Sticking to a conventional diet and exercise plan can be difficult. However, there are several proven tips that can help you eat fewer calories with ease. These are effective ways to reduce your weight, as well as to prevent weight gain in the future. Here are 11 ways to lose weight without diet or exercise. All of them are based on science. 1. Chew Thoroughly and Slow Down Your brain needs time to process that you've had enough to eat. Chewing your food thoroughly makes you eat more slowly, which is associated with decreased food intake, increased fullness and smaller portion sizes . How quickly you finish your meals may also affect your weight. A recent review of 23 observational studies reported that faster eaters are more likely to gain weight than slower eaters. Fast eaters are also much more likely to be obese. To get into the habit of eating more slowly, it may help to count how many times you chew each bite. SUMMARY Eating your food slowly can help you feel more full with fewer calories. It is an easy way to lose weight and prevent weight gain. 2. Use Smaller Plates for Unhealthy Foods The typical food plate is larger today than it was a few decades ago. This trend could contribute to weight gain, since using a smaller plate may help you eat less by making portions look larger. On the other hand, a bigger plate can make a serving look smaller, causing you to add more food. You can use this to your advantage by serving healthy food on bigger plates and less healthy food on smaller plates. SUMMARY Smaller plates can trick your brain into thinking you're eating more than you actually are. Therefore, it's smart to consume unhealthy foods from smaller plates, causing you to eat less. 3. Eat Plenty of Protein Protein has powerful effects on appetite. It can increase feelings of fullness, reduce hunger and help you eat fewer calories. This may be because protein affects several hormones that play a role in hunger and fullness, including ghrelin and GLP-1. One study found that increasing protein intake from 15% to 30% of calories helped participants eat 441 fewer calories per day and lose 11 pounds over 12 weeks, on average, without intentionally restricting any foods. If you currently eat a grain-based breakfast, you may want to consider switching to a protein-rich meal, such as eggs. In one study, overweight or obese women who had eggs for breakfast ate fewer calories at lunch compared to those who ate a grain-based breakfast. What's more, they ended up eating fewer calories for the rest of the day and during the next 36 hours. Some examples of protein-rich foods include chicken breasts, fish, Greek yogurt, lentils, quinoa and almonds. SUMMARY Adding protein to your diet has been linked to weight loss, even without exercise or conscious calorie restriction. 4. Store Unhealthy Foods out of Sight Storing unhealthy foods where you can see them may increase hunger and cravings, causing you to eat more. This is also linked to weight gain. One recent study found that if high-calorie foods are more visible in the house, residents are more likely to weigh more than people who keep only a bowl of fruit visible. Store unhealthy foods out of sight, such as in closets or cupboards, so that they are less likely to catch your eye when you're hungry. On the other hand, keep healthy foods visible on your countertops and place them front and center in your fridge. SUMMARY If you keep unhealthy foods on your counter, you are more likely to have an unplanned snack. This is linked to increased weight and obesity. It’s better to keep healthy foods — like fruits and vegetables — in plain sight. 5. Eat Fiber-Rich Foods Eating fiber-rich foods may increase satiety, helping you feel fuller for longer. Studies also indicate that one type of fiber, viscous fiber, is particularly helpful for weight loss. It increases fullness and reduces food intake. Viscous fiber forms a gel when it comes in contact with water. This gel increases nutrient absorption time and slows down the emptying of your stomach. Viscous fiber is only found in plant foods. Examples include beans, oat cereals, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, oranges and flax seeds. A weight loss supplement called glucomannan is also very high in viscous fiber. SUMMARY Viscous fiber is particularly helpful in reducing appetite and food intake. This fiber forms gel that slows down digestion. 6. Drink Water Regularly Drinking water can help you eat less and lose weight, especially if you drink it before a meal. One study in adults found that drinking half a liter (17 ounces) of water about 30 minutes before meals reduced hunger and lessened calorie intake. Participants who drank water before a meal lost 44% more weight over a 12-week period compared to those who did not. If you replace calorie-loaded drinks — such as soda or juice — with water, you may experience an even greater effect. SUMMARY Drinking water before meals may help you eat fewer calories. Replacing a sugary drink with water is particularly beneficial. 7. Serve Yourself Smaller Portions Portion sizes have increased during the last few decades, especially at restaurants. Larger portions encourage people to eat more and have been linked to an increase in weight gain and obesity. One study in adults found that doubling the size of a dinner appetizer increased calorie intake by 30%. Serving yourself just a little less might help you eat significantly fewer calories. And you probably won't even notice the difference. SUMMARY Larger portion sizes have been linked to obesity and may encourage both children and adults to eat more food. 8. Eat Without Electronic Distractions Paying attention to what you eat may help you consume fewer calories. People who eat while they're watching TV or playing computer games may lose track of how much they have eaten. This, in turn, can cause overeating. One review of 24 studies found that people who were distracted at a meal ate about 10% more in that sitting. Additionally, absent-mindedness during a meal has an even greater influence on your intake later in the day. People who were distracted at a meal ate 25% more calories at later meals than those who were present. If you regularly consume meals while watching TV or using electronic devices, you could be inadvertently eating more. These extra calories add up and have a massive impact on your weight in the long term. SUMMARY People who eat while distracted are more likely to overeat. Paying attention to your meals may help you eat less and lose weight. 9. Sleep Well and Avoid Stress When it comes to health, people often neglect sleep and stress. Both, in fact, have powerful effects on your appetite and weight. A lack of sleep may disrupt the appetite-regulating hormones leptin and ghrelin. Another hormone, cortisol, becomes elevated when you're stressed. Having these hormones fluctuate can increase your hunger and cravings for unhealthy food, leading to higher calorie intake. What's more, chronic sleep deprivation and stress may increase your risk of several diseases, including type 2 diabetes and obesity. SUMMARY Poor sleep and excess stress may imbalance several important appetite-regulating hormones, causing you to eat more. 10. Eliminate Sugary Drinks Added sugar may very well be the single worst ingredient in the diet today. Sugary beverages like soda have been associated with an increased risk of many diseases. It's very easy to consume excess calories from sugary drinks because liquid calories don't affect fullness the way solid food does. Staying away from these beverages entirely can provide enormous long-term health benefits. However, note that you should not replace soda with fruit juice, as it can be just as high in sugar. Healthy beverages to drink instead include water, coffee and green tea. SUMMARY Sugary drinks have been linked to an increased risk of weight gain and many diseases. Your brain doesn't register liquid calories as it does solid foods, making you eat more. 11. Serve Unhealthy Food on Red Plates One unusual strategy is to use red plates to help you eat less. Research indicates that this technique at least seems to work with unhealthy snack foods. One study reported that volunteers ate fewer pretzels from red plates than from white or blue plates. The explanation may be that we associate the color red with stop signals and other man-made warnings. SUMMARY Red plates may help you eat fewer unhealthy snack foods. This may be because the color red triggers a stop reaction. The Bottom Line Many simple lifestyle habits can help you lose weight. Some have nothing to do with conventional diet or exercise plans. You can use smaller plates, eat more slowly, drink water and avoid eating in front of the TV or computer. Prioritizing foods rich in protein and viscous fiber may also help. However, it’s probably best not to try all these things at once. Experiment with one technique for a while, and if that works well for you then try another one. A few simple changes can have a massive impact on your weight over the long term. healthline.com

11. You're Not Cutting Back on Carbohydrates If you have a lot of weight to lose and/or metabolic problems like type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes, you may want to consider a low-carb diet. In short-term studies, this type of diet has been shown to cause up to 2–3 times as much weight loss as the standard "low-fat" diet that is often recommended. Low-carb diets can also lead to improvements in many metabolic markers, such as triglycerides, “good” HDL cholesterol and blood sugar, to name a few. SUMMARY If you are unable to lose weight, consider trying a low-carb diet. Many studies show that a low-carb diet can be an effective weight loss strategy. 12. You're Eating Too Often It is a myth that everyone should be eating many small meals each day in order to boost metabolism and lose weight. Studies actually show that meal frequency has little or no effect on fat burning or weight loss. It is also ridiculously inconvenient to be preparing and eating food all day, as it makes healthy nutrition much more complicated. On the other hand, one effective weight loss method called intermittent fasting involves deliberately going without food for extended periods of time (15–24 hours or more). SUMMARY Eating too often may result in excessive calorie intake, curbing your weight loss efforts. 13. You're Not Drinking Water Drinking water can benefit weight loss. In one 12-week weight loss study, people who drank half a liter (17 ounces) of water 30 minutes before meals lost 44% more weight than those who did not. Drinking water has also been shown to boost the number of calories burned by 24–30% over a period of 1.5 hours. SUMMARY To reduce your calorie intake, drink a glass of water before meals. Drinking water may also increase the number of calories you burn. 14. You're Drinking Too Much Alcohol If you like alcohol but want to lose weight, it may be best to stick to spirits (like vodka) mixed with a zero-calorie beverage. Beer, wine and sugary alcoholic beverages are very high in calories. Also keep in mind that the alcohol itself has about 7 calories per gram, which is high. That being said, studies on alcohol and weight show mixed results. Moderate drinking seems to be fine, while heavy drinking is linked to weight gain. SUMMARY Alcoholic beverages are generally high in calories. If you choose to drink alcohol, spirits mixed with zero-calorie beverages are probably the best options when you are dieting. 15. You're Not Eating Mindfully A technique called mindful eating may be one of the world's most powerful weight loss tools. It involves slowing down, eating without distraction, savoring and enjoying each bite, while listening to the natural signals that tell your brain when your body has had enough. Numerous studies have shown that mindful eating can cause significant weight loss and reduce the frequency of binge eating. Here are some tips to eat more mindfully: Eat with zero distractions, sitting down at a table with just your food. Eat slowly and chew thoroughly. Try to be aware of the colors, smells, flavors and textures. When you being to feel full, drink some water and stop eating. SUMMARY Always eat mindfully when trying to lose weight. Mindless eating is one of the main reasons people struggle to lose weight. 16. You Have a Medical Condition That Is Making Things Harder There are some medical conditions that can drive weight gain and make it much harder to lose weight. These include hypothyroidism, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and sleep apnea. Certain medications can also make weight loss harder, or even cause weight gain. If you think any of these apply to you, speak to your doctor about your options. SUMMARY Medical conditions like hypothyroidism, sleep apnea and PCOS may be hindering your weight loss efforts. 17. You're Addicted to Junk Food According to a 2014 study, about 19.9% of people in North America and Europe satisfy the criteria for food addiction. People who have this problem use junk food in a similar way as drug addicts use drugs. If you are addicted to junk food, then simply eating less or changing your diet can seem downright impossible. Here’s how to get help. SUMMARY If you have strong food cravings or food addiction, weight loss can be very difficult. Consider seeking professional help. 18. You've Been Starving Yourself For Too Long It may not be a good idea to "diet" for too long. If you've been losing weight for many months and you've hit a plateau, then perhaps you just need to take a break. Up your calorie intake by a few hundred calories per day, sleep more and lift some weights with the goal of getting stronger and gaining a bit of muscle. Aim to maintain your body fat levels for 1–2 months before you start trying to lose weight again. SUMMARY If you have reached a weight loss plateau, you may simply have been dieting for too long. Maybe it’s time to take a break. 19. Your Expectations Are Unrealistic Weight loss is generally a slow process. Many people lose patience before reaching their end goal. Although it is often possible to lose weight fast in the beginning, very few people can continue to lose weight at a rate of more than 1–2 pounds per week. Another major problem is that many people have unrealistic expectations of what is achievable with a healthy diet and exercise. The truth is, not everyone can look like a fitness model or bodybuilder. The photos you see in magazines and other places are often enhanced. If you have already lost some weight and you feel good about yourself, but the scale doesn't seem to want to budge any further, then perhaps you should start working on accepting your body the way it is. At some point, your weight is going to reach a healthy set point where your body feels comfortable. Trying to go beyond that may not be worth the effort, and may even be impossible for you. SUMMARY People’s expectations are sometimes unrealistic when it comes to weight loss. Keep in mind that losing weight takes time and not everyone can look like a fitness model. 20. You're Too Focused on Dieting Diets almost never work in the long term. If anything, studies actually show that people who diet gain more weight over time. Instead of approaching weight loss from a dieting mindset, make it your primary goal to become a happier, healthier and fitter person. Focus on nourishing your body instead of depriving it, and let weight loss follow as a natural side effect. SUMMARY Dieting is not a long-term solution. If you wish to lose weight and keep it off in the long term, focus on adopting healthier lifestyle habits. The Bottom Line Weight loss is not always easy and numerous factors can bring it to a standstill. At the most basic level, weight loss failure occurs when calorie intake is equal to or higher than calorie expenditure. Try strategies ranging from mindful eating to keeping a food diary, from eating more protein to doing strength exercises. In the end, changing your weight and your lifestyle require dedication, self-discipline, perseverance and resilience. healthline.com

When you lose weight, your body fights back. You may be able to lose quite a lot of weight at first, without much effort. However, weight loss may slow down or stop altogether after a while. This article lists 20 common reasons why you're not losing weight. It also contains actionable tips on how to break through the plateau and get things moving again. 1. Maybe You Are Losing Without Realizing It If you think you are experiencing a weight loss plateau, you shouldn’t fret just yet. It is incredibly common for the scale not to budge for a few days (or weeks) at a time. This does not mean that you are not losing fat. Body weight tends to fluctuate by a few pounds. It depends on the foods you are eating, and hormones can also have a major effect on how much water your body retains (especially in women). Also, it is possible to gain muscle at the same time as you lose fat. This is particularly common if you recently started exercising. This is a good thing, as what you really want to lose is body fat, not just weight. It is a good idea to use something other than the scale to gauge your progress. For example, measure your waist circumference and body fat percentage once per month. Also, how well your clothes fit and how you look in the mirror can be very telling. Unless your weight has been stuck at the same point for more than 1–2 weeks, you probably don't need to worry about anything. SUMMARY A weight loss plateau may be explained by muscle gain, undigested food and fluctuations in body water. If the scale doesn’t budge, you might still be losing fat. 2. You're Not Keeping Track of What You're Eating Awareness is incredibly important if you are trying to lose weight. Many people don't have a clue how much they're really eating. Studies show that keeping track of your diet helps with weight loss. People who use food diaries or photograph their meals consistently lose more weight than people who don’t. SUMMARY Keeping a food diary can be helpful when you are trying to lose weight. 3. You're Not Eating Enough Protein Protein is the single most important nutrient for losing weight. Eating protein at 25–30% of calories can boost metabolism by 80–100 calories per day and make you automatically eat several hundred fewer calories per day. It can also drastically reduce cravings and desire for snacking. This is partly mediated by protein's effects on appetite-regulating hormones, such as ghrelin and others. If you eat breakfast, be sure to load up on protein. Studies show that those who eat a high-protein breakfast are less hungry and have fewer cravings throughout the day. A high protein intake also helps prevent metabolic slowdown, a common side effect of losing weight. Additionally, it helps prevent weight regain. SUMMARY Low protein intake may bring your weight loss efforts to a standstill. Make sure to eat plenty of protein-rich foods. 4. You're Eating Too Many Calories A large number of people who have trouble losing weight are simply eating too many calories. You may think that this does not apply to you, but keep in mind that studies consistently show that people tend to underestimate their calorie intake by a significant amount. If you are not losing weight, you should try weighing your foods and tracking your calories for a while. Here are some helpful resources: Calorie calculator — Use this tool to figure out how many calories to eat. Calorie counters — This is a list of five free websites and apps that can help you keep track of your calorie and nutrient intake. Tracking is also important if you're trying to reach a certain nutrient goal, such as getting 30% of your calories from protein. This can be impossible to achieve if you're not tracking things properly. It is generally not necessary to count calories and weigh everything for the rest of your life. Instead, try out these techniques for a few days every few months to get a feel for how much you’re eating. SUMMARY If your weight loss seems to have come to a standstill, it’s possible you may be eating too much. People frequently overestimate their calorie intake. 5. You're Not Eating Whole Foods Food quality is just as important as quantity. Eating healthy foods can improve your wellbeing and help regulate your appetite. These foods tend to be much more filling than their processed counterparts. Keep in mind that many processed foods labeled as "health foods" aren't really healthy. Stick to whole, single-ingredient foods as much as possible. SUMMARY Make sure to base your diet on whole foods. Eating too much processed food could ruin your weight loss success. 6. You're Not Lifting Weights One of the most important things you can do when losing weight is to do some form of resistance training, such as lifting weights. This can help you maintain muscle mass, which is often burned along with body fat if you are not exercising. Lifting weights can also help prevent metabolic slowdown and ensure that your body stays toned and muscular. SUMMARY Strength training is an effective way to lose fat. It prevents the loss of muscle mass often associated with weight loss and helps maintain long-term fat loss. 7. You're Binge Eating (Even on Healthy Food) Binge eating is a common side effect of dieting. It involves rapidly eating large amounts of food, often much more than your body needs. This is a significant problem for many dieters. Some of them binge on junk food, while others binge on relatively healthy foods, including nuts, nut butters, dark chocolate, cheese, etc. Even if something is healthy, its calories still count. Depending on the volume, a single binge can often ruin an entire week's worth of dieting. SUMMARY If you frequently binge on food, it may explain why your scale doesn’t seem to budge. 8. You're Not Doing Cardio Cardiovascular exercise, also known as cardio or aerobic exercise, is any type of exercise which increases your heart rate. It includes activities such as jogging, cycling and swimming. It is one of the most effective ways to improve your health. It is also very effective at burning belly fat, the harmful "visceral" fat that builds up around your organs and causes disease. SUMMARY Make sure to do cardio regularly. It helps you burn fat, especially around your midsection. Lack of exercise could be one reason for a weight loss plateau. 9. You're Still Drinking Sugar Sugary beverages are the most fattening items in the food supply. Your brain doesn’t compensate for the calories in them by making you eat less of other foods. This isn't only true of sugary drinks like Coke and Pepsi — it also applies to "healthier" beverages like Vitaminwater, which are also loaded with sugar. Even fruit juices are problematic, and should not be consumed in large amounts. A single glass can contain a similar amount of sugar as several pieces of whole fruit. SUMMARY Avoiding all sugary beverages is an excellent weight loss strategy. They often make up a significant portion of people’s calorie intake. 10. You're Not Sleeping Well Good sleep is one of the most important factors for your physical and mental health, as well as your weight. Studies show that poor sleep is one of the single biggest risk factors for obesity. Adults and children with poor sleep have a 55% and 89% greater risk of becoming obese, respectively. SUMMARY Lack of quality sleep is a strong risk factor for obesity. It could also hinder your weight loss progress. healthline.com

You can expect to lose 5–10 pounds of weight (sometimes more) in the first week, then consistent weight loss after that. I can personally lose 3–4 pounds per week for a few weeks when I do this strictly. If you're new to dieting, then things will probably happen quickly. The more weight you have to lose, the faster you will lose it. For the first few days, you might feel a bit strange. Your body has been burning carbs for all these years, so it can take time for it to get used to burning fat instead. This is called the "low-carb flu" or “keto flu” and is usually over within a few days. For me it takes three. Adding some extra salt to your diet can help with this. After the first few days, most people report feeling very good, with even more energy than before. Despite many decades of anti-fat hysteria, the low-carb diet also improves your health in many other ways: Blood sugar tends to go way down on low-carb diets. Triglycerides tend to go down. Small, dense LDL (the bad) cholesterol goes down. HDL (the good) cholesterol goes up. Blood pressure improves significantly. To top it all off, low-carb diets appear to be just as easy to follow as low-fat diets. SUMMARY You can expect to lose a lot of weight, but it depends on the person how quickly it will happen. Low-carb diets also improve your health in many other ways. You Don't Need to Starve Yourself to Lose Weight If you have a medical condition, talk to your doctor before making changes because this plan can reduce your need for medication. By reducing carbs and lowering insulin levels, you change the hormonal environment and make your body and brain "want" to lose weight. This leads to drastically reduced appetite and hunger, eliminating the main reason that most people fail with conventional weight loss methods. This is proven to make you lose up to 2–3 times as much weight as a typical low-fat, calorie-restricted diet. Another great benefit for the impatient folks is that the initial drop in water weight can lead to a big difference on the scale as early as the next morning. On this plan, you can eat good food until you’re full and still lose a ton of fat. Welcome to paradise. healthline.com

Here are 10 more tips to lose weight even faster: Eat a high-protein breakfast. Eating a high-protein breakfast has been shown to reduce cravings and calorie intake throughout the day. Avoid sugary drinks and fruit juice. These are the most fattening things you can put into your body, and avoiding them can help you lose weight. Drink water a half hour before meals. One study showed that drinking water a half hour before meals increased weight loss by 44% over 3 months. Choose weight loss-friendly foods (see list). Certain foods are very useful for losing fat. Here is a list of the 20 most weight loss-friendly foods on earth. Eat soluble fiber. Studies show that soluble fibers may reduce fat, especially in the belly area. Fiber supplements like glucomannan can also help. Drink coffee or tea. If you're a coffee or tea drinker, then drink as much as you want as the caffeine can in them boost your metabolism by 3–11%. Eat mostly whole, unprocessed foods. Base most of your diet on whole foods. They are healthier, more filling and much less likely to cause overeating. Eat your food slowly. Fast eaters gain more weight over time. Eating slowly makes you feel more full and boosts weight-reducing hormones. Weigh yourself every day. Studies show that people who weigh themselves every day are much more likely to lose weight and keep it off for a long time. Get a good night's sleep, every night. Poor sleep is one of the strongest risk factors for weight gain, so taking care of your sleep is important. healthline.com

There are many ways to lose a lot of weight fast. However, most of them will make you hungry and unsatisfied. If you don't have iron willpower, then hunger will cause you to give up on these plans quickly. The plan outlined here will: Reduce your appetite significantly. Make you lose weight quickly, without hunger. Improve your metabolic health at the same time. Here is a simple 3-step plan to lose weight fast. 1. Cut Back on Sugars and Starches The most important part is to cut back on sugars and starches (carbs). When you do that, your hunger levels go down and you end up eating much fewer calories. Now instead of burning carbs for energy, your body starts feeding off of stored fat. Another benefit of cutting carbs is that it lowers insulin levels, causing your kidneys to shed excess sodium and water out of your body. This reduces bloat and unnecessary water weight. It is not uncommon to lose up to 10 pounds (sometimes more) in the first week of eating this way, both body fat and water weight. The low-carb group is eating until fullness, while the low-fat group is calorie-restricted and hungry. Cut the carbs and you will start to eat fewer calories automatically and without hunger. Put simply, cutting carbs puts fat loss on autopilot. SUMMARY Removing sugars and starches (carbs) from your diet will reduce your appetite, lower your insulin levels and make you lose weight without hunger. 2. Eat Protein, Fat and Vegetables Each one of your meals should include a protein source, a fat source and low-carb vegetables. Constructing your meals in this way will automatically bring your carb intake into the recommended range of 20–50 grams per day. Protein Sources Meat: Beef, chicken, pork, lamb, etc. Fish and Seafood: Salmon, trout, shrimp, etc. Eggs: Whole eggs with the yolk are best. The importance of eating plenty of protein cannot be overstated. This has been shown to boost metabolism by 80 to 100 calories per day. High-protein diets can also reduce cravings and obsessive thoughts about food by 60%, reduce the desire for late-night snacking by half, and make you so full that you automatically eat 441 fewer calories per day — just by adding protein to your diet. When it comes to losing weight, protein is the king of nutrients. Period. Low-Carb Vegetables Broccoli Cauliflower Spinach Tomatoes Kale Brussels sprouts Cabbage Swiss chard Lettuce Cucumber Full list here. Don’t be afraid to load your plate with these low-carb vegetables. You can eat massive amounts of them without going over 20–50 net carbs per day. A diet based mostly on meat and vegetables contains all the fiber, vitamins and minerals you need to be healthy. Fat Sources Olive oil Coconut oil Avocado oil Butter Eat 2–3 meals per day. If you find yourself hungry in the afternoon, add a 4th meal. Don’t be afraid of eating fat, as trying to do both low-carb AND low-fat at the same time is a recipe for failure. It will make you feel miserable and abandon the plan. To see how you can assemble your meals, check out this low-carb meal plan and this list of 101 healthy low-carb recipes. SUMMARY Assemble each meal out of a protein source, a fat source and low-carb vegetables. This will put you in the 20–50 gram carb range and significantly lower your hunger levels. 3. Lift Weights 3 Times Per Week You don't need to exercise to lose weight on this plan, but it is recommended. The best option is to go to the gym 3–4 times a week. Do a warm-up and lift some weights. If you're new to the gym, ask a trainer for some advice. By lifting weights, you will burn lots of calories and prevent your metabolism from slowing down, which is a common side effect of losing weight. Studies on low-carb diets show that you can even gain a bit of muscle while losing significant amounts of body fat. If lifting weights is not an option for you, then doing some cardio workouts like walking, jogging, running, cycling or swimming will suffice. SUMMARY It is best to do some sort of resistance training like weight lifting. If that is not an option, cardio workouts are also effective. Optional — Do a "Carb Refeed" Once Per Week You can take one day off per week where you eat more carbs. Many people prefer Saturday. It is important to stick to healthy carb sources like oats, rice, quinoa, potatoes, sweet potatoes, fruit, etc. But only this one higher carb day — if you start doing it more often than once per week you're not going to see much success on this plan. If you must have a cheat meal and eat something unhealthy, then do it on this day. Be aware that cheat meals or carb refeeds are NOT necessary, but they can boost some fat-burning hormones like leptin and thyroid hormones. You will gain some weight during your refeed day, but most of it will be water weight and you will lose it again in the next 1–2 days. healthline.com