10 Tips from Doctors to Slim Down without Dieting

Losing weight quickly, although exciting, can affect your body health and can be very hard to maintain. The most efficient way to keep your weight loss permanently is to get slim slowly. Such goal can be reached without going on hard and rough diets. You will only need to make simple changes in your lifestyle in order to get & stay thin.

1.(RE) START COOKING

It’s mathematical: when you prepare your own meal, you can monitor the amount of fats and sugars it contains, even if it means “lightening” a little if you want to lose a few pounds! We therefore try to avoid prepared dishes (pizzas, ready-made salads, dishes in trays, etc.) and we discover the pleasures of “homemade”.

TIP: No time to cook during the week? Think about batch cooking. This culinary trend consists of preparing the dishes of the week during the weekend. Two hours are enough to prepare (and freeze) 7 days of meals!

2. BE CAREFUL OF EXCESS

In animals, many studies have shown that a (slight) calorie restriction allows them to lose weight and live longer in good health. Too high a daily calorie intake has thus been associated with an increased risk of obesity, cancer and diabetes.

TIP: During the meal, try to eat slowly, chew each bite carefully, and listen to the signals sent by your body to stop eating as soon as you feel full – it is therefore necessary to keep the smartphone away and turn off the TV!

3. BAN SNACKING

It is the number 1 enemy of our silhouette. Snacking promotes the storage of fat in cells, which inevitably makes you fat!

TIP: at every meal, put dietary fiber on the menu. Because they require a long digestion, these (found in raw fruits and vegetables, but also in cereals and legumes such as lentils, oat bran or chickpeas) are satiating until the next meal. And in the event of an uncontrollable craving, rather throw yourself on a handful of almonds or hazelnuts.

4. DO (A LITTLE) SPORT

Eating a balanced diet + playing sports on a regular basis are “the” winning duo for losing weight quickly and without starving yourself. Good news is that it is not essential to spend hours at the gym to slim down since, according to several studies, 15 minutes of sport per day is enough to lose weight and live longer in good health.

TIP: no time to work out during the week? Take the lunch break to walk (vigorously) 15 minutes around the neighborhood. Otherwise, get inspired by the “miracle morning”, a trend born in the United States which consists of getting up 15 minutes earlier each morning for a session of yoga, step, or running. Results are guaranteed in 2 weeks.

5. MAKE BALANCED PLATES

What does “balanced eating” mean exactly? Here is the model of an ideal plate for the line and for health: 1 portion of raw vegetables + 1 portion of cooked vegetables + 1 portion of animal or vegetable protein + 1 portion of cereals.

6. AVOID DIETS

Each year, new “slimming diets” emerge. However, according to a study published in 2010, 80% of people who embark on a diet to lose weight have regained their initial weight after 3 to 5 years. Worse: because of the yo-yo effect (the body “stores” calories as soon as you stop food deprivation), you can even gain weight at the end of a diet!

TIP: if you are very overweight or obese, a diet may be essential. However, it is necessary to be accompanied by a professional (nutritionist doctor, dietitian-nutritionist, etc.) to lose weight sustainably and without risks.

7. PLEASURE

It is not possible to lose weight in a healthy and lasting way when you are in a process of food deprivation. Indeed, by dint of depriving yourself of chocolate, sweets, croissants, etc., frustration swells and you necessarily end up cracking. Food cravings that make you fat and affect your self-esteem!

TIP: Depriving yourself of the foods you love is not a good strategy to lose weight. Instead, dieticians-nutritionists recommend one “pleasure” meal per week (where you eat what you want), provided you to increase physical activity in the days that follow.

8. DON’T USE FALSE FRIENDS

Yoghurts, butters, milks, etc. In the supermarket shelves, “light” products appear as allies in weight loss. However, according to a study published in 2016, these products actually stimulate the appetite, which would lead to a higher daily caloric intake, therefore increasing your weight. Ditto for “light” drinks: studies have shown that daily consumption of light drinks makes you fat, especially in the abdomen.

TIP: we skip products labeled “light” or “low fat” and we are more interested in healthy alternatives. For example, we replace butter with vegetable butter (almonds, avocado, etc.), milk with vegetable milk (hazelnuts, almonds, etc.), soda with an infusion or a smoothie.

9. MANAGE YOUR STRESS

Because it promotes snacking between meals and unhealthy food choices, stress is also a factor in weight gain. In addition, it is proven that when the level of cortisol (“the stress hormone”) in the blood is high, the body stores more fat.

TIP: to lose a few pounds in a healthy way, you should start learning to manage your stress. This is where alternative medicine and complementary therapies come in: meditation, relaxation therapy, plantar reflexology, etc. Don’t also forget sport, an excellent natural anti-stress!

10. CARE FOR YOUR SLEEP

Yes, there is a relationship between sleep and weight. Thus, when we lack sleep, an imbalance sets in between Leptin (the satiety hormone, which decreases) and Ghrelin (the hunger hormone, that increases). In short, the less you sleep well, the more you consume fatty and sugary foods, which makes you fat.

TIP: above all, we do not allow poor quality sleep to settle on the pretext that “it will pass”. We quickly consult our doctor and we can possibly help alternative medicine: aromatherapy, herbal medicine, cardiac coherence, etc., under medical supervision.

Conclusion

Is dieting a good idea to lose weight? Not really. “Going on a diet” without medical supervision is the best way to gain weight quickly after food deprivation is over – this is called the yo-yo effect.

In addition, in the event of a hyper-restrictive hypocaloric diet (such as the Natman diet, which is unfortunately back in fashion), there is a real health risk: eating disorders, dietary deficiencies, cardiovascular disorders, etc.

How to lose weight without going on a diet? To lose weight without starving, the miracle recipe is simple: you have to adopt a healthy lifestyle, with a balanced diet and regular physical activity. Without forgetting to stop smoking and to ease off on alcohol!

Easier said than done? Good news: to lose a few pounds without jeopardizing your health, you can be accompanied by your attending physician, by a nutritionist or even by a dietitian-nutritionist.