You’re in a busy season of life – I get it! Some days you hardly have time to take a shower let alone spend hours in the gym. I have good news: you don’t need to spend hours in the gym to lose weight. Today, I’m going to give you 8 ways to achieve fat loss without exercise.

Fat loss without exercise

Did you know you don’t have to go to the gym to lose weight? As much as your local fitness center would like you to believe you can’t lose weight without them, it’s just not true. We’ve been fed an inaccurate principle that fat loss is only the result of exercise.

But the truth is that you can burn fat without working out. And the more accurate reality is that fat loss happens in the kitchen and the gym is for building muscle.

Of course you burn calories working out. But in the big picture, the calories burned from working out are a small part of the puzzle.

8 ways to achieve fat loss without exercise

So, let’s get into how to shed fat without exercising. As I mentioned, fat loss happens in the kitchen, i.e. what you eat. So, seven of the ways have to do with your eating or “consumption habits” but one of these tips will show you how to burn calories throughout your day without stepping foot into a gym!

Sound too good to be true? Well, keep reading.

1. Eat more fiber

Eating more fiber is the best weight loss tool but it’s rarely ever mentioned. In addition to keeping you regular, fiber is satiating, adds bulk to your food, and even prevents your body from absorbing calories!

Click here if you want to learn more about fiber’s many weight loss effects.

2. Be NEAT

No, I’m not telling you to be a “neat person.” I’m talking about Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT). NEAT includes the physical movement in our lives that isn't planned exercise or sports (or sleeping, breathing, and eating

As I’ve mentioned before, the simple act of standing burns calories. In fact, standing burns three times more calories per minute than sitting.

Our bodies naturally burn around 130 calories per hour depending on your sex, age, height, and weight. But when you stand, you burn 200 calories or more per hour.

How to incorporate NEAT into your day:

Get a standing desk
Set an alarm and take a standing break every 20 minutes
Go for a short walk throughout your day
Walk to fill your water
Put things where you have to walk to get them
Stand whenever you’re checking emails (or social media) on your phone

3. Drink water

Did you know that drinking water can also help eliminate fat? Water aids in the removal of fat by-products and also help you feel fuller. It not only acts as a natural appetite suppressant but can also improve your metabolism.

Research on water's impact on metabolic function is ongoing. But one thing is certain – you’re less likely to gain weight if you’re filling up on a couple of glasses of water instead of a basket of bread before the meal.

4. Consume vinegar

During a three-month trial, researchers studied the effects of vinegar on weight loss. Compared to the placebo group, the group taking one tablespoon of vinegar each day lost about a pound a month. And the group taking two daily tablespoons lost five pounds.

These few pounds might not sound amazing, but the vinegar groups also got slimmer, with a one-inch waistline reduction.

A simple way to incorporate this fat-burning strategy into your day is to start and end your day with apple cider vinegar. Start and end your day with a glass of water and add 1 TBSP of ACV. This strategy not only helps you feel fuller and prevents you from late-night snacking, but it also burns calories.

5. Eat more plants, vegetables, and fruits

It’s not necessarily about the amount of food you consume, but the number of calories in that food. Plants, vegetables, and fruits are naturally calorie deplete and contain fewer calories.

Participants of a three-week weight loss study in Hawaii were told to consume as much fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and beans as they wanted and lost seventeen pounds.

6. Lower your taste thermostat

The longer we eat healthier foods, the better they taste. But why is that?

It all has to do with your taste thermostat! When you’re used to manufactured flavors and sugar foods, your taste buds are unable to detect the subtle flavors of whole foods. Your brain and your taste buds will begin to adapt so you begin to enjoy whole foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, and lentils.

7. Eat the majority of your calories in the morning

There is wisdom in the old adage to “breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a popper.” Front loading the majority of your food consumption allows your body more time to use it throughout the day.

8. Drink coffee

Your cup of coffee might be doing more than powering your morning.

The caffeine found in black coffee provides a metabolic boost. And according to Dr. Greger, it continues even during rest. “Drink two cups of coffee, and over the next few hours, your resting metabolic rate goes up about 10 percent. In fact, you can tell whether someone had just consumed coffee by measuring the heat coming off their skin. Two hours after drinking two cups of coffee, our skin temperatures rise by about half a degree.”

For every cup of coffee, you can expect to burn an extra seventeen calories.

Closing

If you’re a busy mom with your hands full or are just at a place in life where you don’t have extra time to go to the gym, don’t worry. Remember, fat loss happens in the kitchen and muscle building happens in the gym.

I’m not going to lie, it’s nice to be able to work out and burn off some steam. But there are seasons in life when it’s difficult to fit it into your schedule. If that’s the case but you still want to shed fat then incorporating any of these eight non-exercise fat loss methods will allow you to do just that.

Need guidance and accountability to help you lose fat and create a healthy sustainable lifestyle? Book a call with me today to learn how I can help get you to your goals.

My Top 8 Hacks to Lose Fat Without Exercise