18 Simple Ways to Lose and Maintain Weight: A Lazy Person’s Guide

In our fast-paced lives, it’s easy to let stress and unhealthy habits take over, leading to weight gain and a feeling of being stuck. About 5 years ago, I found myself in this situation, having gradually gained 15 pounds due to stress, overeating, and a lack of awareness of the calories I was consuming. It wasn’t until I woke up and realized that if I didn’t take action now, I may never lose the weight. I implemented basic measures such as exercising, monitoring my calorie intake, and cutting back on sweets, without making any drastic changes. Eventually, I was able to lose the weight and maintain a healthy body. I realized that with a little effort, even lazy people like me can easily incorporate small changes into their lifestyle to lose and maintain weight. Here are 18 simple ways to do so, without needing a gym membership.

1. Drink Water: Drinking plenty of water is essential for detoxifying the body and keeping your organs functioning at their best, both of which promote weight loss. Additionally, drinking water before meals fills up your stomach, so you eat less.

2. Sleep More: A good night’s sleep not only gives your body time to rest and repair, but it also helps you avoid overeating. Aim for 8 to 9 hours of sleep per night.

3. Eat Breakfast: Starting your day with a healthy breakfast can boost your metabolism and help you burn more calories during the day. Try eating whole-grain cereal, fruit, or a to-go bar.

4. Walk 30 Minutes a Day: Regular exercise, even a brisk 30-minute walk, can lead to significant weight loss. Listen to music or call a friend, but make sure you stay active for at least 30 minutes each day.

5. Eat as Much as You Want: Snack on fruits and vegetables like carrots, apples, oranges, and edamame, which are filling foods and good for you. After a few days of snacking on these instead of sugary snacks, your body will crave them instead of junk food.

6. Keep Coffee and Sweets, But Have Them Early: If you’re craving sweets or a cup of coffee, indulge in them earlier in the day rather than before bed. The sugar and caffeine can cause difficulty sleeping, which can lead to overeating the next day.

7. Forgive Yourself: It’s important to forgive yourself for missing a workout or having a bad day. Negative thoughts can contribute to overeating and weight gain.

8. Snack More: Eating smaller portions throughout the day will keep your blood sugar levels from spiking, and prevent you from overeating when you’re hungry.

9. Keep Calories in Food: Drink water instead of soda or juice. If you need more taste, add lemon or lime juice or a little orange zest. Cut down on your sugar intake by keeping tea unsweetened.

10. Chew Gum: Stave off your hunger pangs by chewing a gum.

11. Cut Out Alcohol: Eliminating alcohol from your diet (until you meet your goal) can help you stay on track with weight loss. Alcohol not only fills you with empty calories but also suppresses fat-burning testosterone and inhibits your metabolism.

12. Watch TV While Lifting Weights: Lifting weights while watching your favorite TV show can help tone your muscles and help you burn fat without much effort.

13. Slow Down Your Meals: Enjoy your food, and eat slowly so that you’re more satisfied. You’ll be more aware of when you’re full, making it less likely to overeat.

14. Meditate and Breathe: Meditation can help you relieve stress, which can lead to weight gain. Take a few minutes to calm down, focus, and think positively.

15. Use a Smaller Plate: Your brain tricks your body into thinking you have less food when the plate is smaller. So, use smaller plates to help yourself feel full and reduce your calorie intake.

16. Brush Your Teeth: Brush your teeth right after dinner to curb your desire for dessert. After all, are you really going to brush your teeth twice in the same evening?

17. Do the 7-Minute Workout: Even if you don’t have much time, seven minutes a day is enough to exercise, burn calories, and help you lose weight.

18. Kill the Craving: If you have a hankering for a cookie or a cupcake, eat it. But don’t eat five cookies. Cut the cupcake in half and save the other half for tomorrow’s dessert.

In conclusion, incorporating these small changes can help you lose and maintain weight in a healthy, sustainable way, without the need for expensive gym memberships or extreme diets. Drink water, sleep more, eat breakfast, walk daily, snack on fruits and vegetables, keep coffee and sweets for early in the day, forgive yourself, snack more, keep calories in food, chew gum, cut out alcohol, watch TV while lifting weights, slow down your meals, meditate and breathe, use a smaller plate, brush your teeth, do the seven-minute workout, and kill cravings. With these measures, even the laziest of us can take control of our health and feel great about ourselves.