How to lose weight without dieting

Are you trying to move away from going on another diet? You can’t keep doing this yo-yo dieting. It is not working. But, you still want to lose the weight. How can you do it? Is it even possible to lose weight without dieting? Yes, yes it is.

There are many benefits to moving away from dieting. You are no longer bound by the dieting rules and you learn to eat intuitively which is very liberating. Who wants to live their life bound by rules set by someone else? We all want to live our lives on our own terms and that goes with the food we eat. If you want to lose weight, here are some tips.

Have Smaller portions

Make your portions smaller. Just put ½ a spoon less of things onto your plate so it is gradually smaller. 1 less roast potato. A smaller bit of meat. Don’t cut short your veg though, have lots of them.

The worry is you think you will still be hungry. Slow down your eating so your brain has time to receive the messages from your stomach that you are full. Fill up with veg instead of potatoes. Don’t deny yourself food, rather, have what you want just a smaller amount. A small piece of cake for instance. That also goes for eating half-fat foods, they are usually filled up with very unhealthy alternatives. Go for the food you want, just less and enjoy it. It is learning to stop counting calories.

Write down what you eat. The top way to lose weight without dieting.

Write down what you eat and do it as you go along. If you wait till the end of the day, then you forget about the little bits that you’ve picked on here and there. Write it all down, even the smallest crumb and all the drinks that you’ve drunk. Studies have shown that people who write down what they eat, eat less than those who don’t.

Cut out the excess sugar

If you want to lose weight, it is very achievable to lose weight without dieting. But if you are eating lots of sugar then you are going to have to cut it out. It’s the sugar that will keep your weight on. If this scares you, cut it out gradually. Start with a plan of what bit you are going to cut out first. One less biscuit at night. A healthier mid-afternoon snack. Less sugar in the tea or coffee. Learn how you can break your sugar addiction.

The irony is that you are eating sugar to give you energy but the more you cut it out, the more energy you will have. This is a must with any sugary drinks or the ones with hidden sugar. Zero fat or zero sugar fizzy drinks are not healthy and this is a first to cut down on. Transition to squashes and then water. You can always add in fruit and or lemon and lime slices to give your water some flavour.

Diet is a guideline.

Use a diet as a guideline not as an absolute to stick to. In other words, look at the foods they suggest to give you ideas on what to eat. What ideas do they have for dinners, breakfasts and lunch? What ideas do they have for swapping out unhealthy options to healthy stuff? Use their ideas and tips to find out the healthier foods that you like. Then you can use it as and when you want so you do not have to be so prescriptive with your eating. To get off a diet, work on your mindset, to get rid of your diet mentality.

Exercise for fun, not to lose weight

I remember going through a period where I would go to the gym at 6 am in the morning 5 days a week to get mega fit. And yes I did get really fit, but I was knackered and miserable and therefore I couldn’t keep it up. I hated running on a treadmill and being on the machines. I felt so self-conscious. If you hate doing something you are not going to keep it up. Weight loss then is not fun, it is this thing that we kill ourselves in order for us to achieve.

Now I do pilates, walking, and yoga and I love it. I feel fit and eat healthily and I keep doing it because I love it. I love how I feel. So make it fun, do it because you love it, not because you want to lose weight. This way it then becomes easy to lose weight without dieting.

Work on your mindset

This is the biggie that often holds us back from losing weight. If you just start by paying attention to your thoughts and your thoughts around food, without judgement, it can be so insightful. This can be the key to losing your unwanted weight. Our emotions and thoughts, whether we like it or not are behind everything we do. That includes deciding how much we eat and what we choose to eat.

Notice the judgements you make around food, around yourself around food. Notice if you label food good or bad. Do you label yourself good or bad if you have eaten something? Stop with the judgement and just start observing. Get curious and wonder why you do something? What is the purpose that you are doing that? Get behind the behaviour rather than judge it.

Related Reading

Stop the yo-yo dieting and lose the weight for good.

Lose weight fast with these three mindset tips.

Lose weight by ditching the scales

Stop counting calories and still lose weight

For help with eating disorders see below

Beat Eating Disorders

Overeaters Anonymous