The lazy diet is for those who want to lose weight, without being obsessed with exercise and diet.
Diet is not an easy task, especially when you run from morning to night. There is good news for the lazy and busy, as everyone has the right to be lean!
The lazy diet: Diet only two days a week
In a three-month study, women who followed a low-carb diet for two days a week lost 4 pounds, the same as those who followed a weekly 1600-calorie diet.
In a strict diet that leaves you no room for complaints, you bend. But when you diet for only two days, you know that it will end soon and you are patient. As long as you do not overdo it when you return to your normal diet, the total calories you take in during the week will be less and you will lose weight.
The lazy diet: Reduce the intensity in the gym
"By exercising vigorously without giving yourself enough time to recover, you increase the levels of the stress hormone cortisol," says Jade Teta, a physician and author of The Metabolic Effect Diet.
As a result, your body retains belly fat. So how do you balance that? Trainer Michelle Lovitt suggests wearing a monitor every time you work out and aim for 85 to 90% heart rate at workouts and 60 to 70% when you reduce intensity.
The Lazy Diet: Keep a diary
A smart way to get started on what you eat is to keep a diary. But because most people get bored of it quickly, clinical psychologist Ninoska Peterson, PhD. suggests doing it only twice a week and once a weekend. In a recent study, 220 women who recorded what they ate for at least three days lost an average of 11 pounds in 18 months.
The lazy diet: Cut your workout in half
In a study conducted by the University of Copenhagen, participants who exercised for 30 minutes over three months lost about 8 pounds, while those who exercised for one hour each day lost only 6 pounds.
Since a half-hour workout is not as exhausting as an hour, you are less likely to end up on the couch for the rest of the day wanting to do nothing. Also, after more workouts you may want to reward yourself with food.
The lazy diet: Spend more time in bed
When you do not get enough sleep, you tend to eat high-calorie foods, according to researchers from the University of Colorado. Researchers speculate that lack of sleep disrupts certain brain pathways, making us more prone to making bad decisions.
The lazy diet: Plan more days to rest
"When you give time for recovery, you allow your body to repair any damage on its own," says trainer Rachel Cosgrove. This means that you build more muscle mass that boosts your metabolism and helps you burn calories throughout the day.
But just because it's a day off doesn't mean you shouldn't do anything. Think of a more "active rest" such as a gentle yoga class, a walk with your dog or gardening.
"The goal of a recovery day is good blood circulation, stretching and generally moving your body gently," adds the trainer.
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