10 Ways to Burn 100 Calories Without Even Trying

#6 Watch Less TV

Yes, TV is bad for us, we get it. But how bad? Besides all of the other reasons we have been told, now we’re learning that it contributes to weight gain too.

We’re not saying that fat is entering our bodies through invisible airwaves coming from the TV; that would be pretty insidious. But watching TV has more of an indirect way of contributing to weight gain.

Most Americans spend about a third of their day sitting, watching TV. In a Stanford study 36 adults were observed for three weeks, they then cut their TV viewing time in half. Their calorie intake remained the same, but they burned an extra 120 calories a day on average just by simply doing anything else other than watching TV(6).

#7 Embrace the Protein

Protein, a king amongst foods. We need it. It contains the building blocks of our bodies. We convert it into so many things.

This would probably explain why it’s the macronutrient that takes the most energy to burn. It is also more satisfying to us.

Researchers have found that by doubling the protein intake in an individual while keeping carbohydrate intake the same decreased overall caloric intake(7).

Simply put, it resulted in people eating about 450 less random calories a day because they were more satisfied. By the end of the study it translated into an average five kilo bodyweight loss with 3.7 of those kilos being fat.

#8 Crank Up the Comedy

Ah… Laughter, the best medicine. They weren’t kidding. Studies have shown that just by laughing for over a half an hour you can burn 100 calories(9). Don’t take that too literally and laugh for thirty minutes straight, it might be overkill.

You can break this one up throughout the day. Listen to a funny morning show while you get ready. Listen to comedy on your commute. Surround yourself with funny people—which also has more benefits than weight loss.

Unwind by watching funny movies. There are myriad ways to inject humor into your life. Most importantly, don’t take yourself too seriously, and let the humor flow from that.

#9 Take a Walk

OK, so this may not be completely effortless. You may have to try, but only a little. If you have been following all of these other suggestions you should be well on your way to losing some weight.

Go out and walk for thirty minutes a day(9). Many of you will probably say that you don’t have thirty minutes during every day to just set aside for walking, OK. You can break it up, it will still work.

Instead of driving somewhere that’s only a few blocks away, walk there. Don’t take the elevator, climb the stairs—within reason, no one is suggesting you climb thirty flights of stairs.

Bonus #10 – Fidget?

Yes, fidgeting. It works. Maybe that nervous looking guy in the corner knows something that we don’t. The calorie burning differences in individuals who remain relatively still and those who are all over the place are actually quite significant.

In a 1986 study, 177 people were put into the same calorie measuring chamber for 24 hours, one at a time. The scientists noted that some people burned 1300 calories, while others burned 3600.

The only variable they could use to explain the differences was the amount that the subject moved, or fidgeted(10). Next time you’re at your desk start tapping your toes and watch the calories fly off.

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