Metabolism: is it possible to lose weight without doing anything?

[Article updated on 19/09/2023]

Most of the time, losing weight is associated with a specific diet and regular physical activities. But have you ever heard of the concept that it was possible to lose weight without doing anything? It’s probably everyone’s dream. Through this article, I will lift the veil on this principle and give you the advice and tips to follow if you really want to burn calories effortlessly.

Does the body burn calories when we do nothing?

Whether you are sleeping or resting, your body is constantly burning calories. How and why ? The body needs energy to carry out vital functions. For example, the heart, which is a muscle, requires energy to contract with each beat. Just breathing makes us burn calories. Likewise, the brain constantly draws energy to carry out its role. Finally, depending on the outside temperature, our body self-regulates its temperature to around 37°C. All of this requires energy.

It is not necessary to exercise for our body to burn calories. However, when choosing to lose weight without exercise, the quantity eliminated depends from one individual to another. It is everyone’s metabolism that defines whether their body will draw more energy to carry out vital functions or not. It is also this metabolism that explains why one person eats whatever they want without gaining a single gram, while another gains weight easily. Technically, a “fast” metabolism allows you to burn calories more quickly. Conversely, when it is slow, the body eliminates fat more difficult. As we age, this process tends to slow down, making it harder for older people to lose weight.

Lose weight without doing anything: create a calorie deficit

The principle of weight loss is very simple: eliminate more calories than you gain to create a deficit. Thus, the body will draw on energy reserves to fill this gap; and these reserves are found in the fat accumulated in our body. But the real problem is creating this deficit.

In fact, when you do nothing, energy costs are lower. Therefore, your caloric intake must be even higher. In other words, you need to be very selective about your diet so that what you eat provides you with as few calories as possible. In the end, losing pounds without doing anything comes down to doing something, that is, adapting your diet. Without this initiative, I can assure you that you will not obtain any results. You will then see different advice on the diet that you should follow.

What kind of diet should you adopt to lose weight without dieting?

If you want to lose weight naturally without resorting to sport, you need to review your diet. Here are some tips to follow on how you eat without having to consider a drastic diet.

Be selective about what foods to eat

Not all foods are good to eat if you want to lose weight quickly, and even less so if you plan to skip sports activities. Favor those which are rich in animal or vegetable proteins as well as those which contain a large quantity of good lipids and carbohydrates. On the other hand, limit processed foods that are too fatty or too sweet.

Foods to favor

• Raw and cooked seasonal vegetables;
• Fresh fruits ;
• Whole grains and whole starches;
• Whole wheat bread ;
• Poultry;
• Fish;
• Eggs;
• Plant proteins;
• Legumes;
• Oilseeds;
• Olive and rapeseed vegetable oils;
• Foods that have undergone gentle cooking.

Foods to limit

• Prepared dishes ;
• Processed foods;
• Saturated fats ;
• White sugar ;
• Refined cereals;
• White bread and derivatives;
• Fatty meats and cold meats;
• Heavy dishes and dishes with sauce;
• Fast food ;
• Fries and breadings;
• Excess salt;
• Meals and canned foods;
• Industrial sodas and juices;
• Alcohol.

Change your eating habits

Sometimes you don’t have to completely deprive yourself of the foods you love to eat. You just have to find lower-calorie alternatives to feel less upset. For example, if you usually have chocolate cereal bars for breakfast, swap them for an apple and a piece of dark chocolate. Also favor spicy dishes. Indeed, spices are excellent fat burners and stimulate metabolism. In addition, a very spicy dish encourages you to eat less, thereby limiting calorie intake. Cayenne pepper is a particularly recommended spice. Finally, avoid snacking between meals. This will give your body enough time to draw on fat reserves to function until the next meal. If the feeling of hunger is too persistent, eat, at worst, fresh fruit.

Consume slimming drinks and supplements

To help you lose weight without exercising, there are different products that you can consume, including slimming drinks and supplements. Have you ever heard of slimming shakes? This is a powder to mix with skimmed milk that you mix using a shaker. This drink is specially designed to give you a feeling of satiety while minimizing calorie intake. The slimming shake can almost replace your meals to optimize your weight loss without exercise.

You can also opt for vegetable juice that you have prepared yourself. The recipes are easy to make and the ingredients are easy to find. For example, you can mix carrots, beets, celery and ginger in a blender to drink instead of lunch. Also drink cold water without sugar as well as decaffeinated tea to stimulate weight loss. If you want to drink milk, avoid whole milk which contains too much fat, and therefore calories. Opt for skimmed or semi-skimmed milk which is perfectly suited to your slimming goals.

Example of a diet to follow in one day

To help you find the right nutritional balance, I offer you an example of a daily menu intended to achieve your weight loss goals without doing anything. Of course, this is a simple example and you can adapt the dishes according to your needs and desires, provided you respect the conditions mentioned above.

Breakfast

For breakfast, have:

• Unsweetened green tea;
• Porridge with almond milk, almonds and honey;
• A fresh fruit.

Lunch

For lunch, eat:

• A complete meal salad with quinoa, feta and seasonal vegetables;
• Chicken fillet, mushroom sauce;
• A sugar-free fruit compote.

Snack

If you feel the need to snack, have:

• Raw vegetable sticks;
• Peanut butter.

Dinner

Finally, for dinner, I recommend:

• Asian soup with Nori seaweed and black mushrooms;
• A boiled egg and wholemeal bread;
• Cottage cheese with honey and red fruits.

Other tips for losing weight without exercising

In addition to adapting your diet, I offer you some additional tips and tricks to effectively lose weight without doing anything.

Don’t neglect daily chores

As I mentioned above, “doing nothing” in no way means that you stay sprawled on your couch all day long. Instead, do your daily household chores and chores to boost weight loss. These are harmless efforts which, without you realizing it, make you expend energy, even though they are not considered sport.

For example, simply going grocery shopping, going up or down the stairs, gardening, vacuuming, cleaning windows, or ironing are all efforts that count when combined. accumulate. Finally, if you spend your days working at a computer, make sure to get up from time to time and do a few stretches in your chair. Walk a little, even just to get to the bathroom to burn off a few extra calories.

Reduce stress

Stress can prevent you from losing weight. Indeed, this phenomenon stimulates the production of cortisol, which is even called the stress hormone. Secreted in large quantities, cortisol disrupts the synthesis of glucose which will be stored in the form of fat. Additionally, the body tends to respond to stress by seeking out sugary and fatty foods. These promote the production of dopamine and serotonin, the pleasure hormones. Therefore, it is essential to limit the stress to which you expose yourself during the day. Evacuate it as best as possible by having fun and resting properly. Working under pressure, accumulated fatigue, traffic jams…these are different situations that promote stress.

Hydrate properly

Drinking enough water also helps you lose weight. Indeed, when you feel hungry, remember to drink water. Do not add sugar and avoid fruit juices, they are too high in calories. Drink between 1.5 and 2 liters of water per day to optimize your daily intake. Don’t wait until you feel thirsty to drink it. On the contrary, distribute this quota throughout the day.

Get motivated with people who have the same goal as you

You will have understood: losing weight without doing anything takes a long time before seeing the first results. In addition, a certain effort on your lifestyle is necessary. In the long run, you risk losing motivation, risking you falling back into your old ways. In order to limit this risk of demotivation, it is preferable to embark on such a slimming program with other people with the same objective. This way, you will support each other and you can even spend time preparing delicious light meals that you will eat together.

Improve the quality of your sleep

Sleep plays an important role in your weight loss. Indeed, it is possible to lose weight while sleeping, provided you respect certain very specific rules of life. So, if you want to lose weight without doing anything, consider improving the quality of your sleep. Lack of sleep can also lead to being overweight. You accumulate fatigue and you expose yourself to more stress, which increases the level of cortisol in your body. In turn, you tend to eat a lot more and your body craves fatty and sugary foods to compensate for the production of serotonin and dopamine.

Other tips to follow

Finally, here are a few last simple tips that I will briefly list for you. Follow them to optimize your weight loss naturally and effortlessly:

• During your meals, remember to eat slowly and calmly;
• Chew each bite properly and take the time to enjoy your meals;
• Avoid skipping meals and limit snacking as much as possible;
• Do not embark on drastic, overly restrictive diets that harm your body;
• When you eat, focus on quality (nutritional intake), rather than quantity (calorie intake);
• You can treat yourself once a week by eating whatever you want without going overboard;
• Learn to discern hunger from a desire to snack;

Losing weight without dieting takes time, don’t be impatient and give yourself time to find results.