Has it been difficult for you to get rid of that stubborn belly fat? You’ve tried everything from a keto diet, going vegan, to HIIT workouts daily but have been disappointed with the lack of results. You’re tired of trying to lose weight.
You’ve hit a plateau, and now you want to give up. You find yourself reaching for foods to comfort you when you feel like a failure. You take three steps forward just to take 2 steps back.
You’re tired of this cycle, and you are ready for change! You are prepared to lose weight once and for all. But you’ve decided that you want to do it without working out.
I’m glad that you are here because I will tell you how I lost 22lbs in 8 weeks without going to the gym.
These tips are simple and only require that you remain consistent to see results. Without consistency, these tips are unlikely to work. Commitment and persistence are essential. These tips worked like a charm for me, and I am hopeful that they will work for you too.
Continue reading to find out how you can lose weight WITHOUT working out and for your FREE Food Diary!
1. Lower your stress levels
This is the most crucial tip to losing weight. When you are stressed out, your body produces increased cortisol, a stress hormone released by the adrenal glands during stressful situations.
The release of cortisol increases glucose levels in your blood. When this continuously happens, it can lead to insulin resistance, where the cells in your body can no longer use the excess glucose in your blood for energy. Your cells are unable to break down the extra sugar in your blood and instead turn it into fat and store it in your abdomen.
If you are relatively fit but have extra cushioning around your belly, it may be due to increased stress or cortisol levels.
Increased stress may cause overeating, choosing foods of low nutritional value, and nightly snacking. These habits are usually coping skills to deal with any stress or negative emotion you may feel.
Decreasing your stress levels will allow you the clarity to be mindful about your food choices. Additionally, your cravings for comfort foods will dramatically reduce. You will no longer need to rely on food to make you feel better.
2. Get rid of toxic people
This tip ties into lowering your stress levels. Toxic individuals are often negative and spend time complaining, gossiping, or just causing low vibrations with their energy. Sharing your energy with toxic individuals will likely bring your energy down, leaving you feeling tense and unsettled.
If you notice that you feel anxious, depressed, or tired around certain people, it might be time to remove them from your life. This also includes people who you follow on social media.
I believe cutting off the toxic people in my life was one of the most significant factors that led to my weight loss success. Once I let go of the toxicity in my life, the weight fell off almost immediately!
If removing toxic people from your life is not an option, set boundaries with them. Be assertive and do not tolerate their negativity. Let them know what you are willing and aren’t willing to discuss with them and ask that they respect your boundaries.
3. Get active
Okay, so I promise this does not involve going to the gym or lifting weights! But to lose weight, it is important to get active. You have to be sure that your caloric output is greater than your caloric intake. This means that you have to expend more energy than the total number of calories you consume each day.
One of the simplest ways to get active is by walking. When I started my weight loss journey, I walked 2 miles at least 5 days a week. It’s preferable to walk outside rather than using a treadmill. Walking outside provides you with sunlight (which is excellent for your mood) and the opportunity to be in nature, positively affecting your well-being.
Do any form of activity that is enjoyable to you. This might include dancing, paddle boarding, playing with your kids, hiking, or even roller-skating. Get creative. All that is important is that you are moving your body in some capacity.
I recently added jogging to my activity. Sometimes I start walking, and then I will jog until my body wants to rest. Sometimes I run for a mile, and sometimes it’s only for 1 minute. Then, I go back to walking. I do what feels good to my body. Feel free to try this once you’ve learned how to control your breath while walking and are ready to turn up the intensity.
4. Eat mindfully
When people think of weight loss, they immediately think of dieting. You do not have to diet to lose weight. However, you do have to be mindful about what you are eating. Your body is like a car. Food is the fuel. Think about what happens when you put the wrong gas in your vehicle. It is not as efficient, and it might even begin to malfunction, causing you all sorts of problems and leaving you with a huge, unexpected bill.
This is similar to eating foods that aren’t beneficial to your body. If you keep it up long enough, your body also malfunctions. You develop a slew of problems, leaving you with a huge hospital bill or medication that your insurance won’t cover.
Eating mindfully means consciously choosing the foods that you put in your body. Notice the foods that leave you feeling good and energized and the ones that make you feel tired and sluggish after eating them.
I suggest keeping a food diary for one week to track each meal, including snacks. Notice how you feel after eating and write it down in your food diary. After one week, reflect on how each meal or snack affected your mood or body. This will give you insight into the foods that make you feel great and those that don’t.
Once you know what makes you feel good, you can continue to incorporate similar foods. For the foods or snacks that cause you to feel ‘meh,’ you can slowly transition them out and start replacing them with better choices that leave you feeling nourished and content.
5. Respect your cravings
We all have cravings. I encourage you to acknowledge your cravings when they arise before taking any other action. Think about why you are craving loaded fries with extra bacon and onions, peanut butter caramel ice cream, or a meat lover’s deep dish pizza from your favorite local pizza joint.
Sometimes our cravings are tied to our emotions and how we are feeling. Certain foods may bring us back to a time when we needed comfort, ate that food, and felt better. It’s become an automatic coping skill. Your brain now associates said food with happiness, and so when you feel sad, anxious, scared, or angry, you turn to that food to help make you feel better.
Sometimes we need an extra serving of macaroni and cheese to make all of our worries disappear. And that is okay.
But when you can get to the root of your feelings, you can either eat the food that you believe will get rid of those feelings or replace that habit with a coping skill that is more conducive to your weight loss journey.
Now I’m not saying to give in to every single craving that arises. You have the choice to do so, or you can choose to make a different decision. This can look like:
- Preparing a healthier version of the food that you are craving
- Journaling about your feelings
- Using deep breathing techniques to restore equilibrium
- Even watching something funny on TV
Take time to explore other things that you can do that bring you joy. Think about positive activities that you love doing and make you feel great.
6. Give yourself grace
Don’t beat yourself up during your weight loss journey. We are not perfect, and there may be times when you choose to eat something that you know temporarily makes you feel better but really causes you to not feel your best.
Remember, this is a journey, and sometimes there will be speed bumps and bridges that we have to go over. It doesn’t matter how you cross the bridge. It matters that you get over it and keep moving forward.
Sometimes life can be a lot, and going back to our first instincts might just be what we need at that moment to make it through. If you happen to regress during this journey, it is okay. Be kind to yourself and understand that you are human.
You can practice saying positive affirmations to keep you uplifted throughout this journey. Positive affirmations help you stay positive and retrains your subconscious mind to believe what you are saying. Give them a try, especially if you start to feel defeated during your journey.
7. Try intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting can be a great way to kickstart your weight loss journey. To fast intermittently, set a specific window of when you will eat and commit to a period of not eating.
For example:
| Window of Eating | Window of Fasting |
| 10am to 6pm | 6pm to 10am the next morning |
| 7am to 4pm | 4pm to 7am the following morning |
| 12pm to 7pm | 7pm to 12pm the following afternoon |
Do whatever works for you. Some people even choose to fast one day each week. Fasting can help give our digestive system the rest it needs. It is a refreshing way to reset your metabolism and can help increase your energy levels.
I’ve tried various ways of intermittent fasting since I first started my weight loss journey. First, I chose to eat between 9am and 7pm. Then, I pushed it to 11am to 7pm. I found this to be my sweet spot.
These days I just listen to my body. There are some days when I won’t break my fast until 4pm, and some days, I eat 30 minutes after I wake up. There are other days when I do not eat at all. I’ve gotten to the point where my body uses food as fuel most of the time. There are days when I still honor my cravings, but for the most part, I eat to live and no longer live to eat.
8. Take it one step at a time
Don’t try to make too many changes at once. That is a sure way to fail. You can become so overwhelmed with maintaining your new habits that it becomes stressful, and you give up. Going slow is less stressful and is more likely to help you accomplish your goals.
Think about how you feel when you finish a task. It’s a great feeling that makes you feel like you can do anything. This is because your brain releases dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter in our brain associated with reward. The release of dopamine increases our well-being and satisfaction.
When you commit to making a new habit AND actually sticking with it, you’ll get that release of dopamine and feel motivated to continue with your journey. Your brain will understand that meeting your goals helps you feel good, and slowly but surely, you can continue to build on to your new habits.
Sooner or later, it will become your new regular. All of the baby steps you’ve taken will result in progress and something to be super proud of!
Conclusion
Now that you know how to lose weight without going to a gym, I encourage you to give at least one of them a try. Stick with it for no less than one week before deciding that you cannot or do not want to do it.
Seek support from friends or family. Ask them to join you on your journey or to encourage you along the way. With help, your weight loss goals can be easier to accomplish.
Don’t forget to download your FREE 7 Day Food Diary here.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below. I am happy to respond!
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