Many of us want to lose weight and we make resolutions about it at the beginning of every year. If we earned a dollar every time someone told us to get a gym membership, we might save enough for the down payment of a decent mortgage.
Commercial gyms are not everybody’s scene; some of us do not adore the idea of heavy machine-assisted exercise in the presence of several other sweaty strangers. Now the question is how to lose weight without signing up for a weight loss program at some gym?
What if I told you that it is indeed possible to lose weight without going to the gym? It doesn’t matter if you’re increasingly introverted, a busy bee, or plain lazy – getting a gym membership is not compulsory for shedding the extra pounds.
You can easily lose weight by changing eating habits, working out outside the gym, and developing a more active lifestyle. Now let us discuss a handful of ways to reach your fitness goals without stepping foot in a gymnasium:
1. Cardio and Hands-free Exercises
If you don’t have the time for gym, 20-30 minutes of cardio is all you need to be fit. You don’t have to go anywhere or get professional training for good old cardio. Sit-ups, crunches, jumping jacks, and squats are a few simple exercises one can do anywhere at any time. Put on some music with a nice beat and get your heart pumping. Cardio is therapeutic and great for torching a big load of calories quickly.
2. Lower Calorie-intake
If you need to lose weight, the key is to burn more than you consume. If you cannot increase your daily physical activity, try lowering your calorie intake. If you consume about 2000 calories on a daily basis, bring your average down to 1000. You can halve your calorie intake without having to starve yourself, so worry not.
The smart way to do this is to swap your usual food choices with healthier choices; for instance, use skimmed or plant-based milk instead of full-fat dairy. You can also substitute fine/refined grains with whole grains, white sugar with brown sugar, processed cheddar cheese with homemade cottage cheese, and so on.
3. More meals, lesser portions
If you follow a bunch of influencers from the health and fitness niche, you may have noticed that they encourage the consumption of 6 or more meals a day. Most of us are accustomed to the three-meal rule, i.e. breakfast, lunch, and dinner. However, the calorie-rich snacks we eat in between are rarely taken into account. Eating something every few hours is indeed healthy and may even aid in weight loss, but there are conditions.
When you eat around 6 times a day, you have to control your proportions accordingly. Having 6 small meals instead of 3 heavy meals is beneficial because this technique helps improve metabolic rate and prevent untimely cravings.
4. Walking more often
According to health and fitness experts, we need to walk about 10,000 steps a day, which equals 5 miles on average. However, most of us only make it to 5000 steps per day, which isn’t good enough. We are too dependent on automobiles, and technological advancement has reduced the need to leave one’s seat.
If we start traveling on foot for short distances more often and take a leisurely walk from time to time, we are less likely to suffer weight problems and obesity.
5. Drinking Warm Water
Swap cold/iced water with hot water and feel the fat burning. Hot water speeds up your metabolism and accelerates the breakdown of fat, thereby contributing to weight loss. The water does not have to be scalding hot – lukewarm works fine.
Developing the habit of drinking warm water day and night can take some time, as it is an acquired taste; nonetheless, the health benefits are worth it. Warm water also helps digestion, prevents constipation, improves blood circulation, and aids in detoxification.
6. Hot Coffee and Green Tea
Hot and mildly-caffeinated beverages can also do wonders for weight loss. Black coffee (without any additives like milk and sugar) and green tea have very few calories and are also rich in antioxidants. These beverages help prevent hunger pangs and enhance metabolism.
If you start drinking a few cups of plain coffee and green tea throughout the day, you can cut down your calorie intake significantly.
7. Eating Fresh and Organic
Fresh and organic foods are rich in fiber and free of unhealthy ingredients. Processed foods normally contain alarming quantities of fat, sugars, sodium, and chemical preservatives. These foods might taste good, but they are not in any way filling or healthy. They are loaded with bad calories and make you crave more junk food.
Fresh lean meats, fruits, and vegetables must dominate your regular diet, especially if you want to lose weight.
8. Stop skipping breakfast
Skipping breakfast will not help you lose weight, but it might result in weight gain. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, as you need the energy to function actively. When you skip it, the body’s metabolic rate goes down, so the number of calories you burn at rest will decrease.
Moreover, people who don’t eat a filling and nutritious breakfast are prone to constant fatigue and the urge to binge-eat recurrently.
9. Don’t eat after 7
The reason many dieticians tell people to not eat after seven or eight in the evening is that our body’s metabolic rate is highest at the start of the day and lowest by the end of the day. People who overeat at night are more likely to put on weight, as the body needs minimum energy to sustain functionality during slumber. You may also feel gassy and suffer digestive problems due to late-night snacking.
10. Dance or Yoga
If gym workouts seem unappealing, perhaps you could opt for something more fun and freestyle. Dance or yoga are two kinds of exercises you can easily do at home with the help of online tutorials. You can put on music of your choice and be creative if you want. Challenge your body, stretch your muscles, and get your heart rate up to torch the unwanted fat deposits.
11. Always take the Stairs
If you take the stairs instead of using an elevator or escalator every time, you’ll get much closer to your fitness goals. Climbing and descending stairs is a great form of exercise, as it involves sufficient physical exertion. Sprinting up and down the stairs is particularly recommended for individuals who are increasingly concerned with fatty tissue on the lower body.
12. Keep moving
An active lifestyle is integral to losing weight if you don’t possess the time and stamina for a gym workout. Do not sit in one place for several hours in a row and always find an excuse to be lazy. Participate in daily house chores, walk around while taking a call, take breaks from work to get yourself a glass of water and stretch, go outside to catch a breath of fresh air, walk the dog, and take every chance you get to avoid prolonged immobility.
Elijah Cole is the founder of The Witty Minds blog and a professional content creator. His expertise lies in creative writing and lifestyle blogging. At Witty Minds, he is the lead writer, editor, and publisher of all original content.