10 Steps: How to Lose Weight Without Dieting

Many people decide on the spur of the moment that they’re going to start dieting. How often does it work? Rarely. Why bother with something that probably won't work anyway? Discover how you can lose weight without dieting by applying these few simple steps.

Steps

The Motivation

1. Know when you're "there." Facts are facts: If you're not ready to make a change, the weight certainly won't magically fall off. Especially if you're not dieting. But knowing when you're there (and taking action only when you are) will prevent you from having another failed attempt at weight loss.
   • Not dieting puts a serious dent in your ability to lose weight. That pretty much means you're down to exercise and good life habits. If exercising consistently and practicing diligence and self-restraint don't sound doable, assess your situation and revisit this idea at a later date.
     • If you're not there, ask yourself what you can do to get there. What has stood in your way in the past? What excuses have you made? What obstacles do you have to overcome? What might make you motivated?
2. Set realistic goals. Instead of focusing on the total amount you want to lose, make achievable targets for a week at a time which you know can be attainable. Because you're not dieting, you may need to think a bit smaller than the average dieter.
   • Think about your workout routine. How many calories are you aiming to burn a day? What about days to rest? Will you take any? If you burn 400 calories a day (low impact aerobics burns 365 calories for someone who's 160 lbs (73 kg)), that's 2,800 calories a week. One pound is 3,500 calories.
3. Know what you're up against. Each person burns a different amount of calories while working out. The more you weigh, in general, the more calories you'll burn. Just because the number on the treadmill says you burned 500 calories, you may not necessarily have burned 500 calories.
   • Running at 5 mph burns 606 calories per hour for a 160 lb person. But for a 200 lb (109 kg) person? 905. Walking at 2 mph? 204 calories versus 305, respectively. If you're making a goal, make sure you're using the right numbers!
4. Set rewards. Okay, so you're in the zone. You're ready to lose weight. You're motivated. Brilliant! Now how do you stay in the zone? By setting goals and setting rewards to boot!
   • Make your rewards at regular intervals, just like your goals. You can do this by any scale you choose -- if you burn 10,000 calories, it's party time! Or have you worked out 10 days in a row? Fantastic! Now what kind of reward would keep you going? A night out? A mini vacation? An afternoon nap?

Tips

• Eat regularly -- research shows that healthy snacking can actually keep your hunger at bay. Just eat smaller meals instead of one or two bigger ones.
• Avoid sugary and processed food -- they only give you short bursts of energy and they are high in fat.
• Dieting can actually make you more hungry. Your body slows down the calorie burning process because it doesn't know when you will eat next. As a result, it stores fat.

Warnings

• You may not see the results you're looking for, especially immediately. Be patient.