How to lose weight without Dieting

Here are five simple tips to help you lose weight without dieting. “Eating healthy” and “exercising more” are great truisms, and I whole-heartedly believe in them, but sometimes people just want to know what they can do without shifting their lifestyle too much – something that doesn’t require a complete overhaul. I’m a big believer in starting slow rather than jumping in with both feet.

Below are a few small steps you can take to not just shed a few pounds, but get a lot healthier, too. Try to commit to one or two of these tips for a few weeks without changing anything else. Don’t be surprised if you see a shift on the scale in the right direction.

Sleep

A recent study conducted at the University of Chicago looked at two groups of people, both on a low-calorie diet. One group slept 5.5 hours a night, and another group slept 8.5 hours a night. Interestingly enough, both groups lost the same amount of weight (seven pounds), but the sleep-deprived group lost mostly muscle in comparison to the rested group that lost mostly fat. <—-This study was only conducted over a two week period! Bottom line: If you want to have a leaner, less fat body, get a full night of sleep.

Eat fermented foods

Fermented foods, like homemade sauerkraut, kimchi, homemade yogurt, kombucha, miso or this cool recipe contain incredible amounts of good bacteria. If you have taken antibiotics in the past few years or have eaten a fair share of sugary foods lately, then it’s highly likely that you have too much bad bacteria and too little good bacteria. Probiotics are good bugs that help even the playing field in your gut. Without them, our immune system begins to fall apart, leading to an increase in allergies, colds and even arthritic conditions.