I've had several people ask me how I
lose weight and stay thin. This especially happened when I was a senior in high
school and went from 116lbs to 98 lbs in a short time (For anyone who doesn't
know me, yes I was healthy as an 98lbs 18 year old. I'm only 5 foot, so that
weight is in my healthy BMI range). I didn't go anorexic or anything, all I did
was stopped over eating, and got more active. I personally don't think I had
ever "worked out" outside of a required school gym class until a
couple months ago (December 2012), when I decided I wanted to try to be
healthier. Instead I did a lot of little things that amped up how many calories
I was burning, without requiring any other real switches in my life style. .
Today I found a very cool blog in my online meanderings; one that I support
fully. The blog post it titled 'How to Burn A Lot Of Calories Without
Excersice' part 1 and part 2. And a lot of the things that I did to
lose my weight (and a few more) are things the guy lists in his blog. This guy
has a lot of very good tips- some of them I had used on my own, others I hadn't
thought of. The basic gist of the post is to make a change in your life style
so that you are simply more active- not active as in exercise- but active in
general. His post has nothing to do with diet or exercise- which is pretty
cool. I will list some of my personal tips, and then below, will list some of
his that I hadn't thought of/ wasn't using. For his full post, and all
of his tips (some didn't apply to me, so they aren't included) go to his blog
by clicking on one of the urls provided.
These are the tips I give people
when ever they ask me how I lost weight. They are all very do-able and easy.
They don't require dieting or working out, and they are effective. If you are
trying to lose a large amount of weight, or you have a hard time losing weight,
pair these tips with a healthy diet and regular exercise.
1.
Never sit
still. no matter what you are doing,
fidget. kick your legs, twirl your hair, clean your nails, just move.
2.
Park as
far from the store as you can and walk in. This
works for a myriad of other things too. If you take the bus, get off one stop
early and walk the rest of the way. If you need to take the elevator (say you
work on the 15th floor), get off a floor or two early and take the stairs, walk
to the furthest bathroom from your classroom or office, etc.
3.
Take the
stairs
4.
Make
unnecessary trips. If you need to put things away
around the house, don't take everything all at once. Do each individual task
one at a time. This will force you to walk around more.
5.
Buy a
pedometer. You can get a decent enough one at
Dollar Tree. Every day I aim to max mine out. It's never happened yet- but that
goal always makes me try extra hard to move more
6.
Walk
around the mall once or twice before you start to shop
7.
Be the
"Yes man" at your house.
My house is two stories, and our food storage, freezer and laundry room are
down stairs. There are always errands to be run that require going downstairs.
I try to always volunteer to do them, just to be a little more active. This is
similar to the tip where he says to "do things by hand". Basically,
do your own chores, do other peoples chores, physical work is good for you
8.
Walk
around while you're talking on the phone.
9.
Listen to
music while doing things. Fast
upbeat music will make you move quicker as you subconsciously try to match the
beat.
10. Move at a faster pace in general. Even without music, always do things with a sense of
urgency. Walk quickly rather than slowly, do chores or activities with energy
and urgency, and not only will more get accomplished, but you will also burn
more calories
11. Get active socially.
This doesn't have to be a work out group. For example, when I lost 17 lbs, I
was going to the local pool everyday with two of my friends, messing around and
then sitting in the steam room. I never felt like I was working out, but I was
burning calories. This can be any activity. Build a snowman, have a water
fight, go bowling or mini golfing, walk around the amusement park instead of
taking the sky lift, play tag, do night games, go for a hike with friends, go
skiing, go for a bike ride with friends, do some water sports, go dancing.
12. Get enough sleep.
I think all of us know how important sleep is for us, and how much good it does
for our bodies- and yet a lot of us neglect it because we are "busy".
Prevention is the best policy. It's better to prevent illness than to treat it
after we have it. The amount of sleep you need depends on your personal body.
Go to bed at a reasonable time, when you're body naturally wakes up in the
morning, get up- even if it is early. Your body has had enough sleep, and too
much will make you feel groggy (if you are still tired, and only woke up
because of a dream, for a bathroom break, or for a drink, go back to sleep).Aim
for more than four hours a night, since studies have shown that getting less
than four hours of sleep over an extended period of time slows your metabolism.
13. Watch less television. I
myself do not watch very much TV anymore, but as a teen, it's all I did because
I was "bored". There is nothing wrong with watching a movie or a few
shows, but I’m sure we have all sat in front of the TV and thought to
ourselves: ‘There is nothing on!’, and then continued to veg out in front of
the T.V. and watched it anyway. Studies have shown that adults who halved how
much TV they watch burned an extra 119 calories per day, without actually
changing their calorie intake.
14. Get off the Internet
This is my really hard one. I spend way too much time on pinterest and on this
blog, which limits me from being active. Having a set time allotment for
computer time really helps to keep me from spending all day online
15. Play with children.
I don't personally have kids, but I was a nanny for a few years and I know that
often I was tempted to lay on the couch and text while they played actively
with each other. Kids have a TON of energy, and whenever I would actively play
with the, I always found myself tired and winded, but laughing and smiling.
They always loved it when I would play with them. Their favorites were getting
on my back and making me spin them around really fast and being pushed in a
swing. Not only did I get exercise, but I built a strong bond and made good
memories with some cute little kids. Most people have children in their life.
Neighborhood kids (I'm sure mom would be grateful if you volunteered to watch
them for a few hours), nieces, nephews, kid siblings, cousins, children of
you're own...
16. Eat small meals/snacks through out the day. This will keep you from getting overly hungry, and will prevent over-eating at dinner time. it will also provide your body with more energy
16. Eat small meals/snacks through out the day. This will keep you from getting overly hungry, and will prevent over-eating at dinner time. it will also provide your body with more energy
17. Eat slowly. Not only will eating your food slowly aid in digestion because you're chewing your food more throughly, but our body takes a few minutes to realize that it is full. If you eat slower, your body will be more capable of registaring when it is done eating. Plus, the extra chewing uses up more calories.
18. Chew gum.
Gum is low calorie and keeps your jaw moving, added bonus, you won't be as
tempted to "graze" or eat out of boredom is your jaw is engaged.
(Side note: I no longer chew gum regularly. I have IBS and activities that make
e swallow too much air (like drinking with straws, chewing gum, etc) make me
get bloated.)
19. Eat spicy food.
My last two significant others were real spicy/hot sauce fanatics. I myself am
a wimp, but I try to mix hot sauce and chili powder into things, because 1.
It's a tiny change to make and 2. It really boosts your metabolism
20. Don't drink your calories.I have a few exceptions to this rule, but for the most part it holds true. Grab your go-to drink and look at the caloric content. For my two favorite drinks (coconut water and V8 juice), there are calories yes, but there is also a health benefit to drinking them. Things like soda, energy drinks, and juices have no benefit, just empty calories and lots of sugar. Find a healthier alternative. I also don't often drink coconut water or V8 juice, I normally opt for plain water. If I need the extra calories to make my nutritional goals though, I will.
21. Stay hydrated! Drink lots of liquid (preferably water) This helps your energy level, and helps to flush out toxins and prevent water retention in your body
22. Drink a glass of water every hour. This might feel easier to accomplish than the idea of a whole gallon a day. Drinking a glass of water every hour will not only keep your body hydrated, but it will also help you to feel full longer, so you are less tempted to over eat and snack.
23. Drink a glass of water before you eat. You will feel full, and will be less likely to over eat. this way you can break your meal into smaller portions.
25. Drink cold water. Our bodies run hot, with a normal temperature of about 98.6 degrees (Fahrenheit) If you drink a glass of cold water your body has to bring it up to the same temperature as your body so that ic can be digested/ utilized. By drinking cold water, your body will be burning an extra 30 calories per liter.
26. Take daily vitamins. or make sure you are getting all the nutrients you need through food.
27. Take cold showers. This one sounds awful, I know, but it has a few benifits. 1.Your body will be burning extra calories to try to keep you warm 2. You will move faster 3. You will not lounge around or waste time in the water. You will instead be eager to get OUT. 4. Cooler water is excellent for your hair and skin, and will make both appear more radient and healthier.
28. Swing your arms (and hips) when you walk (maybe not the hips for men though ;) Try to engage as much
of your body as possible when you walk. Every movement you make burns calories,
so move as much as possible.
29. Stand. I work
at a job where I am required to stand for six hours straight, so whenever I
come home, and even before I go to work, all I want to do is sit. However,
standing burns a significantly higher amount of calories than sitting does, and
you are more likely to engage your muscle groups and be active while standing.
30. Go on tip toes.
While standing, (I do this while brushing teeth, letting my conditioner sit,
and at work) raise yourself up onto tip toes and back down, do this several
times, and pretty soon, you will really be feeling that stretch
31. Eat fiber.
I have IBS, so this one is a pretty big deal for me. Fiber does several good
things for you. 1. Fiber is harder for your body to digest, so it takes longer
to digest. This means you feel full longer as your body breaks the food down.
2. This food is harder/ takes longer for your body to digest, so it takes more
calories to digest. 3. Fiber helps keep your insides healthy, and everything
working the way it should (which is good for my condition).
#4) Cook your own food:We all know it’s usually healthier than buying
fast food, but think of the extra calories you will burn by preparing your
food. At the very least you will be on your feet for about an extra half an
hour, which burns more calories than driving to the fast food restaurant
#9) Try and Relax: This is probably one of my biggest weaknesses
but it is also a big problem when you are trying to lose weight. Stress causes
the body to release a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol is the hormone that
causes your body to store calories as fat.
#10) Laugh more: Whilst on the subject of reducing stress, try
and laugh more. If you laugh for 10-15 minutes a day you can burn up to an
extra 50 calories. Watch your funny sitcom, read a funny story or even ring a
friend that always cracks you up.
#11) Don’t eat in the
car: (I'm going to change this
to don't snack in the car, because when I eat in the car, it's
usually my limited meal that I either just bought or brought with me, so where
I eat it doesn't make any difference.) Unless you are on a long road trip,
don’t eat in the car. Eating
in the car can lead to
mindless consumption of calories, yes sometimes it can be a time saver, but
more often than not all you are doing is filling in time while you are sitting
in traffic.#12) Engage your core: Every time you are driving and you get stuck at a red light, engage your core. Not only does switching on your core help you lower back it actually burns calories because you are tensing your stomach muscles. Before long you will be doing it automatically. Red light = Engage core!#13) Switch sides:When you are carrying your child or a heavy bag, switch sides every 5 minutes. This will engage more muscles and burn more calories as a result.
#14) Take 5:For each hour you spend sitting at your desk at
work, get up and move around for 5 minutes. Takes a short walk to get a drink
or do some gentle stretching. You will find that it can actually help keep you
alert and lead to better productivity.
#16) Ditch technology:
Don't call or email a work colleague that works on the same floor as you.
Get up walk to them and have some human interaction. The same is true for
friends or family members, and basically anywhere you go. It frustrates me when
someone calls me and I can actually hear their voice because they are sitting
within earshot of me.
#22) Be active at social
events: How many times have you
gone to a party or social gathering and immediately looked for a place to sit?
Next time, choose to stand or walk the room and talk to as many people as you
can. You will be burning extra calories all while being social.
#23) Go shopping: You can burn up to 400 calories in a 2 hour
shopping session.
#25) Sit up straight:Well what do you know, your Mum was right!
Sitting up straight means not only will you have a better posture, but it
strengthens your abs by engaging your abdominal muscles, resulting in more
calories being burnt.
#26) Avoid sugar:Consumption of sugar triggers your body to
release insulin, which then either shuttles sugar to your cells to be used as
energy, or if the energy from the sugar isn’t required, it will be stored as
fat.
#28) Pack a snack: Make sure you always pack a healthy snack such
as nuts, a low-calorie bar or a piece of fruit. The vending machine won’t be as
tempting when you have a healthy option at hand.
#31) Opt for a basket: When shopping grab a basket instead of a cart
and burn up to 100 extra calories during a 30-minute shopping trip. As an added
bonus you may spend less, as you’ll be less inclined to grab extra items you
don’t really need.
#32) Benefit from feeling the steel: Research indicates that having more lean muscle
will burn more calories. How much? For every pound of lean muscle you will burn
an extra 30-50 calories per day at rest.
#35) Don’t peel: Don’t peel you fruit and veggies, the skin is
full of fiber.
#37) The good oil:Replace animals fats and oils such as sunflower
oil with those containing medium-chain fatty acids, such as coconut and
macadamia oil to lose more body fat.
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