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

Getting enough sleep and better sleep quality are the best ways to lose weight without doing anything (literally).

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 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 [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 [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, Tulane University Obesity Research Center

Intermittent fasting is a popular alternative to calorie-restricted dieting.

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

Unlike a crash diet, intermittent fasting allows you to consume a healthy number of calories but within a restricted time frame (e.g., 16 hours of fasting and 8 hours of eating). However, your eating time is not a license to binge.

A word of advice: make sure you consume highly nutritious meals when intermittent fasting so that your body gets everything it needs.

Eating fiber-rich foods makes you feel full with fewer total calories and helps with appetite control.

A 2019 study 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].

This option was considered a last resort and is not something I frequently recommend.

I’ve come across cases where clients, through no fault of their own, experienced a considerable weight gain — primarily due to heavy rehabilitation from injuries.

What weight loss surgeries do is cut part of your stomach to shrink it, so you feel fuller after a small meal, thereby consuming fewer calories.

My suggestion to you is that if you get stomach reduction surgery, strictly follow the supplement list your doctor prescribes to you. Since you’re eating smaller meals, you’ll be on a heavy calorie deficit and have to make up for the lack of nutrients.

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 [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.