How can I lose weight without dieting?
I am sorry to disappoint you, but you cannot. That’s why there is a saying
“Abs are made in the kitchen!”
Now, if you don’t participate in any physical activities right now and have not trained for a few years, you may see temporary results by not dieting. On top of that if you start a proper exercise program and are consistent with it, you may lose 10-15% of the weight you want to lose or may be even more. However, there is a big problem with using this approach.
We all have a metabolic weight set point.
In simple terms, your body weight and composition are set to a certain point. It works like a thermostat. Let’s say you are at 180lbs right now and you’ve been at this weight for the past 10 years. Since you’ve been at this body weight for so long, your body is adapted to be at this weight. If you all of a sudden go on a binge and gain 20lbs in a week or two, it will be very easy and natural for your body to lose this weight.
That is what actors do when they need to gain or lose weight for a movie. Same goes if you were to lose 20lbs very fast, as soon as you go back to your normal life, you’ll gain that weight in no time.
It’s important to understand what’s going to happen, you will lose some weight and if you stop training it will come right back. But here is something worth thinking about, if you keep training and eating the same way, after some time your body will adapt and you will start slowly getting your weight back even though you are still training. That is exactly why so many people do yo-yo dieting.
Most people do not understand how human physiology works and that most programs are only designed for temporary success.
If you want to lose weight once and for all
You will have to get down three important things:
Number one, you will need a custom exercise program that is designed for weight loss and designed specifically for you. What works for somebody else will most likely not work for you.
Number two, you need a customized nutrition plan that is designed for weight loss and not a cookie cutter plan! You don’t need some plan that is generally healthy and was originally given to a 20 year old man who was trying to build some muscles. Most important, the plan needs to be custom tailored to fit your needs, everyone is different, especially if you have any health problems or allergies.
Number three, is the most important point that most trainers and nutritionists never even bring up. It is your mind, your self-image. See, you can go on any diet you want or do any crazy fitness program and lose weight. However, you need to understand what made you overweight in the first place! It was not training or lack of it. It was not diet or lack of it. It was thousands of small choices and decisions you’ve made in the past many years.
Notice that while you were making a decision to go to McDonald’s and chose fast food, someone else were choosing salad with fish or chicken. When you were thirsty, you reached for a soft drink while someone else drank pure water. Why do you think athletes do what they do? Even after they retire, most still train and eat healthy. Do you think it is because they really like to run in cold rain or snow at four in the morning? Or it’s just because they have inhumane will power? The answer is no. The reason we do it is because we have a self-image of an athlete. We do those things because that’s what athletes do!
We cannot see ourselves eating pizza or drinking pop, that’s not normal for us and in my opinion, is not good for any human. So, the point is, as long as you see yourself in your own mind as overweight and as long as you believe eating fast food and soft drinks is acceptable, you will never have permanent success. As Albert Einstein said “You cannot fix the problem with the same mind it was created with!” So, change your self-image and you’ll have no problems with losing weight and keeping it off forever!
