders.
Avoid alcoholic beverages - they are high in calories and cause hunger. Replace frying in a pan with a grilled dish or in the oven. Let the fried, fatty, smoked ones become a rare delicacy on the table. For snacks, you can take sugar-free 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 to try to lose weight fast. The normal and healthy weight loss rate is 2-5 kg per month. If you lose mass faster, it puts pressure on the body. In addition to being unhealthy, in the future it is fraught with the fact that the lost mass will return, and there is a possibility that you will weigh even more. Moreover, over time, diet and exercise radically cease to function: even when starving, the body does not lose adipose tissue. To not be in this situation, do not try to lose weight too fast.
The second common mistake is complete fat rejection. Fat is an important part of the diet. However, give preference to vegetable fats, not animal fats, and make sure the portion in the menu is low.
The third mistake is a sudden reduction in calories. For example, one 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 normal total calories. So, even if you overeat, reduce calories gradually.