How to lose weight without dieting?

Did you know that overly restrictive diets are often hard to stick to, and can even be harmful to your health? And that healthy weight loss is gradual weight loss, one that takes time? If you’d rather avoid restrictive diets altogether and build simple habits into your daily routine instead, here are 12 tips: hydration, sleep, walking, fibre, chewing, managing stress, alcohol, how you fill your plate, snacking and exercise. We also look at food supplements and skincare.

Tip 1: Drink water

Let’s start with the simplest one. To stay properly hydrated, you need to drink. But not just anything: water is and should remain your primary source of hydration. On its own, drinking water won’t make you lose weight, but staying well hydrated is one of the good habits worth building into your day. The human body is made up of roughly 60% water, so there’s every reason to keep it well hydrated and stay in good health!

Tip 2: Get quality sleep

Another weighty tip: to feel good day to day, it’s important to make sure you’re sleeping well. Why? Because sleep deprivation triggers a cascade of effects, starting with hormonal disruption:

• Lack of sleep disrupts the secretion of ghrelin and leptin — hormones that regulate hunger and satiety. If you’re not sleeping enough, your body will produce more ghrelin and less leptin. The result: you’ll feel hungrier, snack more, and find it harder to stop eating.
• Short nights also mean higher blood cortisol levels. To compensate for fatigue, your body secretes cortisol on a near-constant basis rather than in the usual necessary peaks. And elevated cortisol levels are associated with dry skin, brittle hair… and weight gain.

So prioritise sleep over screens in the evening. Build yourself a proper wind-down routine: eat dinner early, put away your phone or tablet, enjoy a relaxing activity, go to bed at a consistent time, and sleep in a dark, cool, quiet environment.

Tip 3: Walk every day

Even the least sporty among us can follow this tip to the letter. It’s that easy! The idea is to build a little physical activity into your daily life. Walking is the simplest, most natural and most accessible form of exercise there is. Whether you want to get back to or stay at a healthy weight, all you need to do to move more without pushing yourself is weave moments of walking into your day. Got a call to make? Take it standing up and pace around while you talk. Running low on bread? Lace up your shoes and walk to the bakery. You’ve overeaten and feel like dozing off on the sofa? Take a gentle 15-minute stroll after your meal. Added together, these small walks soon add up, and you’ll easily hit the recommended 30 minutes a day.

Tip 4: Eat more fibre

It’s well known that many people don’t get enough fibre in their diet — largely due to a lack of plant-based foods. Yet fibre deserves its place on your plate:

• It is found in vegetables, fruit, pulses and wholegrains.
• Nutritional guidelines recommend around 30 g a day for an adult, a level few people actually reach.
• Foods that contain it often need to be chewed well, which encourages you to eat more slowly.
• Increase your intake gradually and drink enough water to keep your digestion comfortable.

Still not convinced, and think high-fibre foods are boring? Think again: fibre is found in a huge variety of foods, including fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, pseudo-cereals (buckwheat, quinoa, chia), seaweed, mucilage-rich foods (konjac, psyllium), pulses, and nuts and seeds. Quite the list! Plenty of ways to mix things up and hit your daily fibre quota. To go further, have a look at the mistakes to avoid.

Tip 5: Chew properly

Such a simple tip, and yet… Very few people actually take the time to chew their food properly. Processed foods don’t exactly encourage it, with their soft textures and lack of ‘bite’. But it’s worth remembering that digestion begins in the mouth, thanks to the enzymes present in saliva. What’s more, chewing each mouthful thoroughly not only lets you savour all the flavours of your food, but also gives your body time to register that it’s full (around 20 minutes after the start of each meal). The little trick: put your fork down between each bite. Chewing is also about taking the time to listen to your hunger.

Tip 6: Try a food supplement course

Food supplements, such as capsules or draining drinks to dilute, are sometimes presented as a helpful nudge. Of course, they’re no substitute for a balanced diet or regular exercise. But when they’re high quality, made from natural ingredients (such as plant extracts) and taken as directed by the manufacturer, they can be part of a wider approach to taking care of yourself, never working on their own. There are many food supplements on the market, including:

• Our drink, rich in caffeine, taken as one dose per day for a month.
• For our capsules, check the ingredients and precautions on the product page or packaging.
• Do the same for other capsules from our range. Ask a doctor or pharmacist before combining supplements.

All three products are complementary and can be taken as occasional courses, for example at each change of season. They’re no substitute for a balanced diet or regular exercise.

Tip 7: Manage stress

Daily life can be incredibly stressful: work, projects, children, relationships… you know how it goes! If you’d like to know more about the link between stress and weight, we’ve devoted a whole article to it. Day to day, the key is learning to let go! Carve out real moments of relaxation for yourself, where nothing else matters but you. This could mean meditation, yoga, reading or walks in nature (without your phone!). Try to free up 30 minutes of peace each day, too: time to shed that mental load.

Tip 8: Cut back on alcohol (or stop altogether!)

A tip aimed more at those who drink alcohol regularly, of course… Bear in mind that alcohol, whatever the type, contributes to excess weight:

• It is high in calories: one gram of alcohol provides 7 kcal, compared with 4 for one gram of sugar.
• Its calories are completely empty, providing no nutrients whatsoever to the body.
• Health authorities advise no more than 10 drinks a week and 2 drinks a day, with some alcohol-free days.
• It often goes hand in hand with nibbles at aperitif time.
• It influences food choices, nudging you towards fattier, saltier options.
• It dehydrates, as it stimulates urination.

Not to mention its other effects on health… So if you’re in the habit of drinking regularly — whether it’s a pre-dinner aperitif or wine with meals — it’s worth thinking twice. Cutting back on alcohol is one of the simple habits worth adopting. Keep it occasional — for a birthday or a family meal, for instance — and when you do drink, keep it moderate and limit yourself to one glass.

Tip 9: Follow the ‘half, quarter, quarter’ rule

Not quite sure what that means? No worries — we’ll explain everything! This is by no means a diet, but rather a simple nutritional guideline. The idea is to eat a bit of everything, in sensible amounts. But if you have no idea what ‘sensible amounts’ actually look like, let alone the right proportions, this tip is perfect for you. It’s straightforward: your plate should be half vegetables, a quarter carbohydrates and a quarter protein. That way, you get all the macronutrients your body needs without going hungry! That way, you eat a varied diet and genuinely enjoy your meals! Need some examples to build this ideal plate? Here are a few:

• Grilled chicken breast (quarter), steamed potatoes (quarter), sautéed courgettes (half)
• Pan-seared salmon fillet (quarter), basmati rice (quarter), cumin-spiced carrots (half)
• Grilled tofu (quarter), quinoa (quarter), vegetable stir-fry (half)

Appetising, isn’t it?

Tip 10: Embrace the snack

‘It’s snack time! Can’t — I’m on a diet…’ Wrong move. That kind of thinking can even backfire. But it’s important to understand what we mean by a snack. It’s neither a full meal nor mindless munching, but rather a light bite (less than 25% of your daily nutritional intake) designed to ease a small hunger pang caused by a light meal or physical exertion. A well-chosen snack has its place in your day. It can help you:

• Head off unplanned cravings and impulsive eating.
• Arrive less hungry at your next meal.
• Get through to your next meal more comfortably.

Of course, opt for a balanced snack that brings something worthwhile to your body: plain yoghurt with fresh fruit, a slice of bread with lean ham or smoked trout, an apple with a handful of almonds, cottage cheese with vegetable sticks.

Tip 11: Get back into exercise

Admit it, you were hoping to avoid this one… But let’s be honest: exercise remains one of the most useful everyday habits. Our advice: stop seeing sport as a chore. Find a physical activity you actually enjoy. It’s out there: there are as many sports as there are tastes. If you prefer going solo, cycling, climbing, windsurfing or running might be your thing. If you like something more playful, Zumba, beach volleyball, dancing or tennis could be a great fit. If you need to let off steam, body combat, boxing or CrossFit will do the trick! And if you thrive in a group setting, group classes or team sports will meet your needs. One more piece of advice: let go of the idea of performance, and focus instead on how you feel: enjoyment during the activity, a sense of achievement afterwards, wellbeing in the evening… All forms of exercise get you using up energy, and that’s a fact!

Tip 12: Enlist the help of cosmetics

Cosmetics have come a long way in recent years. Significant advances have been made in formulation, ingredients and texture. There’s now a wide range of products to suit every preference. For example, we offer:

• Complete routines: treatments to apply, our device for your daily massage, a tea to brew, and comprehensive guides (recipes, tips, routines).
• Treatments in a variety of textures, to suit every preference (cream or oil texture, all-over or targeted use…)

It would be a shame not to take advantage of the latest advances in cosmetics: alongside the previous tips, they give you the perfect opportunity to take care of yourself!

Frequently asked questions

How can I look after my figure without dieting?

Rather than following a strict diet, focus on twelve tips you can adopt gradually in your daily life, from staying hydrated to exercise and how you fill your plate. Start with the ones that feel easiest to fit in, then add more over time.

How can I eat without dieting and without feeling hungry?

Fill your plate following the ‘half vegetables, quarter carbohydrates, quarter protein’ rule (tip no. 9) and include plenty of high-fibre foods. Take the time to chew properly. If you feel a bit peckish, a balanced snack is still an option, such as an apple and a handful of almonds.

Is it possible to speed things up without dieting?

Changing your habits is a gradual process that takes time. It’s better to focus on habits you can keep up in the long run, rather than trying to rush things with restrictions that are hard to stick to.

How can I take care of my tummy naturally?

Combine several tips: walk every day, find a sport you enjoy, sleep well and manage your stress. As for skincare, the Programme Ventre Extra Plat featured in tip no. 12 includes two cosmetic treatments to apply to the stomach and hips.

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Useful categories: Slimming Solutions, Weight Management.