Beauty BuzzHow to Lose Weight Without Exercise
Life & Style's How To: Beauty Buzz will cover the latest in makeup trends while answering all of your beauty related questions — step by step! Stop by each week for the latest update!
No one ever said that losing weight was easy, though it sometimes may look like it is for celebrities. Beyoncé has lost all of her baby weight, just months after giving birth to twins — like, come on! And Kim Kardashian seemed to shed her extra pounds over night after giving birth to Saint. But if you're not willing to put in the exercise like Kim did, there are still ways you can lose weight without flexing a muscle.
If exercise is not your thing, there's still hope if you're looking to change something about your body. Whether you'd like to lose weight to be healthier or for another reason, there are several things you can do, proven by experts that will ultimately help your lifestyle change and weight loss journey.
Cut out soda
Yes, even diet. If you're watching your waistline, reaching for a diet soda isn't helping. In a study done by epidemiologists from the School of Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, it was found that diet soda is associated with "increased waist circumference." Trade your soda (and for that matter, all other kinds of drinks) for a glass of water.
Reach for vanilla extract
And not for cooking — but to use as perfume! Doctors have developed something called "the vanilla patch," which sticks to the back of the hand, the smell of which alleviates chocolate addiction.
"Those wearing the vanilla patches shed an average of 4 pounds compared to just 1.5 pounds for those not wearing any patch," the study cites.
You don't need to get a vanilla patch prescription by any means. But you can reap the benefits of it, simply by dabbing a bit of vanilla extract onto your wrists. The smell apparently affects brain chemistry, curbing cravings for sugar and sweets.
Eat in well-lit places
Wait, what?! According to a 2016 study published in the Journal of Marketing Research, bright lights apparently condone healthy choices. People who eat in well-lit spaces are 16-24% more likely to order healthy foods. The light causes a sense of alertness, prompting diners to eat more healthfully.
"We feel more alert in brighter rooms and therefore tend to make more healthful, forward-thinking decisions," Dipayan Biswas, PhD, University of South Florida explains.
Regulate your body temp
The easiest way to do that is to turn down your thermostat. A study published in The Cell finds that exposure to cold temperatures helps the body self-regulate, which can consequently lead to weight loss.
Eat more beans
Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition finds that people who eat a 3/4 cup of beans — lentils, peas, chickpeas, and any kind of beans included — lost half a pound per week without changing any other aspect of their diets and without any changes in how they exercised.
Put down your phone
Most especially, turn it off when you sleep. Exposure to blue light causes weight gain, according to a study done by Ohio University. In the study, mice exposed to light gained 50% more weight than mice who slept in total darkness.
Keep your room completely dark — no night lights and curtains tightly shut. And make sure to shut off your phone and all other technologies that emit blue light.
