How to Get Skinny Without Workout Equipment

Running provides cardio training.

Workout equipment provides a means for beginners and professional athletes alike to burn calories and tone muscles, or get skinny. However, other options for changing your body without the assistance of workout equipment exist. Getting skinny and staying skinny constitutes a lifestyle change. Some basic rules of weight loss include: exercise more, take in fewer calories and make healthy food choices. Add body-weight exercises and stretches to your daily activity to increase your weight loss as well.

Instructions

1. Eat a healthy diet as directed by the United States Department of Agriculture. This includes food low in saturated fats, cholesterol, trans fat, salt and sugar. Choose lean meat, fish and poultry. Incorporate fruits, whole grains, vegetables in their most natural state, and low-fat milk into your diet.

2. Drink 2 cups of water before meals. According to a study outlined on the Women's Health.gov website, two groups of overweight men and women who followed a healthy diet were observed. The first group, instructed to drink the water before eating, collectively lost 15.5 lbs.; and the second, who did not drink water, only lost 11 lbs. as a group after two weeks.

3. Exercise using your own body weight and no equipment. Warm up with stretches and exercises, such as the cobra, pelvic tilts and cat-camel. Pilates exercises and yoga moves help sculpt your body, making you thinner by using your body weight. These exercise programs include moves like limb raises, hip abductions and side planks. Include cardio in your workout, like walking, running or aerobics.

4. Get your recommended calorie consumption. An online calculator located on the American Cancer Society's website helps you determine how many calories you should cut from your diet. Burn more calories than you take in daily to get skinny.

5. Eat snacks high in fiber and protein, since they help you feel full longer. Nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables offer healthy snack options.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid drinking sodas or other sugary drinks. They increase your daily calorie intake. Replace them with water or a sugar-free drink.

• Contact your physician before starting an exercise program or changing your diet.

References

• United States Department of Agriculture; Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010; January 2011
• Womenshealth.gov; Could Drinking Water before Meals Help You Lose Weight?; August 2010
• American Council on Exercise: At-Home (No Equipment) Workout
• American Cancer Society: Calorie Counter
• Mayo Clinic: Snacks: How They Fit into Your Weight-Loss Plan

Resources

• Harvard School of Public Health: Healthy Eating Pyramid
• Mayo Clinic: Water: How Much Should You Drink Every Day?
• Collegiate Times; Study Shows Drining Water Helps Increase Weigth Loss; Meighan Dober; February 2011