10 Sweat-Free Weight Loss Tips

Summer is a great time to show off a slimmer self, but it’s a tough time to be working on weight loss—there’s a barbecue here, a party there, and beaches and bikinis can make you feel pressure to get to your weight loss goals even faster. It can make the season less fun than it should be. Don’t sweat it … literally. Stay on your meal plan for consistent, healthy weight loss, with these 10 sweat-free weight loss tips.

Shiver off some weight
A few years back, internet videos were abuzz with the fat-burning benefits of cold showers. And it wasn’t all internet bull: Researchers found in a 2014 study published in Cell Metabolism that shivering for 10 to 15 minutes released a hormone, irisin, that turns white fat cells into “brown fat,” a fat type associated with keeping warm. “Brown fat” can burn up to 300 calories of energy per day. The irisin released by the cold shower in just 15 minutes matched the amount released during a full hour of moderate exercise.

Go to sleep sooner
You can’t overeat when you’re sleeping, of course, but bedtime also balances your hunger hormones. When you don’t get a full night’s rest, your body’s amount of ghrelin—a hormone that gives you an appetite—increases. At the same time, leptin, a hormone that makes you feel full, decreases. In a study of 68,000 subjects conducted over 16 years, middle-aged women who slept fewer than 5 hours per night were more than 30 percent more likely to gain more than 30 pounds over the course of the study.

Use your phone to track your diet food
Keeping a healthy food diary—just writing down what they ate—helped participants in a 2008 study lose twice as much weight while dieting as those who kept no records of their eating. And your phone can make it even better: In a small study from 2014, users of a smartphone app were more than 20 percent more consistent with their diet food logging and diet tracking over 8 weeks versus those who used paper logs. Looking for a great tracking app for your Nutrisystem program? Try Numi.

Get smaller plates and taller glasses
The same amount of food is more satisfying on a smaller plate: According to a study from Cornell University, people who ate hamburgers served on smaller plates thought they were eating almost 20 percent more calories than they really were. And tall glasses can help with beverages containing calories: It was reported in the Journal of Consumer Research that people pour almost 20 percent more liquid into short, squat glasses than they do into taller ones.

And make the plates red
Italian researchers found that you’ll eat less, but won’t find the food less appetizing. In a 2013 study published in Appetite, participants who were given popcorn or chocolate chip cookies on red plates ate less of the snacks than those who had them on blue or white plates.

Change up your nut game
If you’re eating a handful of nuts to curb hunger with healthy fats, you’re doing a great thing—but it can be even more effective if you have to shell them. In a 2011 study, students who were offered bowls of pistachios in their shells at 41 percent fewer calories during class than those given pre-shelled nuts. The students in both groups felt just as full and satisfied, though. So crack’ em and save a few calories.

Eat without TV
When you’re distracted, you need more flavor sensations to feel satisfied—more sweetness, saltiness, sourness, and even crunchiness. In a Dutch study, weight loss dieters who were concentrating on something else had a harder time evaluating the sweetness of a beverage. And in multiple studies, “mindful eating,” in which dieters focus on being aware of the food they’re eating, helped people lose weight without focusing on calories. This is a great tip and one of the best ways to lose weight fast.

Fill up on water
Drink two glasses of water before meals, and you’ll eat less. A Virginia Tech study found that dieters who did this lost 36 percent more weight over 3 months than those who skipped drinking before eating.

Add mint to your glass
The scent can help you eat less. In a study conducted at the University of West Virginia, subjects who took a whiff of peppermint every two hours consumed 1,800 fewer calories over a five-day period compared to when they didn’t do the sniffing.

Track your movement
Pedometers like Fitbit really will make you move more—in a 2007 study from Stanford University, pedometer usage increased physical activity by about one mile of walking per day. And you don’t have to spend $100 or more to get this benefit. Simple pedometers can be had for less than $10, and there are highly-rated apps that will perform this action with your phone—for free. Just search the app store for “pedometer.”

Now that you know these sweat free weight loss tips, combine these with a Nutrisystem plan to set yourself up for success.