Dieting has a time and place. If you have more specific, time-bound goals, counting your macros and staying in a true calorie deficit is the way to go. But if you are okay with slower, steadier weight loss or want to make a few shifts to your lifestyle without counting calories, it is still possible to progress towards your goals.
We asked our dietitians on staff to share some of their top tips for losing weight without dieting; here's what they had to say.
Coach Alex’s Top Tips to Lose Weight Without Dieting
Coach Alex Oskian is a WAG Coach and Registered Dietitian whose expertise has been featured in publications like Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Forbes, HuffPost, and more. You can learn more about Alex here.
Move More
Exercise is important, but your movement outside organized exercise adds up fast and can significantly impact weight loss.
Coach Alex says, “NEAT stands for non-exercise activity thermogenesis, which is all activity you perform outside of formal exercise and can account for. In extreme cases, NEAT can differ between individuals by 2,000 calories daily.” Some examples of NEAT include parking far away from a store entrance, walking around at work, grocery shopping, and more. Intentionally upping your NEAT is a great way to increase daily calorie burn.
Focus On Protein
Protein helps you feel full, stabilizes blood sugar levels, and supports muscle maintenance and building. Feeling full can help you manage cravings, which limits unnecessary calories from overeating.
But how do you know if you’re getting enough? Coach Alex suggests, “Include a protein food—animal or plant-based—in all of your meals and snacks.” This is a great place to start if you want to lose weight without dieting or counting calories.
Prioritize Sleep
Sleep helps regulate hunger, stress, and mood hormones, which impact food choices. Wondering how much sleep you need? Coach Alex says to “set a sleep timer to make sure to bank at least seven hours of sleep (not just time in bed, but actual hours sleeping). Without adequate sleep, you may lose muscle mass while trying to restrict calories simultaneously.”
Grab our top 15 sleep tips here!
Stay Hydrated
It is common to mistake thirst for hunger. The result? Even mild dehydration can increase the likelihood of overeating. According to coach Alex, staying hydrated “reduces total calorie intake since water is calorie-free, helps keep hunger at bay between meals, and ensures your muscles have the nutrients they need to grow since water acts as a transport for various nutrients.”
Learn how much water you need to drink here, and check out the infographic below for a quick visual.
Coach Brittany’s Top Tips to Lose Weight Without Dieting
Brittany Werner is a Coach, Registered Dietitian, and the Director of Coaching here at Working Against Gravity. Her expertise has been featured in publications like Forbes, Good Housekeeping, AARP, Business Insider, Glamour, and more. You can learn more about Brittany here.
Lift Weights
The more muscle you have, the more you can eat (looking at you, metabolism), which can help you lose weight without dieting. Coach Brittany says, “Resistance training works to build up our lean mass and reduce fat simultaneously. Weight training can boost your resting metabolic rate, meaning you burn more calories at rest.” In other words, cardio is a great start… but you need to lift some weights if you want real body recomposition.
Cut Back on Alcohol
Alcohol presses pause on fat burning and contributes to excess calorie intake. So, if you drink regularly, cutting back can help you lose weight without many other changes.
Coach Brittany advises, “Cutting back on alcohol will help with overall caloric intake. Alcohol is high in calories with no nutritional benefit. Alcohol can also interfere with the absorption of essential micronutrients, and reducing your intake will help support overall health and weight management.”
Join our free Happy Hour Made Easy course to learn more about how alcohol impacts your body and snag some of our favorite mocktail recipes.
Minimize Meals Out
Just like cutting back on alcohol, limiting meals out for special occasions can help with weight loss by helping you significantly cut back on hidden calories. Coach Brittany shares, “Restaurant meals often have higher calories, fats, and added sugars than our at-home variations. Preparing meals at home will encourage you to develop healthier cooking habits, leading to long-term success toward your goals.”
This doesn’t mean you have to skip restaurant meals altogether! We totally understand that, for some, it is an integral part of connecting with friends and family. But saving it for special occasions instead of making it a staple part of your routine will go a long way.
Final Thoughts on Losing Weight Without Dieting
Losing weight generally requires a calorie deficit. So, if you want to lose weight without dieting, you still need to find ways to expend more energy than you consume. The tips from WAG RDNs Alex and Brittany will help you do this without counting calories or macros.
Although WAG started as a macro-tracking program, our in-house app allows you and your coach to track any metrics that make sense for you, your goals, and your lifestyle. Learn more about our membership options here and get matched with your coach today.
