How to lose weight without working out (exercise) or dieting
When you first search the internet about weight loss, top hits will include how to's on diet and exercise. Society tells us we can’t lose weight without doing one or the other. Believe it or not, there are other things in our lives that influence our well-being other than the food that we eat and the physical activities we engage in. We are mind and body after all.
Here are a few tips on how to lose weight without dieting or exercise:
1. Reduce stress – meditate
When we are under stress, our cortisol, adrenaline, and other stress hormones are elevated. When these are abnormally high, they can increase unhealthy cravings. It can also make falling and staying asleep difficult, which messes up the body’s leptin and ghrelin (aka hunger hormones that dictate appetite and feeling full). Stress also makes it difficult to maintain an active lifestyle as its symptoms include a lack of energy and moodiness.
There is no single quick way to get rid of stress but there are many simple meditative tools that can help reduce it.
Meditation is an effective way to declutter the mind and rewire the brain.
Taking a few minutes to step away and detach from a busy environment by simply sitting in silence and taking a few deep breaths is a form of meditation. It allows you to reset your breathing and calm your nervous system. If you have the luxury of more than a few minutes, take the time to indulge. Another tip is to notice more peaceful or beautiful things or moments around you. It teaches your brain to recognize similar experiences more often and makes other future feelings of peace and happiness last longer.
2. Let go of the things that limit you like vices and trauma
We must first be aware that changing one’s inner world can change his/her outer reality. When we work on our intentions and do not judge ourselves for the habits we have created, we can eventually change our quality of life.
For example, drinking alcohol or smoking a cigarette out of a need to function or to cope with something stressful is a good place to bring awareness to. Whatever we are using to “cope” with things is usually the very thing we need to look at within ourselves.
What is the underlying reason for NEEDING a cigarette or drink? Does it make you feel more confident? Does it help you feel more secure? Is it allowing you to numb a feeling or memory you don't want to deal with?
The same goes for when we use certain behaviors like staying indoors and away from people or staying exactly the way we are, in fear of any kind of change. These behaviors get formed as a result of some kind of trauma that happened, whether we can recollect that moment or not. The result is feeling stuck right where we are.
If you are able to detach yourself from the things that limit you (i.e. the underlying cause), you can free yourself of these habits that may be harming your health, well-being, and overall quality of life.
3. Feel more connected to people
Positive social interaction reduces stress. To reiterate, when we are not stressed, the body doesn’t feel constantly hungry with unhealthy cravings. Metabolism does not slow down. The mind does not increase the reward value of certain habits or vices. These make weight loss possible without consciously putting yourself through any form of diet or workout plan.
Simply put, lowered stress levels can help one lose weight. No exercise, no diet. Try these simple positive lifestyle changes and you may actually see pounds melt away off your body as a result of living a better, healthier, more fulfilled life.
