6 Effective Weight Loss Tricks For Extremely Lazy People

I am trying to be healthier. And yes, a big part of that is increased energy, better skin, and a generally lighter feeling, but part of that is a bit of weight loss. My clothes have started feeling tight (damn you, winter, and all your melted cheeses!) and I have just generally realized that I’ve gained more weight than I’m comfortable with. No judgment on anyone else, but for me, losing a bit right now is important.

But I’m also incredibly lazy, and anything that involves tedious calorie-counting or strict workout routines is just not going to do it for me. I like going out, I love wine, I can’t live without dairy products, and workouts make me sad. So, in an effort to consume less and expend more while giving zero fucks, I found the six easiest ways to lose some weight and feel way better.

Drink a shitload of water.

Yes, you’ve probably heard this one a lot, but that’s because it’s true. And yet, it’s actually harder than you would think to implement in daily life, if only because we’re so used to not drinking enough water. When you actually do it, though, you realize immediately that you’re way less hungry, you have tons more energy (less bloated), and your skin is looking way better. To make it easier to myself, I bought a liter carafe for a couple bucks, and I try to drink three of them a day. I fill it with water and lots of ice (and sometimes lemon slices or other fruits) to make it always icy-cold and refreshing.

Pause every quarter of your meal.

It’s one of those things I just never thought of before, but it’s way more effective than I thought it would be. All you do is, during a meal, stop and pause for a few minutes after each quarter or so of your plate. Drink some water, participate in a cross-table conversation, check your email, whatever. Just force yourself to stop and digest for a moment and, if you’re still hungry, go back. Almost without exception, I have found that I’m never hungry after the second pause, sometimes even after the first. We just never let our stomachs catch up to our brains and tell us we’re full before we eat the entire plate.

Get a FitBit.

I used to think that FitBits were tools, and they kind of are, but only if you wear it out on your wrist for the world to see and know that you are ~health conscious~. If you just put it discreetly in your pocket/bra, you and your health are only your business, and you can become healthily obsessed with being active. I’ve gone from mostly-sedentary to walking 15,000 steps a day in a matter of days, and wearing the Bit makes it feel like a video game. If you only make an effort to walk a lot — and do nothing else — you can burn hundreds of calories a day and start to feel tons of benefits of physical activity. It couldn’t be easier!

Use caffeine strategically.

Use caffeine – whether a big iced coffee or a cup of hot tea – to your advantage. Sure, start your day with it (and make the drink last a long time if you can, you’ll often find you don’t even feel hungry until late into the lunch hour), but also have one in the early afternoon when you were craving a sweet, sugary snack. Caffeine will suppress your appetite and give you something to do with your hands/mouth. I often find that I don’t even want the snack after having the caffeine, but if you still do, grab a handful of something small to alternate with sips of your drink, like a couple nuts or berries.

Plan things so you’re forced to walk.

This is obviously easier if you’re in a big city where walking is the norm, but still, there are always ways to organize your errands and activities so that walking makes the most sense. Spreading things far-ish apart from each other, setting meetups where you know you’ll want to go on foot, and doing your shopping outdoors instead of in malls, are all simple ways to increase your time spent walking. Getting to 15 or even 20 thousand steps in a day can be tedious, but if you integrate it into your activities (including just taking an afternoon walk), especially if some of it is brisk or on an incline, it’s really not hard.

Give yourself minimums instead of maximums.

Maybe it’s just me, but I am incapable of restricting things, food-wise, in any serious way. So it’s way easier and more sane for me to just put in minimums for my daily eating habits, and then allow myself to do what I like afterwards. I have to have a certain amount of fruit and veg, take my supplements, and drink my water. Then I can have whatever. And the great thing is that, by the time I finish the things I’m “supposed” to eat, I’m not really that hungry anymore.