Lose weight without eating less

 I'm sure you've heard this saying many times, to lose weight, you have to eat less. Well, that's not entirely true. Losing weight is not just about eating less! You don't have to drastically reduce part of your food and start eating like rabbits. 

You can still enjoy a natural healthy meal and lose weight. 

 Lose weight without eating less

Practice these 5 Tips to help you lose weight without eating less!

 

1) Eat real foods

Not all calories are equal. So the quality of the food you eat will be processed differently in your body and this will also affect your weight. Real foods are highly nutritious and help you maintain a healthy weight in the long term. On the other hand, eating processed foods can interfere with the body's natural way of breaking down and storing food.

So what is real food? It means eating food that is closest to its natural state and is minimally processed. Real foods also tend to be perishable and seasonal. Simply put, if you want to eat chicken, go for chicken, not chicken nuggets. If you want fries, eat fries, not french fries.

 When you consume real food, you will feel satisfied for less, you will not eat too much and real foods will have much fewer calories than processed foods.

 

So, you see, it's not just about eating less, it's about the quality of your food. Just by making these simple changes toward eating real whole food and avoiding processed foods, you'll actually start to see and feel the difference in your body.

Read more: How To Lose Weight Quickly?

2) Consume large amounts of food

High volume foods are foods that have high water content. Some examples of high-volume foods include leafy green vegetables. Reach for as many leafy greens as you want and never gain weight! For example, one cup of spinach has only 7 calories and is full of nutrients. Other examples include watercress, lettuce, romaine, spinach, watercress, kale, collard greens, bok choy, and Swiss chard. Other high-volume vegetables (>90% water content) are asparagus, broccoli, beetroot, cabbage, carrots, celery, cucumbers, zucchini, and peppers. 

 So the trick here is to fill half of your plate with a generously sized vegetable at each meal. This way you get fewer calories.

 

 Besides vegetables, you can also add large-sized fruits to your meals. Examples include lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruits, tomatoes, apricots, peaches, strawberries, raspberries, melons, and aphids. Fruits are good for you, but remember that not all fruits are low in calories. 

 Therefore, choose more large-sized fruits.

Another example is the broth. Gravy is the ultimate bulk food. Miso broth, beef, chicken, vegetable, or clear seafood broth is very full of very few calories. One cup of homemade chicken broth contains about 18 calories. I love making clear soup noodles and tossing in lots of veggies as well as lean protein. It makes a great meal that is low in calories and satisfying. However, if you are going to use bottled broth, beware of the sodium content. 

 Choose low-sodium or sodium-free broth and eat it in moderation.

 Lose weight without eating less

Read more: The Truth About Weight Loss

3) Be aware of hidden calories

You may be enjoying a healthy diet but your weight still does not change. Well, are you one of those people who enjoy fruit juices, sodas, fine coffee, or even alcohol? Liquid calories in any form are "sneaky hidden calories"!

These drinks are full of calories and some may contain more calories than an appropriate meal. For example, one serving of Caramel Frappuccino has 400 calories. One cup of bubble tea contains 300-400 calories. That's more than just a healthy portion of meat with about 350 calories.

If you start counting the number of calories you consume from liquids, you may be surprised that they can add up to 400-600 calories per day! Just by cutting back on fancy drinks and drinking more water, you'll start to see the weight shift.

Other hidden calories are found in sauces and gravies. Salad is healthy and low in calories. But once you start adding it to sauces and gravies, it can turn it into a high-calorie meal. Picture if you want to add 2-3 tablespoons of sauce because it is delicious. That's an extra from about 250 calories you didn't factor in, which doesn't make you feel full! 

 By being aware of the amount of pad you are using and swapping it out for healthier alternatives that are lower in calories, you will also reduce your total daily calorie intake, which contributes to weight loss.

Read more: Foods That Sabotage Weight Loss

4) Practice mindful eating

The fourth tip is something we often overlook, and that is the practice of mindful eating. Stop stuffing food in your mouth! With our fast-paced lifestyle nowadays, most of us are guilty of that, myself included.

We tend to eat very quickly without even tasting our food, eat with sources of distraction, and sometimes even eat food we don't even know we're eating. This is the worst because it will prevent you from achieving your goals. You will experience greater pleasure and satisfaction if you concentrate on your meal. 

 As a result, you will feel satisfied for less.

 

 Lose weight without eating less

Try these simple tricks to develop mindful eating:

·      Put your food on the plate. Avoid eating out of the bag, straight from the refrigerator, or while standing.

·      Enjoy with all your senses. Look, smell your food, take small, slow bites to fully appreciate the taste and texture.

·      Sit at a dining table or in a place designated for a proper meal rather than sitting on a cart.

·      Avoid distractions. So don't eat in front of the TV or computer or do any other activity besides fully enjoying your meal.

·      Whenever possible, choose places with dim lights because it has been shown to slow down the pace of eating and therefore eat less. Bright fluorescent lights in cafeterias or fast food restaurants are meant to speed up your eating, and you inadvertently end up eating more.

·      Slow music playing in the background can also slow down the pace of eating.

·      Finally, the speed of the other person you eat with can also affect your frequency and the amount you eat. If you find that the other person you're eating with is eating way too fast, and you feel the need to catch up, you might tell them and tell them to slow down.

Apply these tips and of course, you'll start listening to your body and stopping when you're satisfied, not when you're stuffed.

5) Get some sleep

And I can't stress this enough, get enough rest! For many of us who have been lacking in sleep, we've forgotten what comfort feels like. Lack of sleep can be linked to weight gain! Sleep is something we don't prioritize in our busy and hectic lifestyle, but its effect is long-term. Not getting enough rest can disrupt your hormones, change the way you process sugar, and reduce the number of calories you burn.

Sleep affects levels of two hormones, leptin, and ghrelin, that control feeling of fullness and hunger. Leptin sends a signal to your brain that you have enough to eat. Without enough sleep, your brain decreases leptin and increases ghrelin, an appetite stimulant. Thus, when you lack sleep, you will also notice that you eat and crave foods high in sugar and fat.

When you sleep less than 6 hours, you are also putting your body under stress, which increases cortisol levels in your body. Cortisol is the stress hormone that enlarges fat cells and promotes belly fat storage. The combination of high levels of ghrelin and cortisol in your body is a disaster!

So instead of just focusing on food to lose weight, start prioritizing your sleep by getting at least 7-8 hours each night, getting a consistent sleep schedule, and avoiding electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime. When we get enough sleep, we wake up feeling energized and ready to tackle the day. 

 Sleep is one of the most important aspects of losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight for life.

Read more: Lose Weight Don't Wait

Content:

So, as we've learned, losing weight isn't just about eating less! By making a few simple changes that improve your hormones, reduce hunger, and increase your metabolism, you can lose weight without having to cut back on your food portion. 

 And the best part is that this is sustainable in the long run.