How to Lose Weight Without Dieting
In a world inundated with fad diets and quick-fix weight loss “solutions,” the idea of losing weight without traditional dieting may seem like a pipe dream. But, what if I told you that sustainable weight loss is achievable without subjecting yourself to restrictive eating plans or counting every calorie? I learned how to shift my focus from short-term results to long-term wellness and embrace a holistic approach that nourishes both body and soul and I want to show you too!
The Problem with Diets
Popularized diets like Atkins, Weight Watchers, and calorie counting have dominated the weight loss landscape for years, promising rapid results through rigid rules and restrictions. While these approaches may yield temporary success for some, they often fail to address the underlying factors contributing to weight gain and neglect the importance of overall health and well-being.
I know first hand the deceit of diet culture, decades ago I was a professional dieter, binging and dieting myself right up to 263 pounds. I’m a recovering food addict and was an emotional eater, so when I fell, I fell big! But then I found a different way to release the weight – one that nourishes my body instead of depriving it and led to sustainable lifestyle changes.
The trick to succeeding at dieting is to not diet. That’s right. You heard me: don’t think of yourself as being on a diet, and don’t tell people that you’re on a diet. Just think of this as a time in your life when you’re choosing to eat better and get healthier and follow these four steps.
Confront Your Excuses
Despite our best intentions, excuses often stand in the way of achieving our weight loss goals. If there is an excuse out there for not being able to release weight, believe me, I’ve heard it. In fact, I have probably even used it myself! In fact, my guess is that whatever your excuse is, it’s one of the top five weight loss excuses. In which case, I have a cheat sheet already made for you on how to overcome it.
When it comes to releasing weight, it is just as much about mindset as it is about physical habits and discipline. So, it's essential to recognize that excuses are simply stories we tell ourselves to justify inaction or avoid discomfort.
This is the foundational step to your success, and you can’t skip this step and expect to succeed. It will be uncomfortable but it’s time to confront your excuses head on by identifying the underlying beliefs or fears that are driving them. For example, if you frequently use the excuse of not having enough time to exercise, ask yourself what beliefs or fears are fueling this excuse. Are you afraid of failure? Do you believe that you're not capable of prioritizing your health? By shining a light on these underlying beliefs, you can begin to challenge and overcome them.
Related: How to write your own affirmations
Monitor Your Progress
How can you ever see your progress or celebrate your wins if you’re not monitoring your progress? Before you begin, you must confront your current reality. The best way to do that is with a holistic health assessment (like the one I’ve outlined below.) This is your starting point, or as I like to say, your “current reality” that is about to change.
Ideally, you should complete this personal health analysis sheet four times a year. That will help you determine just how you’re progressing toward your given goals. Get started now! Keep your personal analysis checklist on hand and watch your changes unfold in black and white.
How many 8 oz servings of the following do you drink each day?
a) Coffee __________ __Regular __Decaf
What do you put in your coffee?_____________________
b) Tea ____________ __Regular __Herbal
What do you put in your tea? _____________________
c) Soda Pop ____________ __Regular __Diet
d) Energy/Sports Drinks ____________________________
e) Water ___________ __Tap __Bottled __Filtered
f) Alcohol ________
g)Juices ___________
What kinds?___________________________________________________
Give a brief description of a typical day of eating for you:
Breakfast
Morning Snack
Lunch
Afternoon Snack
Dinner
Evening Snack
Do you use any artificial sweeteners? __Yes __No
What kind?______________________________________
How many times a week do you eat fast food?_____
Processed foods?_________
Do you tend to have cravings? _______
What do you crave?__________________________________________
Do you eat organic foods? __Yes __No
Are you on any prescription medications? __Yes __No
What medical condition are they for?_______________________________
Do you have any other medical conditions that you are under a doctor’s care
for?__________________________________________________________
Do you have any allergies? __Yes __No
What kind? ___________________________________________________
Have you ever had cancer? __Yes __No
What kind?______________________ When?__________________
Did you have radiation or chemotherapy? __Yes __No
With any of your medical conditions, have you ever been told not to eat certain foods or vitamins?__Yes __No
Do you work with any chemicals? __Yes __No
Do you currently smoke? __Yes __No
If yes, how many cigarettes daily? _____________
Have you ever smoked? __Yes __No
When did you quit?_________________
Are you pregnant or nursing? __Yes __No
How many bowel movements do you have per day?_______
per week?__________
Have you ever had bowel problems? __Yes __No
What was the problem?______________________________
Have you ever had stomach problems? __Yes __No
What was the problem?____________________________
What other programs/diets have you tried?_________________________
Have you tried cleansing before? __Yes __No
What nutritional supplements do you take?___________________________
Do you currently exercise? __Yes __No
If No, have you ever exercised before? __Yes __No
What is your highest value in life?___________________________________
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being the best), how would you rate your overall
health?__________
Where would you LIKE it to be? __________
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being the best), how would you rate your overall
energy?__________
Where would you LIKE it to be?__________
On a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being the worst), how would you rate your level of
stress?__________
Where would you LIKE it to be?__________
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being the best), how would you rate your financial health?__________
Where would you LIKE it to be?__________
What benefits would you like to experience?
__Removal of Impurities
__Less discomfort
__Improved mobility
__Increased energy
__Enhanced mental clarity
__Better sleep
__Sugar balance
__Build lean muscle mass
__Get rid of a bad habit
__Better athletic performance
__Improved digestion
__Decreased stress levels
__Improved relationships
__Other
Is weight loss or gain something you’d like to experience? __Yes __No
How much in sizes or pounds? __________
What is your ideal time frame _____________?
What is your current weight?
What are your current measurements?
Neck: ____
Chest: _____
Bicep: _____
Stomach: _____
Hips: _____
Thigh: ______
Calf: _____
As you analyze your health data, be honest with yourself about your current habits and behaviors. Are there areas where you could make improvements, such as diet, exercise, stress management, or sleep?
After 90 days, what goals will you have accomplished?
Focus on Clean Eating
Traditional diets often focus on calorie counting or restrictive eating, promoting the idea that weight loss is simply a matter of consuming fewer calories than you burn. However, this narrow approach fails to address the importance of nourishing your body with nutrient-dense foods and supporting your overall health and well-being. Instead of fixating on numbers on a scale, shift your focus to clean eating—a holistic approach to nutrition that prioritizes whole, unprocessed foods.
Clean eating is the exact opposite of dieting. It’s not about deprivation or strict rules; it's about embracing foods that nourish your body and fuel your vitality. Think colorful fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats. By filling your plate with nutrient-rich foods, you provide your body with the essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants it needs to thrive.
In addition to focusing on fueling your body, eating clean will support detoxification and promote your overall wellness. Picture your liver with a front and back door. If your body is working efficiently, both doors are open so that impurities are filtered through the liver and can leave the body. When your body isn’t working well, the impurities go in the front door; however, not all of them can leave through the back door. Instead, they stay in your system. You feel tired and your body doesn’t work efficiently, not to mention the fact that the impurities that don’t get filtered out of your body will, instead, stay in your system. We need your body to be detoxing and eating clean will help!
Get Moving
Don’t tune me out on this, I know you know that exercise is important, but it’s worth mentioning again! Here’s the truth, which I had to discover the hard way: there is never a more important moment to start exercising than right now, when you’re determined to transform your body and your life.
Exercise won’t just help you release weight; it will help lift your mood, give you energy, and provide mental clarity, especially if you head outdoors and connect with nature.
If exercising outdoors poses too much of a challenge at first, walk in place and do leg lifts and push-ups in the comfort of your own house. You can subscribe to an exercise streaming service, follow a YouTube channel, get an exercise DVD or just put on your favorite music.
If videos are too much for you in the beginning, begin slowly. Start on the edge of the kitchen counter, pushing with your arms in a mini-push-up as you begin, or lie on your side and lift your leg while you watch TV instead of just sitting. Stand on the edge of a step and do calf raises or lunges and squats while you are doing things around the house. Resistance exercises like these build your lean muscle tissue over time, which in turn will burn more calories, assisting you in keeping your weight off. Resistance (weight training) exercises can also help reshape your body. Anything is better than nothing.
The more you move, the more you’ll want to move. You’ll find that your body feels better when you move around. Our bodies are meant to be used!!
Related: Choosing the right workout for your fitness goals – an interview with personal trainer, Karla
