Overview
The age-old advice to lose weight is to exercise and eat healthy, but what if you can’t work out regularly (or just don’t want to)? You might wonder, How can I lose weight without exercising? And can I avoid dieting, too?
Weight loss without exercise and dieting is possible because there’s more to weight management than just working out — and dieting (that is, restricting foods or following an unsustainable eating plan) isn’t always the healthy choice.
Keep reading for tips on how to lose weight without exercising or dieting, including focusing on healthy nutrition, drinking plenty of water, getting quality sleep, considering weight loss medications, and more.
Reviewed by Craig Primack, MD, FACP, FAAP, MFOMA
Can you lose weight without exercising?
Several factors go into weight loss and management — physical activity is just one part of the equation.
Though exercise comes with many benefits, it’s not always possible to squeeze it into a busy schedule. And sometimes, issues like joint pain or an injury stop you from exercising altogether. But just because you can’t work out doesn’t mean you can’t be on a weight loss journey.
Plenty of other healthy habits can help you manage your weight and improve your health. What’s more, exercise doesn’t always have to include a trip to the gym — any and all movement counts.
How to lose weight without exercising
The best part is there’s not one best way to lose weight without exercise. There are lots of things you can try, so find the ones that work best for you.
Here’s how to lose weight without exercise.
1. Eat more protein and fiber
If you’re looking for one top tip on how to lose weight when you can’t exercise, focus on what you eat.
In particular, protein and fiber are two nutrients that can fuel your body and help increase satiety (fullness). Naturally, you may find yourself eating fewer calories when you up your protein and fiber intake, which can promote weight loss.
For protein, go for lean proteins like:
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Fish
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Chicken
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Turkey
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Tofu
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Beans
And for fiber-rich foods, fill up on:
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Nuts and seeds
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Fruits and veggies
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Legumes, like chickpeas and lentils
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Whole grains, like brown rice and quinoa
Check out our weight loss meal plan for more nutrition guidance.
2. Use smaller plates
If you struggle with portion control, using smaller plates and bowls can help you eat the right amount of food for you. You might find you naturally serve yourself smaller portions to match the smaller dishes.
Along the same lines, smaller eating utensils can help with portion control, too.
3. Drink more water (especially before meals)
Beyond hydration, drinking water can help you feel fuller and reduce how many calories you consume from other beverages, like sugary drinks.
Drink enough so that your pee is clear or light yellow. And try drinking a glass of water before meals to help reduce your appetite and how many calories you consume.
Research shows that replacing sugary beverages, like juice or soda, with water is one easy way to consume fewer calories, increase your water intake, and help weight loss efforts.
4. Move more throughout the day
You thought this was a guide on how to lose weight without exercising. So why are we talking about daily movement? Because an hour-long workout isn’t the only way to fit more movement into your life. Smaller bouts of movement throughout your day may also aid weight loss.
General guidelines state you should aim for at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity exercise. This can be anything from walking to light yard work or anything else you enjoy that gets your heart rate up for a few minutes at a time.
If you have mobility issues, it helps to experiment with nontraditional ways to move your body. This could be as simple as making circles with your arms or using exercise bands for resistance training.
You can also think about NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis). This is all the non-workout activity you get each day that burns calories. If weight loss is the goal, try getting more steps in, setting aside time to tidy up your home every day, and sitting less throughout the day.
5. Reduce stress
It’s easier said than done, but avoiding stress may help you lose weight. This is because stress levels can impact appetite and cravings.
Stress is linked to the hormone cortisol, which is linked to eating and appetite. People with higher cortisol levels are more prone to overeating, as well as less likely to do physical activity than those who have lower levels of stress.
Obesity and stress are also closely linked, creating a cycle where stress leads to overeating, which can make you feel anxious about weight gain or other health effects, which leads to more stress and more emotional eating.
Practicing relaxation techniques like meditation or breathing patterns could help you manage general stress while helping with stress around overeating or weight loss.
6. Get plenty of rest
How much sleep you get can affect your weight loss journey and even cause weight gain for some people.
Similarly to stress, poor sleep or lack of sleep may mess with your appetite by disrupting the hormones leptin and ghrelin.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends adults get seven or more hours of shut-eye each night.
You can achieve adequate sleep by:
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Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day
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Limiting screen time before bed
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Keeping your bedroom dark and quiet
Our guide has more tips for how to sleep better.
Is it possible to lose weight without dieting?
Yes, it’s possible to lose weight without dieting. Dieting usually involves restricting yourself or cutting out entire food groups.
Depending on the changes you make, you may not be fueling your body correctly. This can lead to overeating, poor mental health, and giving up on your weight loss goals altogether. Not ideal.
Similarly, you can lose weight without counting calories or worrying about carbohydrates. While logging these things can be useful for some, it can contribute to anxiety or eating disorder symptoms for others. And it’s just plain time-consuming.
Instead of dieting, focus on eating nutritious, whole foods that fuel your body and benefit your overall health — mental and physical.
How to eat less without dieting
Restricting yourself is an unhealthy — not to mention unenjoyable — way to lose weight. But you want to be in a calorie deficit (consuming fewer calories than you burn each day) to promote weight loss.
Here’s what you can do to reduce how many calories you eat in a healthy, sustainable way.
1. Eat mindfully
Mindful eating is eating without distractions, focusing on what you’re eating, and being present in the moment. It helps you notice when you’re full and stop eating when you’ve eaten enough.
Try turning off the TV and putting down your phone during meals. Instead, savor each bite, enjoying the taste and texture of your food, and chew slowly. Notice when you start slowing down and feeling physically fuller. Stop eating when you’re full, and save any leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch!
2. Identify your eating triggers
As you practice mindful eating, you may notice some eating triggers that aren’t physical hunger.
For example, you might eat when you’re:
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Bored
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Stressed
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Anxious
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Sad
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Lonely
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Angry
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Tired
Be mindful when you reach for food, and ask yourself if you’re actually hungry (Do I have a rumbling stomach?) or if there’s something else at play (Did I just get a stressful work email?).
Identify your triggers and take steps to solve them that don’t involve food. As you’re breaking the habit, keep healthy snacks on hand for when you do reach for food.
3. Consider weight loss medication
Some people may benefit from the additional help of weight loss medications. Your options include GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist) injections, like Wegovy, and oral weight loss meds, like metformin.
Many weight loss meds work by reducing your appetite and helping you feel fuller. This can help you stick to nutritious food choices and the right portion sizes for you.
Research on Wegovy, for example, shows that people can lose an average of about 15 percent of their body weight when taking Wegovy and making lifestyle changes over 68 weeks.
If your exercise options are limited and you’re curious about different ways to lose weight, ask a healthcare provider about the benefits of weight loss medication and whether it might be right for your health journey.
To connect with a provider through the Hers platform, start by taking our free weight loss assessment.
How to burn calories without exercise
As you know, you need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight. One way to do this is by reducing your calorie intake. Another is by increasing how many calories you burn.
If working out is a challenge, for whatever reason, there are other ways to increase how many calories your body is burning each day to promote healthy weight loss.
1. Do more general movement
Physical activity doesn’t have to include a gym membership or going for a run. Any kind of movement can help your body use more energy.
To increase how much movement you’re doing, try:
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Taking the stairs instead of the elevator
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Parking at the furthest point in the parking lot
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Doing some stretches while watching TV
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Getting a walking pad or standing desk
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Taking walking meetings or walking while on the phone
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Going to the grocery store in person instead of ordering online
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Doing physical chores, like vacuuming and yard work
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Getting up from your desk to do some bodyweight exercises
You can also explore how to raise your core body temperature for weight loss (called thermogenesis).
2. Build muscle
Putting on muscle can increase your resting metabolic rate (RMR), which is how many calories your body burns at rest. You do need to do some strength training to build and maintain muscle, but once you have it, your RMR will be higher, meaning your body is using more energy each day, even when you’re not exercising.
It can happen pretty quickly, too. Research shows that 10 weeks of resistance training may increase RMR by seven percent.
To put on muscle, add resistance training to your routine. This can include:
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Bodyweight exercises
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Resistance bands, wrist weights, or dumbbells
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Resistance machines in the gym
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Weight lifting
Eating plenty of protein can also help with muscle growth and maintenance. Check out our protein calculator to find out how much to aim for.
3. Walk more
This is another tip that’s not technically exercise, but it still involves movement.
You may find walking suitable for your situation (i.e., if you have back pain or another health condition), or you may find walking is easier to fit into a slammed schedule than a trip to the gym.
To burn even more calories on your walks, try:
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Walking faster
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Walking uphill
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Walking with a weighted backpack
You don’t need to do all your daily walking at once. In fact, breaking up your walking might be more beneficial for weight loss. Research shows two 25-minute bouts of walking six days a week led to more weight loss than one 50-minute bout of walking six days a week.
See if you can add a walk to your morning routine and then another to your lunch break or after dinner.
How to lose weight without working out: Final tips
Although physical activity is often touted as a way to lose weight, it’s just one of several factors that go into weight management. If you’re looking for simple ways to lose weight without exercise, various lifestyle changes can help.
Here’s what to remember:
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Focus on your dietary choices. Eat whole foods (especially high-protein foods, healthy fats, and fresh produce), and drink more water to reduce overeating and increase lean muscle mass. Beyond weight loss, upping your nutritious food intake comes with plenty of health benefits.
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Manage stress and get good sleep. Stress and sleep can impact your weight by affecting your appetite. Manage your stress levels with mindfulness techniques, and aim for at least seven of sleep each night.
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Get some help. Reach out to a registered dietitian, personal trainer, or healthcare provider for personalized support. You can also ask a healthcare professional about weight loss medications.
Everyone’s weight loss journey is different, and some people may not be able to include exercise on that journey. But weight loss without exercise is still possible. And when it comes to dieting, you don’t need to restrict yourself or cut out anything.
Focus on balanced, healthy eating and aim for some movement every day (if possible) to manage your overall wellness.
You can also connect with a healthcare provider through the Hers platform to see if you’re eligible for weight loss medication and get a personalized weight loss plan.
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Related: Top 7 Ozempic Alternatives for Weight Loss
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Related: Butter vs. Olive Oil: Which Fat is Healtheir
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This article originally appeared on ForHers.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
