Exercise is key

In news that likely won't come as a surprise, exercise is a key component of losing weight without going on a diet. However, there are some surprising details about how and when you exercise that can have an impact on weight-loss efforts! For example, a study published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport and explained in Prevention by trainer and fitness writer Linda Malone, women who ate a high-protein meal before exercising burned more calories than women who exercised on an empty stomach—so if pre-breakfast sweat sessions aren't your thing, there's no need to force yourself to do it in the name of a better calorie burn.

Additionally, according to a study published in the Journal of Endocrinology, men who exercised more intensively, and for a longer period of time, had lower levels of ghrelin—a hormone that stimulates hunger—than men who participated in moderate exercise. While the link between exercise and ghrelin levels isn't clearly understood, the study suggests that long stretches of vigorous exercise may help keep hunger at bay.