Hi, friend!
Weight loss can be tricky. And exercise is only a small portion of your weight loss journey. This blog is PACKED with tips and tricks and things to think about to support you in the process.
Ready to get started? Let’s GO!
Here are the 30 tips on how to lose weight without the gym!
If you are here it means that you are interested (even mildly so) in bettering your health. And to that I say,
HELL YES QUEEN!!
When you get your health in check- everything will change for you. Your hormones shift (in a good way), your brain chemistry changes, moods are different, PMS symptoms decrease, chronic pain decreases- risk of disease is lessened, ALL THE THINGS.
Even your dang skin will be GLOWING as a thank you for taking better care of your insides.
I’m so excited for you! And If you want a friend to encourage you or a pro to answer your questions along they way- connect with me!
This crazy ass world of information can be overwhelming, stressful and straight up CONFUSING so don’t be afraid to ask for help!.
This post is broken up into three parts:
1. “Pay Attention To“
This is a section of things you are likely consuming now, that will directly effect your weight loss abilities. I’ve included an “Action Step” to give you a small starting point
2. “Helpful Habits”
This section is for habits that are effective when you are trying to lose weight without the gym. They’re small and easy to implement
3. “Things To Read About“
This section goes a step further about supplements, practices, and tests that I have done and found to be hugely effective.
How To Use This Information:
All of these tips are effective when used consistently.
You know what is not effective? Trying 30 new things all at once.
Pick 1, maybe 2 or 3 if you have a good track record with behavior change- and make it your mission to be consistent. Then when you have that habit under your belt in 2-4 weeks, you can add in another.
Save this post and come back to it when you are ready for a new challenge- or when you feel like your progress has plateaued.
PART 1
Pay Attention To:
1. Coffee
Coffee is known to have some serious health benefits. But what gets us in trouble is all the EXTRA stuff that gets added into it. Cream, sugar, and artificial sweeteners add up quickly and are an easy way to pack on pounds over an extended period of use.
ACTION STEP: Make one small tweak to your drink that is just a little healthier. Instead of using heavy cream, use whole milk. Or instead of two scoops of sugar- try one. Keep adjusting over an extended period of time to get your drink the healthiest you can while still enjoying it!
2. Cheese (& Milk)
Depending on how your body processes lactose, you might not need or want to cut milk and cheese out of your diet. And thats OK! But pay attention to using them too frequently. Cheese can be a mindless topping on all kinds of foods and can be an easier to cut out or reduce than you might think- and your waistline will notice!!
ACTION STEP: Next time you have tacos, fill up on veggies and some salsa- skip the cheese! What other meals might not need the cheese you’ve been adding to them?
3. Your Liquid Diet
Drinks are a sneaky way to ingest a lot more sugar than you realize. The more sugar a person drinks the more calories they are likely to consume later in the day. If you are a soda drinker you NEED to be aware of the way it effects your body. Juice and even healthy drinks can hide sugar in their ingredients. This shows where the most popular drinks rank in the amount of sugar added to them.
ACTION STEP: Look at the ingredients on your favorite drink. Make an adjustment by reducing, avoiding, or finding a healthier substitute for super sugary drinks.
4. “100 Calorie Snacks”
I tell my clients, if something is being marketed to you as “healthy” it probably isn’t. These are tricks that get you to believe that you’re making healthy decisions and instead you get hooked on a product. Rude, right?
Often times “100 calorie snacks” are loaded with sugar and don’t provide any real substance. Which means you’ll be reaching for another serving shortly after. It’s easy to find yourself closer to 300-400 calories after a snacking session because your body is looking for nutrition and not finding it.
ACTION STEP: Try thinking less about calories and more about nutritional value when you’re grocery shopping.
5. Avoid “low fat” foods
Again, if something is marketed as “low fat” or “low calorie” it usually means that the fat or calories were substituted or modified so that they could market it a certain way. It does not mean that it is actually any healthier for you. In fact, it usually ends up being worse for your health! Not cool!
ACTION STEP: Instead of looking for foods marketed as low fat, pick foods that are closest to their natural state ( things that grow from the ground, vine, tree, etc). Even if there is some fat in the natural options, it won’t be the man-made kind that is harmful to your health.
6. Too Much Bread
Healthy grains are a great addition in your diet and the carbs present will help give you energy throughout the day. (As long as you’re eating the good kind of bread, you don’t have anything to worry about).
The problem comes when you use bread as a filler, or default meal. It can become too frequent in your diet and crowd out other foods that are important to your health.
ACTION STEP: Be aware of how much bread is in your daily diet. If you are using it in most meals, there is a good chance that you are using it as a filler and missing out on nutrients in other areas.
7. Dressings
You can make the biggest, healthiest, most nutritious salad ever and it can be ruined in an instant with the wrong dressing.
Most salad dressing is highly processed and loaded with SUGAR. Seriously, who is in charge of this stuff? Check the ingredient list on your favorite dressing and take a look at the sodium and sugar levels.
A good rule of thumb when looking for a healthy dressing is:
120 Calories, 200 mg of Sodium, 2 g sugar, 1 g saturated fat PER SERVING.
ACTION STEP: Use olive oil, vinaigrette, and seasonings from your cupboard to make your own! You can customize the flavor, save money, and it’s ready in a flash!
8. Alcohol Intake
Alcohol has no nutritional value, so when ingested your liver has to work overtime. The body has to stop burning fat, and focus on cleaning up .
Slowed metabolism is one of the many side effects of alcohol- and if you are trying to lose weight, this is an important habit to reduce significantly or cut out all together.
ACTION STEP: Buy substitute beverages at the store so that when the craving hits, there is nothing in the house. Or make a mock-tail, complete with a pretty glass and umbrella so you can still feel #Fancy .
9. Processed Foods
Processed foods are everywhere. These are items that have been altered from their original state, and then have flavors, nutrients or preservatives added back into them.
Processed foods are made to be convenient and able to live on a shelf for as long as possible. They are the leading cause for obesity and the diseases that accompany it.
ACTION STEP: Processed foods are suggested to make up 60% of Americans Diet. Look at where you can incorporate real foods instead of processed and see if you can get processed foods to make up 10% or less of your daily caloric intake.
10. Drink Water
When you drink water your body learns not to hold onto it. Instead of carrying around extra water weight, your body can expel it and keep your organs and cells- and everything else- operating how they are intended to.
ACTION STEP: Break your water goals up throughout the day. Example: drink 1 bottle by 9 am, 2 bottles by 12, and 3 by dinner.
PART 2:
Helpful Habits
1. Set a Sugar Curfew:
After a certain time in the evening, no sweets, snacks, or treats allowed. If you find yourself hungry, grab a healthy snack! Try to stop sugar intake at least 2 hours before bedtime.
2. Pay attention to when you reach for the junk food.
Emotional eating and stress can be subtle if you don’t pay attention! Try finding a mantra that will help you refocus when you feel overwhelmed.
3. Drink Water First!
You might be thirsty and mistaking the feeling for hunger. And if you’re bored, drinking water first might help you to recognize it before snacking when you don’t need it.
4. Have a “One Treat a Day” Rule.
C’mon, Live a little! But make sure you have a way to keep track of your splurges. One treat a day helps you to choose when and where to splurge without indulging too often.
5. Eat Slower.
Stop rushing through your meal! Try setting your fork down between bites and take your time eating. This keeps you from overeating and will help your body to better digest what you do eat.
6. Fill the Bulk of your Plate with Veggies.
Use the veggies as fillers! They will keep you full longer and they are low in calories- a perfect combo for weight loss!
7. Plan Meals a Day in Advance.
Or even better- plan them a week in advance and shop to support your plan! It is 100x easier to stick with a plan when the right choices are right in front of you.
8. Avoid extreme dieting at all costs.
Dieting can cause hormone issues, metabolism problems, a negative body image and a poor relationship with food. Practice being aware of what you eat, without obsessing over your choices. Remember you are making a life change- not a one month change. The habits you make should be healthy long term, and sustainable.
10. Sleep.
Stop staying up past your bedtime, plain and simple. Your body needs rest to digest, rebuild, and get ready for a new day. You are doing yourself a massive disservice by not giving it the rest it needs. Make a plan ahead of time of when you’ll turn off screens and get to bed and then set alarms on your phone to support the new habit.
11. Chew Gum
After a meal chew gum or brush your teeth. This will help you avoid snacking when you’re actually full.
12. Correct Your Posture
Poor posture can lead a weakened core. This causes the dreaded “pooch” on the low belly. These deep breathing exercises will teach you how to engage your core.
P.S Everyone should train this muscle– but this practice is ESSENTIAL for women who have had babies, or people who have had lower abdominal surgery. This will take inches off your waist, and decrease risk of injury.
13. Write Goals Down
Write your body, mindset, nutrition, and life goals down. You are 42% more likely to achieve a goal after you write it down. 42 PERCENT!
14. Cook at Home
When you cook at home you have complete control of what goes into your food. Ingredients are usually more fresh and you have a better idea of what nutrients you’re getting.
15. Eat Regularly.
If you skip meals you have a higher chance of over-eating. If you get to the point of being “starving” you’re likely to make poor decisions and reach for a “quick” solution.
Restricting calories can also lead to a slowed metabolism and hormone disruption. The best thing you can do is learn how to listen to your own body respond as needed.
Things to Read about:
1. Probiotic Options
Ask your doctor about starting a probiotic! There are lots of options that aid in digestion, fend off disease, and burn belly fat!
2. Ginger Consumption.
There is some evidence suggesting that ginger helps you to feel full longer, and that it may even promote weight loss. While this idea is still new, it’s worth trying on your own to see how or if your body responds to it.
Try adding it to a smoothie in the morning or make some ginger tea before bed.
3. Vitamin D Supplement.
Vitamin D is essential for strong bones, teeth, and maintaining a healthy immune system. And the majority of people are Vitamin D Deficient, But there is also evidence to suggest that enough vitamin D can reduce formation of fat cells. Talk to your doctor and see if a Vitamin D supplement would be beneficial.
4. Get Your Hormones Tested
Looking at your hormone levels can be a great way to learn about what is going on inside your body. The results will give your doctor some suggestions on supplements or practices that you can use to best support your body.
5. Food Psychology
If you are stressed, worried, or judging yourself as you eat- your body will know and process and store food differently.
Check this out if you are interested in learning about the role your brain plays in food.
There you have it!
30 tips to lose weight without the gym.
I just have one more thing to say..
Weight loss can be hard. And there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it.
The right way will leave you feeling whole, more connected, aware, powerful, confident and more YOU.
And the wrong way will have you feeling discouraged, empty, sad and hopeless.
If at any point you find yourself feeling the latter- you need to readjust.
Take those feelings as a signal that you need to pivot, not a sign to give up.
The process isn’t about weight loss. It’s about feeling good so that your body can support you while you go after the people and places and spaces that you came to earth dreaming of. Owning your health is one of the most empowering things you can learn to do. And it is WORTH the effort.
If you have questions, need encouragement, or if you need someone to light a fire under your ass- connect with me!
Xo!
Victoria
Ready for more? Check out 5 Truth Bombs to Master Your Macros
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