Is it possible to lose weight without exercising?

The first advice that most people will give you when it comes to weight loss is to either join a gym or go on a diet. But the truth is, you can lose weight even without exercising or starving yourself by following some celebrity-endorsed fad diet. Shonali Sabherwal, a macrobiotic counsellor, chef, instructor and author of ‘The Love Diet‘ and ‘The Beauty Diet’, tells us how to lose weight without exercising.

‘It is possible to lose weight with diet and no exercise. However, the diet needs to be packed with nutrients that will feed the body. Some amount of movement is essential; however monitoring diet is 80% of the battle. Having said that, it may not be an option for someone who is extremely obese as they need to consume a certain amount of calories and also convert body fat to muscle. However, I lost 10 kg within 2 years with diet alone, no exercise. Although I did not fall in the obese category,’ confesses Shonali.

Tips to remember

When we talk about diet, we are obviously referring to a healthy diet that will nourish the body, not starvation, or fasts that will starve it. Diets become harmful, when one deprives the body of nourishment. Planning a well-balanced meal is important. Here are a few pointers:

• Reduce salt in your food
• Minimise the use of oil
• Eat small but frequent meals
• Keep a track of the number of calories you consume

Foods with negative calories

There are certain foods which have very few calories and the energy required to burn them is more than what they produce. ‘A negative calorie food requires more digestive time than the level of nourishment (energy) it will provide. Therefore you end up burning more calories. But loading up on negative calorie foods is not the answer to losing weight. The body loses weight by a supply of nutrient-rich foods, and not just loading up on negative calorie foods, which may or may not provide nutrients,’ says Shonali. Therefore, a healthy mix of food is essential even when it comes to weight loss.

According to Shonali, macrobiotics can help as it addresses triggers that are responsible for weight gain. It also helps the body burn fat better and food to nourish the body better. She advices to cut down on nuts, soy, oil, and eat food in different percentages such as – whole grains (30%), vegetables (40-50%), beans/legumes/fish (15%), and good quality fermented foods (5%).

Foods to avoid

When you are trying to lose weight just by eating healthy, it is vital to pay close attention to what you eat. In the process, you will have to give up eating a few things. Shonali suggests avoiding the following food items:

• Red meat
• Dairy products (dahi, paneer, milk, milk chocolates, cheese, sugar, sweeteners (except Stevia))
• Honey, jaggery, fruit juices
• All refined oils
• Eggs
• Black coffee, Indian tea
• White flour products made of maida such as pasta and commercial breads
• Alcohol
• Shellfish 

Weight loss diet plan

Breakfast: One 4-inch size in diameter bowl of brown rice poha or millet poha or 2 rotis made with rajgeera (amaranth atta) + jovar atta (use 2 tbsp of wheat atta to bind rotis)

Mid Morning: 1 fruit

Lunch: Approximately 120g cooked brown rice, 1 bowl dal/fish if non-vegetarian, 1 veggie and pickle

Mid afternoon: 1 fruit

Dinner by 7 pm: Fish (if non- vegetarian) or dal larger bowl (100g) cooked (however remove water weight), veggies approx 170g and 1 roti (made with the same combination as mentioned before).

If you have the option of eating organic food, do so as it will have less chemicals and pesticides.

But…

Even though you can lose weight with just a controlled diet, exercising has its own set of benefits, weight loss being one of them. Physical exercise releases endorphins or happy hormones which reduces stress. It is also good for maintaining one’s cardiovascular health. People who work out will have a more toned figure as compared to those who don’t. Also, they will feel fitter, lighter and stronger. They are likelier to have better physical stamina, stronger muscles and flexibility due to their workout. Exercising does not only mean hitting the gym but it can be in any form including yoga, dance workouts, swimming, running and even walking. So, if you wish to be fit and not just slim, it is best to have a good diet and some or the other form of physical exercise in your daily routine. 

Shonali Sabherwal is India’s only practising counsellor/chef and instructor in macrobiotics and that is her USP. She is a celebrity counsellor and chef to some of the hottest and fittest Bollywood beauties. Her clients include Hema Malini, Neha Dhupia, Esha Deol, Ahana Deol, Jacqueline Fernandez, Katrina Kaif, Tabu, Shekhar Kapur, Kabir Bedi, and Dalip Tahil.

Track calories in Indian food items using Healthifyme calorie counter

You may also like to read:

• Weight loss diet by expert dietician
• Fad is bad: Say no to diets which promise speedy weight loss
• 6 diet tips to lose belly fat
• Tasty recipes for weight loss
• Eat and lose weight: 10 food items for weight loss!
• Why drinking is bad for your weight loss regime
• 10 superfoods for weight loss

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