Friday, September 4th 2026
Losing weight without dieting and without moving at all sounds like a promise too good to be true. And in fact, there is no trick that replaces a caloric deficit, physical activity and a healthy lifestyle.
However, there are some habits that can affect, to a small extent, thermogenesis, the process by which the body produces heat and expends energy. They don’t work miracles, but they can help a little when combined with a balanced diet and exercise.
Infrared saunas
One of the most talked-about wellness trends in recent years is the infrared sauna blanket, a device that wraps around the body and produces continuous heat, similar to a traditional sauna.
The heat increases body temperature, stimulates sweating and blood circulation, and can temporarily increase energy expenditure.
Some products claim that a 30- to 60-minute session can burn hundreds of calories, but these figures should be viewed carefully. The weight loss seen immediately after a sauna is mostly fluid loss through sweat rather than direct loss of body fat.
However, saunas may have other benefits, such as muscle relaxation, reduced tension, and an improved sense of well-being.
Drinking cold water
When we drink cold water, the body must warm it up to near body temperature. This process requires a small amount of energy and is called thermogenesis.
So technically, yes, drinking cold water slightly increases caloric expenditure.
But the effect is modest. It’s not about hundreds of calories and it’s certainly not a stand-alone weight loss strategy.
The biggest advantage of water remains hydration. Drinking enough water can help control appetite, physical performance and normal functioning of the metabolism.
If very cold water causes upset stomach, there is no reason to force yourself. The temperature of the water is much less important than the amount you drink during the day.
Moderate exposure to cold.
Even cold can affect metabolism by activating brown fat.
Unlike white fat, which stores energy, brown fat uses energy to produce heat and help the body maintain temperature.
Several studies have shown that controlled exposure to cool temperatures can increase the activity of this tissue.
This does not mean that you should plunge into ice water or spend 10 minutes every morning freezing in the shower. The effect on caloric expenditure is relatively small, and extreme exposure to cold can be dangerous for some people.
A slightly cooler environment or a brief and tolerable exposure to cold is more than enough if you enjoy this practice.
Chew slowly.
This is perhaps the simplest and most beneficial habit of the four.
Chewing slowly aids digestion, lengthens the meal and gives the brain more time to receive satiety signals.
You don’t have to obsessively count 30 chews for each bite. The idea is simply not to swallow food quickly.
When we eat more slowly, we often consume less without realizing it, because the hormones associated with satiety have time to activate.
Some studies also suggest that prolonged chewing may slightly increase post-meal thermogenesis and affect hormones such as GLP 1 and PYY, which help control appetite.
But again, the biggest effect does not come. not by “burning calories while chewing,” but by how eating more slowly helps control food intake.
So can you lose weight “doing nothing”?
Sauna, cold water, exposure to cold, and slow chewing may have some effect on energy expenditure or appetite control, but their effect is much smaller than that of nutrition, exercise, daily activity, and sleep.
If the goal is to lose body fat, what makes the difference is what you repeat every day: how much you move, how much you eat, how well you sleep and how stable your routine is.
Source: prizrenpost
