7 Lazy Ways to Lose Weight

7 Lazy Ways to Lose Weight-When it comes to fitness and weight loss, we're a society of do-ers. You've got the ultramarathoners, the uber-vegans, the cleansers, the Crossfitters, the Weight Watchers and the calorie-counters, all punishing themselves in a Herculean quest for a fitter physique. Diets are tough! Workouts are tough! And if your journey's not marked by blood, sweat and tears, you're probably doing it wrong. Or so the diet and fitness industry would have you believe.

But it doesn't have to be like that. Not only does weight loss not have to be hard work—it can actually be no work at all. These seven simple tweaks, based on new research by Eat This, Not That!, can help even the laziest of weight-loss seekers drop serious pounds without lifting a finger. So stay in your PJs, throw on some cartoons, and feel smug about your slim-slacker status, while the rest of the suckers slave away on the treadmill.

And in the meantime, let Eat This, Not That! be your total guide to weight loss, and start by snacking right with our 50 Best Snack Foods In America!

Slacker Slim-Down #1

Water down your weight
Are you really hungry, or are you actually just thirsty? Astudy in the journal Physiology & Behavior suggests that 60 percent of the time we respond to thirst, it's by eating, instead of drinking. Even if you're not hankering for a thirst-quencher, preloading meals with plain ol' calorie-free water can shave hundreds of calories from your daily intake. Astudy published in the journal Obesity found that people who drank two cups of water before eating consumed 75 to 90 fewer calories over the course of a meal than they would otherwise. This may simply be because water is filling, but researchers note the added H20 may well be displacing calories otherwise spent on calorie-laden beverages. (By the way, not all liquids are created equal: Drinking cola is an H2No. Read our stunning report that reveals how Diet Soda Makes You Fat!)

Slacker Slim-Down #2

Eat like the Japanese
Hara hachi bu is a Japanese expression that means “Eat until 80% full,” which, if you put the advice to practice at every meal, translates roughly to a 300 calorie-per-day saving for the average American. Here's how it works: It can take up to 30 minutes for the body to register satiety signals, according to research, so eating until you're almost full, then waiting a while before you order dessert, might slash your total calorie intake dramatically. Want to really ramp up your Asian-inspired weight loss? Learn how to use chopsticks. According to a restaurant study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine , healthy-weight customers were nearly 3 times more likely to use chopsticks than obese customers.

Slacker Slim-Down #3

Have a snack—later
About two-thirds of adults snack at least twice a day, according to a study by the U.S Department of Agriculture—a habit researchers associate with accumulation of belly fat. But you don't have to go snackless to snack less. Just watch the clock. A study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that mid-morning snackers tended to consume more throughout the day than afternoon snackers. Afternoon snacking, on the other hand, was associated with a slightly higher intake of filling-fiber and fruits and vegetables. Procrastinate—and win! AND: Strip away belly fat and lose up to 16 pounds in just 14 days—while eating the foods you love. Be among the first to try the newZero Belly Diet, by Eat This, Not That! author David Zinczenko.