How To Lose Fat Without Working Out (8 Crucial Tips)

Ensuring adequate sleep and improving sleep quality are, in my personal experience, among the best methods to shed pounds without physical activity.

Sleep is one of the many things new clients don’t seem to take seriously because most of them relate sleeping to lack of physical activity — and by extension, weight gain. However, repeated studies published in PubMed Central have shown a strong correlation between poor sleep and weight gain [8] [9].

Other studies have shown that lack of sleep may lead you to increase your calorie intake, making you gain weight in the long run [10].

Think of sleep as nutrition for your brain. Most people require seven to nine hours of sleep every night. Achieving this was a challenge for many clients, including myself.

So, over the years, I learned the following tricks that can help trigger a good night’s rest:

• Avoid heavy meals at least two hours before bedtime and sugar and caffeine for six to eight hours.
• Drink low-caffeine tea to reduce cortisol, your body’s stress hormone, according to the Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition [11].
• Keep away from your phone, computer, and television for at least an hour before bedtime.
• Use your bedroom for rest and sleep only. Take your work into another room.
• Have a bedtime ritual before turning off your light to teach your body that it's time to sleep.
• Turn off the lights; darkness makes your body release the natural sleep hormone melatonin, according to the Brain Disorders & Therapy [12].

“Sleeping longer may affect the secretion of appetite regulatory hormones, such as leptin and ghrelin, which may inhibit intakes of foods and energy. … Moreover, sleeping more reduces the time for eating.”

- Dr. Lu Qi, PhD, Director of Tulane University Obesity Research Center

Intermittent fasting, which I've seen many clients benefit from, serves as a popular alternative to traditional calorie-restricted diets.

A 2020 study showed that intermittent fasting effectively reduced weight in people with obesity [14].

Intermittent fasting differs from crash diets as it involves eating a balanced amount of calories in a limited window, like 16 hours of fasting followed by 8 hours of eating.

It's important to focus on nutritious meals during your eating period to ensure your body receives all essential nutrients.

Incorporating fiber-rich foods into your diet, as I've recommended to my clients, can lead to a sense of fullness with fewer overall calories and aid in appetite control.

Incorporating high amounts of dietary fiber into your diet not only helps you feel fuller for longer, but it also plays a critical role in slowing down the absorption of fats and cholesterol and promoting regular, healthy bowel movements, contributing to a more effective weight loss strategy.

A 2019 study published in PubMed with 345 participants found that dietary fiber intake promotes weight loss and increases dietary adherence among obese adults [16].

Here’s a list of fibrous foods you can add to your diet:

• Legumes: Navy beans, pinto beans, chickpeas, green peas, and lentils.
• Fibrous vegetables: Artichoke, potato, broccoli, and parsnips.
• Fibrous fruits: Apple, avocado, pear, raspberries, oranges, and prunes.
• Nuts and seeds: Buckwheat, quinoa, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and almonds.
• Whole grains: Freekeh, bulgar wheat, and pearled barley [17].

Weight loss surgery, often considered a last resort, can be necessary for those who've gained weight due to unavoidable circumstances, like injury rehabilitation.

These surgeries typically reduce stomach size, leading to a feeling of fullness with less food and thus fewer calories consumed.

If you opt for such surgery, it's crucial to adhere to your doctor's dietary and supplement guidelines to compensate for the reduced food intake and potential nutrient deficiencies.

There are a host of medical conditions that don’t allow certain people to lose weight as quickly as the average person. These conditions are chronic stress, Cushing's syndrome, Syndrome X, hypothyroidism, and certain hormonal changes.

Hypothyroidism, for example, slows down your metabolism and stores more fat than you can burn — especially if you're not physically active, according to the WebMD [18].

The good news is that, with many of them, you can still lose some weight with the help of exercise.

In some severe cases, health conditions make weight loss nearly impossible (even with exercise). If you suffer from such a condition, we highly recommend you speak to a healthcare professional and get on some medication.