You want to lose weight but you’re just not the type of person to hit the gym for an hour and a half six days a week, then head home for a nice bowl of lettuce. So weight loss just isn’t going to happen for you then, right? WRONG!

The fact is, weight loss just isn’t the mystery that it’s sometimes made out to be. People who only want to workout in small amounts — or not at all — can lose weight and keep it off. (Yes, that gorgeous body you want really is achievable!)

Keep reading for 7 tips to lose weight the lazy way!

Get Plenty of Sleep

Getting yourself to bed early won’t just make you less irritable throughout the next day, it can also help you lose weight. For starters, you’ll be less likely to reach for an unhealthy late night snack (read our article on healthy bedtime habits).

You’ll also be less stressed which means your body will produce less of the hormone cortisol. This is a good thing because high levels of the hormone cause spikes in your insulin levels, leading your body to crave diet-killing sugary foods and snacks.

Over time, these cortisol-induced cravings turn into habits and you’ll be reaching for something unhealthy even when you’re not hungry. So do your body a favor and get more sleep, and you’ll lose weight in the process!

Drink More Water

It’s much more common than you probably realize for people to mistake thirst for hunger. Next time you start to feel that rumbling in your stomach, have a glass of water instead of turning to something that might ruin your diet.

Better yet, have 2 glasses of water 30 minutes before each meal. Why? Researchers have found that those who did so lost an average of 9.48 pounds over 12 weeks — and that’s without making any other changes to their lifestyle!

Mix up The Colors

Now, this one will probably seem a little odd but trust me it works and it’s proven. Begin eating your meals using plates or bowls that contrast in color with what you’re having. Something lightly colored? Use a darker plate. Dark? Light plate.

It works because our brains trick us into believing there’s less on our plate when the colors are similar. A Cornell study found that research participants ate 22% more Alfredo pasta when they used white plates than they did with red.

Keep Snacking

When you’re trying to lose weight, most of us are probably going to try to eat as little as possible. But no need to make yourself miserable because you’ll actually speed up your weight loss by snacking in between your main meals of the day.

On top of speeding up your metabolism, having a quick, healthy bite a few times a day will keep you from giving into hunger pangs and eating too much or indulging your sweet tooth. Keep yourself on track and get ideas with our article on 11 healthy snacks.

Plan Your Meals Ahead of Time

Meal planning is a fantastic way to lose stomach fat and also save some cash. You’ll also avoid any hidden calories, and other unwanted things like excessive sodium, sugar, or fat that restaurants may not always disclose.

Sit down and plan out a week’s worth of meals and snacks along with what you’ll need to prepare them. Prep your meals and snacks ahead of time for the week; you can speed things up by making multiple meals of your healthy favorites at the same time.

Now for the next week when hunger rears its ugly head you’ll have a healthy and tasty alternative to enjoy!

Hit the Weights

While cardio is effective at burning fat, it works even better when you add weight training into the mix as well. The combination of the two will boost your metabolism, meaning you’ll turn your body into a fat burning machine that keeps humming 24/7!

But if you’ve got a bit of gymphobia don’t worry — there are still plenty of body weight workouts that will also work great. Get started by trying out our no gym needed flat tummy workout, which will work some other body parts too.

TAKE TIME TO ENJOY YOUR MEAL

Everything we do these days is rush, rush, rush. But let’s switch things up when it comes to meal time by taking time to enjoy a book or a nice conversation while eating. It’s more than just enjoyable, it will also help you lose weight.

How exactly does that work? There’s a delay in your brain sending the message that you’ve had enough and you’re full — up to 20 minutes. Avoid overeating and taking in too many calories by taking your time to enjoy what you’re having.

See? Losing weight doesn’t have to mean making your entire life absolutely miserable! Be sure to pin this in case you need some more ideas later! 🙂

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