How to Lose Weight Without Dieting (Backed by Science)
A few years ago, I looked into the mirror and didn’t like the person I saw. I was adding more pounds that wouldn’t just go away.
I just wanted to stop gaining weight. I started looking into different ways to make sure I can at the very least keep the weight in check.
Maybe you’ve been there before. Or even maybe you’re now looking to lose weight and all you come across are a fad or poor diets and meal plans that you can’t afford (hint: stay away from most of them – they’re scams).
If that’s you, I have some good news: it’s possible to lose without dieting. And you don’t have to fall for all the fake Instagram diet ads you come across.
The other not so good news is that it takes time. I know, it’s not something we want to hear.
But with a commitment to doing a few of the simple things we’ll talk about in this article, it’s possible to shed off a few pounds.
Can you lose weight without dieting?
Yes. In a newly published study, researchers set out to investigate how factors such as genetics and lifestyle impact on extreme weight gain or obesity.
Over 18,000 adults with ages between thirty and seventy participated in the study.
The researchers to observe both their exercise routines and unique genes. Five measures of obesity were investigated as part of this study, and they are:
- Body mass index (BMI)
- Body fat percentage (BFP)
- Waist circumference (WC),
- Hip circumference (HC), and
- Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)
To understand participants’ genes, researchers created from blood samples to find certain gene variants related to obesity.
Also, participants were enrolled in an exercise or activity of at least 30 minutes, and they had to do this three times a week.
The findings which were published in the reputable PLOS Genetics journal reported something shocking.
Lin, the lead researcher, and colleagues found that even if obesity runs in your family, you can lose weight and keep it off without any diet.
What are the best activities to lose weight?
According to the researchers, the best activities to lose weight are:
- Jogging
- Mountain climbing
- Walking
- Power walking
- Dancing
- Long yoga sessions
The results suggest genetic obesity can be countered, and that adopting enjoyable higher-intensity exercise may help people who struggle with weight loss and management.
So in the rest of the article, we will talk about these six activities in detail and how you can use them in your own daily life to lose weight.
1. Jogging
To be fair, jogging is an unsung hero among many fitness enthusiasts until now. Jogging is running, but (and a big but) at a slower pace.
The steady, slow and maintained rigor helps you to build endurance and stamina. It’s also a good warmup before any form of high-intensity training.
In a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers report that an hour of jogging per weak was associated with a significantly lower death rate.
And also, the best form of jogging is the slow and moderate pace for a total of 60 to 145 minutes across the week.
In general, jogging is a good way to improve cardiovascular health, improve lung capacity and at the same time refreshing your mind and body.
2. Mountain Climbing
Unlike jogging, this second activity requires a bit of, well mountains — whether artificial or natural.
In the study from Lin and the team, mountain climbing here is the actual walking up a hill and not the makeshift mountain climbers we do on the floor.
Mountain climbing is one of those activities that recruit several functions, senses, and fibers of our muscles and bodies.
Think of coordination between your eyes and feet and hand and balancing all of that with your body weight. It’s certainly a good form of a full-body workout.
3. Walking
If you want to lose weight, walking can be your best friend. We underestimate the number of calories we can burn by simply going for a walk.
You can take a break at lunch and instead of eating at your desk, go for a walk. Instead of taking the elevator, walk upstairs. Instead of driving to the gym, walk there instead.
In thirty minutes of doing this, you’re likely to burn anywhere from 90 to 20 calories, just by casually walking to places you already go to.
4. Power walking
Now let’s take walking to the next level or pace.
Lin and colleagues found that quicker walking pace could more effectively attenuate the genetic effects on body mass index, enabling you to lose weight.
Other several studies have link brisk or power walks to improved body weight.
5. Dancing
A body swinging and moving to the sound of a beat is one of the magical things when it comes to losing weight. And the good part?
Of all the six activities these researchers found, dancing is the most fun. Dancing is one of the fun ways to break a weight loss plateau.
The specific kind of dancing the researcher’s studies was international standard dancing. This is a dance-dance revolution (DDR, a computer game based on dancing with music videos).
In our case, music videos at home when doing the dishes or laundry or even relaxing can help us in our quest to lose weight without dieting
6. Long yoga sessions
According to one study in the Journal of Psychology, fluids in our bodies are distributed differently when we lay down.
For the most part, gravity pulls our body fluid toward our head, neck, or spine.
When we stretch after long periods of sleep or workout or even sitting, we redistribute these fluids to get back to their original positions.
Enter yoga.
We know that yoga stretches have helped many people in relieving lower back pain along with alleviating pain and stress, strengthen the muscles in the abdominal and lower back.
Takeaway
As we’ve discussed, the way to lose weight can be fun, enjoyable and cost-effective — all without dieting.
(Further reading: How Much Weight Can You Lose in 30 Days? and 10 Weight Loss Rules if You Want to Lose Weight).
Don’t fall for another food fad that claims to help you lose weight. These six activities are high intensity in nature and can help you burn more calories.
