The Lazy Girl’s Guide To Cutting Calories

Written by Anjala Farahath  • 

Are you an exercise-phobe or are you the lazy lass/lad who dreads the thought of going to the gym or adhering to restrictive diets? Whatever the case, we feel you, friend! For all those who want to lose weight and cut calories from their diet without spending extra bucks at the spin class or noshing on organic and healthy (read: expensive) food, here’s the perfect guide for you. And if you’re feeling too lazy to even read this article, just scroll to the last point to get a gist of this guide.

7. Say Goodbye To Those Comfy Sweatpants

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It all starts with a single step and the first step to cutting calories is to become conscious of what the calories are doing to your body. When you walk the streets in these comfortable sweatpants, you definitely up your swag quotient, but you don’t realize that these sweatpants have a hand in fattening you up. They are the most forgiving piece of clothing and that’s exactly why you reach out to them on days you feel bloated or a little out of shape. But, if you give these comfy pants a miss and start wearing slightly snug pants, you will be conscious of not just your looks but also their tightened grip on your waist when you happily feast at a plush restaurant.

6.Walk It Or Leave It

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You don’t necessarily have to set aside an entire chunk of your time to work out. As much as you hate hitting the gym or even thinking about it, you need to find clever ways to keep your body moving. I like to move it, move it— this should be your mantra. For instance, if you have to go up a couple of floors, take the stairs. If you need some groceries, walk to the nearest shop. If you need to fuel your tummy up, make it a point to walk a couple of steps before you gorge away to glory.

5. Say No To Drinking Your Calories

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This is one of those mistakes that we are all guilty of committing. Whenever we decide to go on a diet, the first thing on our get-fit to-do list is the juice detox. We live off fruit juices and we assume that it’s going to help us cut calories. But, guess what, we are all just delusional about that theory. Drinking fruit juices adds empty calories to your weight. Calories from your morning juice, soft drinks or the innocent glass of wine can really make you pile on the Kgs rather than shedding some of them. If you’re looking to cut calories, switch to citrus infused water or add a couple of fresh ingredients such as cucumber to plain water and drink that.

4. Don’t Eat In front Of The Idiot Box

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When was the last time you had a meal while watching television? Now, can you recall how many servings you had on your plate? Usually, when we are distracted and not paying attention to the food on our plate, we end up consuming more calories than what we actually require. Even if you’re munching on a bucket of popcorn or a couple of Oreos, be mindful of how much you’re eating. Watch your calorie intake to avoid adding extra pounds unnecessarily.

3. Use Smaller Plates

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Portion control can be difficult, but profitable nonetheless. But, how do you go about cutting down the amount of food that you serve yourself? Start by using small plates. If you like eating out of a bag, you should stop that, and start to measure your snacks and meals. If you’re eating nuts for snacks, make sure you limit it to a handful. Similarly, keep a track of how much you’re eating for every meal of the day. Using smaller plates will make you visualize that whatever is on your plate is enough to satisfy your hunger.

2. Get More Sleep

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As a loyalist of the lazy bandwagon, much like you all, I too, love sleeping. Studies have time and again proved that improper sleep patterns, and inadequate sleep can adversely the weight of the person (1). Think of it like a credit card debt, the more you accumulate your sleep debt, the more your body will be in need of the valuable restorative sleep. When you don’t get enough sleep, your daily routine gets affected, and to stay awake during the daytime, you end up consuming caffeine and indulging in junk food, and you end up sleep deprived again! Ah, well! That’s a vicious circle. It’s easy to get out of this circle, just hit the sack early, and leave your gadgets at the door.

1. Eat More

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Wait, before you get excited and start binging on every edible thing that you find, remember the thumb rule — whether it’s lunch, dinner, or snack time, always opt for foods that are rich in water, protein, or fiber. Before you scratch your head wondering what foods can fit into these categories, just do a quick search in your kitchen. Stock it up with fruits and veggies (water-rich foods), lean meats, chicken, fish, and tofu (protein-rich foods), quinoa, lentils, sweet potatoes, etc. (Fiber-rich foods). Eat a balanced meal composed of these foods to keep yourself fit and also lose some calories the healthy way. To stay away from temptations, get rid of all the unhealthy, fried, and processed foods in your kitchen.

So what if we’re lazy, we are still capable of staying fit and healthy. All we need to do is, be mindful of what goes in our stomach, make sure our body isn’t becoming a life-sized potato, and control our portions. What are your hacks to cut down the calorie intake? Let us know in the comments below.

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