There’s little doubt that a combination of exercise and intelligent dieting is the best way to lose weight. It’s a theory that’s backed up by scientific evidence, reinforced through anecdotal examples, and accepted by almost every would-be exerciser out there. While the occasional ‘miracle’ weight loss product occasionally pops up and tries to buck the trend, the fitness community as a whole has grown quite precise at knocking deceptive products from their thrones.

But there’s another truth about weight loss, one that’s not explored quite so often. It is possible to lose weight without extensive exercise, instead relying on specific dieting and strict calorie control. These seven strategies a designed to help you achieve just that – weight loss without extensive training, endless rowing machine hours, or cardiovascular exercise.

Note: We recommend a balanced approach to weight loss, using both exercise and diet to keep your bodyweight steady and healthy. These diet strategies are effective, though most are more effective when paired with regular exercise and a healthy, active lifestyle.

Build a lean meal database.

We’re surrounded by temptations, meals which are nutritionally worthless yet convenient, tasty, and quick enough to catch us off guard. Packaged dinners, processed meats and ‘healthy’ salads, and fast food lunches are ubiquitous to the point that they’re rarely challenged, instead forming the backbone of most people’s diets.

Fighting fast food through convenience is almost impossible; a backed chicken breast and mixed salad will never prove as quick to cook or cheap to prepare. The most effective way to replace fast food isn’t through convenience, but through familiarity. Build a lean meal database and draw from it daily, preparing a healthy snack or nutritionally complete meal as an alternative to store-bought foods and pre-packaged nutritional disasters.

Be consistent. Be boring. Make your diet simple.

Consistency is difficult. When you’re raised on unhealthy foods and accustomed to ‘convenient’ meals, switching to a healthy solution can be an organizational nightmare. Your productivity wanes, your focus drops, and the amount of time dedicated to eating healthily can shoot through the roof.

But eating healthily doesn’t have to be a task. By making your diet consistent – in many regards, making it boring – you’ll be able to cut out the difficulty of preparing healthy foods. Eliminate junk foods from your diet entirely and instead stick to a weekly schedule of five-to-ten meals. While it’s likely you’ll grow bored of your diet, the consistency of your meal plan will make it less tempting to stray towards fast foods out of convenience.

Timing is everything. Organize your meals by activity and macronutrient count.

Almost every mainstream diet pays attention to meal content. Weight Watchers and other product diets have made calorie counting an everyday activity, replacing a distinct public ignorance about nutrition with an acute awareness. Even the least diet-crazy person knows what goes into their food, with many non-dieters able to identify high-protein meals and avoid high-sugar treats.

But despite the progress in meal content, few dieters pay attention to meal timing. Healthy eating goes beyond consuming certain types of foods, and goes towards consuming appropriate food types at different times of the day. Proteins are most important in the morning, allowing your body to repair and maintain starved tissue.

Instead of merely counting calories and cataloguing your macronutrient intake, give your diet a clear sense of macro-nutritional structure. Consumer high-protein foods early in the day, perhaps with some dense carbohydrates and caffeine. By timing your meals and scheduling different nutrients, you’ll allow your body to more efficiently burn calories and produce energy.

Don’t cut out all carbohydrates; replace processed carbs with natural alternatives.

Low-carb diets were once thought of as a fad, a diet trend that was unlikely to last longer than a single season. They’re now a religion for some exercise gurus, with almost every modern diet built around the low-carb principle in one form or another.

But despite their diet appeal, carbohydrates are an essential macronutrient for proper concentration and mental alertness. They’re our number one energy source – a source of vital short-term energy and calories for rebuilding body tissue. It’s best to stick to a diet that doesn’t quite eliminate carbs, bot does eliminate the worst of them.

Start by eliminating any ‘white’ carbohydrates from your diet. Processed and refined rices, breads, and pastas are all best eliminated, along with any other processed foods which are high in carbohydrates. Replace them with natural, unprocessed alternatives; brown rice is a great source of long-term energy, along with potatoes, whole wheat bread, and unprocessed pasta.

Cut down on liquid calories, not nutritionally dense foods.

Some of the biggest fatteners aren’t even thought of as traditionally ‘fatty’ foods. Soft drinks and sugary beverages account for hundreds-of-thousands of calories annually, even when consumed in relative moderation. Even supposedly healthy beverages like sweetened teas and fruit juices can result in unexpected flab, largely because of their huge refined sugar quantities.

Instead of cutting high-fat foods from your diet, aim to replace all of your favorite high-sugar drinks with natural alternatives. Sugarless green tea, black coffee, and unsweetened fruit juices are great options, though few beat the best weight loss formula: water.

Supplements aren’t all bad. Use the basics, but don’t rely on them.

Dietary supplements have a mixed reputation. Serious athletes love them, praising their possibilities for rapid weight loss and short-term strength gains. Many performance-based athletes have grown to use supplements frequently before major events, including thermogenic fat burners and muscle-building protein supplements.

On the other hand, novice dieters and new exercisers take a decidedly cautious view to dietary supplements, particularly high-end supplements and micro-nutritional aides. We recommend a steady and balanced mix of basic, natural supplements such as meal replacement drinks or extra protein sources. When used responsibly and strategically, dietary supplements can play a helping role in your weight loss.

Break the rules. It’ll help you follow them.

Create a strict schedule and you’re bound to slip up once, fall out of sequence, and eventually abandon it altogether. It’s a phenomenon that’s as frequent and probable in training as it is in rigorous dieting; when people set strict, specific, and inflexible routines for themselves, even the slightest disruption can end in total failure.

It’s important to break the rules once in a while, especially when it comes to food. Schedule one day every week where no foods are off limits; chocolate bars, sugary drinks, and extra cheese pizza are all allowed. A day of reckless eating is unlikely to cause any serious weight gain, and it’s a welcome break from the monotony of constant healthy eating.