The "heroin-chic" of the nineties was replaced by a fashion for a healthy lifestyle and sports. If model thinness a few decades ago was enough to be considered a beauty, then the modern standard is a fit and athletic figure. Regular training in the gym, however, requires time, which not all women have. Yes, and strict diets that promise a loss of 10 kilos a month are by no means a panacea. But how do you lose weight without dieting and exercise? Do not believe those who say that it is impossible. Maybe 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 calculate your own BMI - body mass index. This is necessary to objectively assess the weight, the figure and set the goal correctly. Without a BMI, the desire to lose weight will be vague, vague because you do not know your optimal weight.
Body mass index is a conditional value created by doctors to assess human 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. It's 1, 7 m, so we multiply 1, 7 by 1, 7, and we get 2, 89 meters in second square. Let's say your current weight is 75 kg. So to calculate BMI you have to divide 75 by 2, 89. It becomes 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 online, 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 - norms;
- 25-30 - excess weight;
- 30-35 - the first degree of obesity;
- 35-40 - the second degree of obesity;
- 40 and over - severe obesity.
So 25, 95 is the lower threshold for "overweight". This means that 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 properties of the complexion, you may not have enough muscle tissue or light bones. However, if your BMI after losing you is below normal, it is better not to risk your health and not chase thinness. When you are dissatisfied 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 and above, you should definitely consult an endocrinologist before losing weight. Because with a high degree of probability, you need medical attention to normalize your weight.
This must not be forgotten
- Do not use automatic BMI calculators, calculate the index yourself. Some calculators deliberately inflate results 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 gives a more precise idea of how many kilos you should lose and whether you should lose at all. For 75 kg of muscle is not at all the same as 75 kg of adipose tissue.
Reasons to gain weight
To determine how to 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 causes of 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 are not eating much, but in practice you will lose sight of the many snacks or the high-calorie alcohol. Therefore, keep a food diary for a week or two, then read it again and assess how healthy your diet can be considered.
- Eating disorder. A food diary can also help identify this problem, but eating disorders are a serious medical problem that you cannot handle on your own. You will need the help of an endocrinologist and a psychotherapist specializing in eating disorders. Possible symptoms of the disorder are guilt after eating, eating without feeling hungry, alternating strict diets with "breakdowns", discomfort when eating with others, and so on.
- Sedentary lifestyle. Maybe your diet is in perfect order, but you are moving too little. Evaluating your own activity during the day will help special applications or a regular pedometer 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 a driving force 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 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 health problems?
Find out the reason for deciding how to lose weight without dieting at home. Eliminate the very cause of obesity first: consult a doctor and ask for a treatment if necessary. Try to rearrange your sleep / wake schedule if you do not get enough sleep. It is not necessary to train hard to correct a sedentary lifestyle. Sometimes it is enough to walk regularly, 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, consultation with a therapist and endocrinologist is a must. You are almost certainly dealing with a medical problem.
- If you are not complaining 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, trainer or someone selling "weight loss marathon" 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 can not be considered "professional" in these matters.
How can you lose weight without dieting
Oddly enough, the first thing to do to lose weight is to hide the weight in the pantry. You do not 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 diets and heavy exercise, you will need 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 it mean?
Even with a healthy lifestyle, consult a doctor in a timely manner. Whether your health problems affect the figure or not. Behind everyday worries, it can be difficult to find the time and money to visit a doctor, but it is a crucial task. Your health and well-being should come first.
A healthy lifestyle is a good night's sleep. 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. Always try to make a choice in favor of sleep. Do you wake up two hours early for a run or do you sleep 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. But the lack of movement damages the spine, nervous system and endocrine system. 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 need to reconsider your approach to nutrition. A balanced diet does not mean 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 is grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits, and meat products should be less than a third of the serving. Add nuts, seeds, herbs to your diet.
- Minimize alcohol, sweets, rich, fatty, smoked and fried foods. If you can not completely give up these products, then 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 an increase in blood sugar and also dulls the pleasure of other foods.
- Eat 5 times a day. Unexpected, right? To lose weight without homemade diets, eat more often, not less often. Do not skip meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner and at least two afternoon snacks in between. However, the portions must not be too large.
- Try to eat the most calorie-rich 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.
- Eat no less than two hours before bedtime. Give your body a chance to absorb food before going to bed.
- Do not skip breakfast. This is the main meal, the lack of a complete breakfast often causes you to overeat during dinner and lunch or intercept fast food and sweets on the go.
- Do not starve. Among people who want to lose weight, there is a perception that the most effective way to lose weight is to arrange a hunger strike for the body. It is harmful, ineffective and threatens in the long run with overeating as well as metabolic disorders.
Avoid alcoholic beverages - they are high in calories and evoke a feeling of hunger. Replace frying on 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, fruit, nuts, wholemeal bread sandwiches. But avoid all kinds 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. A normal, healthy weight loss is 2-5 kg per month. If you lose weight faster, it is stressful for the body. Besides being unhealthy, in the future it is fraught with the lost mass returning, and it is possible that you weigh even more. In addition, over time, radical diets and exercises stop working: even when you are hungry, your body does not lose fat. In order not to be in this situation, try not to lose weight too fast.
The other 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 their share of 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 eat too much, you should reduce the calories gradually.