HOW TO: LOSE FAT WITHOUT EXERCISE, ​IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE?
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Should you only eat low fat foods?
First and foremost! It’s commonly miscommunicated that in order to lose fat you need to eat foods that are fat-free; staying away from things like full fat dairy and red meats and sticking to an almost rabbit-like diet of salads and cereals will yield results.
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News flash, This is actually FALSE! While low fat foods hold some benefits to overall health they aren’t actually directly linked to weight loss or things like belly fat. If you are looking to lose weight and reduce fat fast, then the number one culprit to find and remove from your diet is….. SUGAR!
This little bastard comes in all different forms and is often hidden within other foods, so it’s very easy to overlook it when it comes to eating a balanced and healthy diet. Lots of cereals have more than their fair share, and they’re considered healthy?…best start reading the labels!
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As a point of interest, ALL carbohyrates are essencially sugars, just that some are in a more complex form that take longer to digest.
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One of the most asked about questions by far is this:
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“Can I lose weight, particularly the fat, without exercising?”
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Well folks, there is a way…but… it requires more dicipline than anything else, more so than if you commit to a proper exercise routine! Now while I generally encourage people to have a more active lifestyle, some just want to drop the Kg’s the easy way….and by that I mean little to no physical activity.
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So read carefully folks because this article is going to shed alot of light over some
sticky areas concerning weight loss. Here we go!
The sugars we’re talking about here are the simple ones, the ones found in things like refined grains and processed foods, such as:
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White rice
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White bread
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White flour
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Candies and Sweets
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Sodas and Soft beverages
There are some surprising ones aswell, found in whole foods. White Potatoes and tropical fruits like Watermelon and Canteloup have simple sugars that digest very rapidly, and so are categorised as simple carbs.
Alcoholic drinks, while not generally considered simple carbs, are dense in calories and have little to no nutritional value…so avoiding alcohol completely will already give immediate results.
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How do simple carbohydrates/sugars effect us?
Whenever we consume sugar in whatever form it is, the moment it digests it spikes insulin levels in the body, which tells the body that we need glycogen for our muscles. Now if our muscles don’t need the glycogen because we haven’t been using them intensely, where does it go?
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Exactly, it’s stored as fat! Incase it is needed later, which often…it isn’t.
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It’s like fueling a car when the tank is already full, what happens to the fuel? It spills out of the fuel line and onto the ground. Imagine the ground is our body, and that fuel is glycogen, it just sits there waiting to be cleaned up! Can you picture that as your body? All those unused calories from sugars just stuck to your body? Can you see it? Ok, now we’re going to see how we can reverse that.
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It should be noted that refined and simple carbohydrates do have a small place in any diet BUT should only be consumed when our bodies need it the most, this is generally after a period of fasting, say in the morning after a good 7-8 hours of rest, the body has no food and needs energy. this would be the perfect time that simple carbs can be consumed or, you’ve guessed it, straight after exercise!
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But don’t overdo it! Over consumption of refined sugars in any form can lead to serious health issues such as diabetes, so it’s important to keep it to a minimum to ensure nothing messes with your bodies insulin sensitivity!
What should you focus on?
So you don’t want to exercise, or believe you physically can’t.
Fair enough, I can tell you different and ensure you that you will see better
results plus feel better and be fitter AND healthier, but it is your decision.
So how can you lose weight without doing any exercise?
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Simple, remain in a calorie deficit daily (That’s eat less calories than you burn)
and avoid ALL forms of simple sugars! Do NOT starve yourself, as your body
will go into "survival mode" which is basically your metabolism will slow down
and you're more likely to not burn any further fat. It’s crucial that you continue
to eat but just change what you eat!
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Women on average burn around 2000 calories a day and Men 2500 with a moderately active lifestyle, this depends ofcourse on genetics and activity involved so it’s never a true representation for you personally. To get a more accurate number, you can use a macronutrient calculator where you can get a more accurate reading for your daily requirements of calories!
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To calculate how many calories you burn daily at rest (thats without physical activity) click here. This will take you to an online calculator where you can find your daily calorie needs based on your age, height and current weight. It will also determine a good ratio for your daily intake of protein, carbohydrates and fats.
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Once you have a general idea of how many calories you burn a day, start tracking how many calories per meal you eat and always aim to remain at least 300 less than your daily caloric burn. Using a calorie tracking app like MyFitnessPal or MyMacros+ is a great way to constantly keep track of your food and calorie intakes everyday.
Important Note: Always aim to consume some form of good protein at every meal. Things like eggs, chicken, turkey, fish, lean cuts of red meats and dairy. Protein is much more satiating than other foods and because of its chemical make up it takes more energy to digest, which means you’ll burn calories just by eating it! If you’re vegetarian or vegan, alternate proteins in things like legumes and beans also are great souces!
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Be sure that when eating carbs to eat whole grain foods and do NOT be afraid of fats! Fats are needed for many bodily functions but be careful as some fats that are in cheeses and fatty cuts of red meats are saturated and can lead to health problems later in life. It’s best to stick to health fats from foods like olive oil, avocados, nuts, greek yogurt and before long, given that you are 100% focused on keeping this diet on track, you will see results, and fast!
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To Summarize:
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To lose weight fast without exercise, remain in a calorie deficit daily.
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Do not starve yourself, your body will go into "survival mode" and hinder fat burning.
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Avoid all forms of simple carbohydrates, sugars (That includes sodas and soft drinks) and alcohol!
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Eat a good balanced diet high in protein and good whole grain sources of carbs and healthy fats, keep refined carbs to an absolute minimum!
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Track your calories! Always aim to be 300 less than your daily caloric burn.
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Remain constant! This is going to take more will power than when you do this with a good exercise routine but it will work and if you are focused the results will show!
