6 Creative Ways To Lose Weight
Eat less, workout more. Drink water. Are you tired of hearing the same tips regurgitated by every single person you talk to about losing weight? Are you already trying these tips and they aren’t working, so you’ve decided to look for out of the box solutions? Good. Than this article is for you. Here are 6 ways to lose weight that are fun and easy to incorporate.
1. Burn calories doing everyday activities
Going to the gym isn’t the only way to burn calories. You can stay at home and burn up to 300 calories, if you stay active throughout the day, according to Pete McCall (an exercise psychologist with the American Council on Exercise). Activities like cleaning your yard, watching TV or even playing videogames burns calories. So even though you’re not intentionally burning calories this non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), can result in 15% to 30% more calories burned.
To give an example, a person who weighs 150 pounds can burn the following number of calories in 30 minutes:
Raking leaves = 147 calories
Gardening = 153 calories
Moving = 191 calories
Vacuuming = 119 calories
So just doing some more chores throughout the day can result in that beach body you’ve been aiming for!
2. Chewing gum
One of the reasons people gain weight is not feeling full or satiated. You may get yourself to exercise or eat healthier, but how do you fight those midnight or afternoon cravings? Chewing gum. Chewing gum will reduce your hunger and make you feel fuller, according to this study, gum chewers felt fuller compared to non-gum chewers as early as 5 minutes after starting to chew. It can also result in you consuming up to 68 calories lesser . So the next time you want to go for that late night pizza deal, have some chewing gum first.
3. Cold showers
Do you feel sore after workouts? Me too. I combat that soreness with cold showers, which not only takes the soreness away but also allows me to push harder the next time I work out, which means I can burn more calories. And apart from being able to push harder, you can also burn 75 calories in just a 5 minute shower! Turn the cold water on and watch the scale drop!
4. Stop hating yourself
Here’s a scenario that might sound familiar. You’ve been dieting for some time, but a party happened and you overate, even though you promised yourself not to. Or you binged for whatever reason. That’s ok. But the guilt you have makes you binge every day, because you let the fact that you didn’t follow your diet one day become a judgment of character or a marker of self-esteem. You need to develop a healthy relationship with food, which is easier said than done, but you could start by not letting a bad day become a bad week, or a bad week become a bad month. You need to know that one or 2 cheat days once in a while won’t affect your weight loss journey, so even if you don’t stick exactly to your diet, that’s okay. So stop hating yourself and stop binge eating, and realize that negative emotions will only impede your journey.
5. Cheat meals
Cheating is bad. But cheat meals aren’t. While it may sound counterintuitive, having a cheat meal allows you to stay motivated, because you have something to look forward to, and it also resets your metabolism. But remember not to let this cheat meal become a cheat month!
6. Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate is not just an amazing snack. It can make you feel satiated, and it’s a low calorie snack, so you can stay within your calorie limit. And apart from the weight benefits, you also feel happier and that leads to less binge eating.
Final thoughts
So these are 6 out of the box methods you can use to lose weight. Good luck on your journey wherever you are!
