10 Painless Ways to Lose Weight

Painless weight loss? If you're desperately trying to squeeze in workouts and avoid your favorite high-calorie treats, it can seem like there's nothing pain-free about it.

Yet while eating healthier and slipping in exercise does take some work, it really doesn't have to require heroic effort. Making just a few simple lifestyle changes can pack a big weight loss punch over time.

WebMD spoke to weight loss experts and everyday people who've figured out a few painless ways to lose weight -- and keep it off. Here are their top tips on how to lose weight without sweating it too much.

Forget diet denial: Try adding foods to your diet instead of subtracting them.

Add in healthy goodies you really love, like deep-red cherries, juicy grapes, or crunchy snow peas. Slip those favorite fruits into your bag lunch and breakfast cereal; add the veggies into soups, stews, and sauces.

"Adding in really works, taking away never does," says registered dietitian David Grotto, RD, LDN, author of 101 Optimal Life Foods, but do remember to keep an eye on overall calories. And don't forget to add in something physical, too, whether it's doing a few dance moves before dinner, shooting hoops, or taking a quick stroll.

If the word "exercise" inspires you to creative avoidance, then avoid it. Maybe the trick to enjoying a workout may be to never call it working out.

"There's some truth to that," Grotto tells WebMD, and once you start your not-calling-it-exercise plan, Grotto says you'll discover "the way good health feels knocks down the roadblocks that were preventing you from exercising in the first place."

So burn calories and invigorate muscles by beachcombing, riding bikes, grass skiing, making snow angels, hiking, washing the car, playing Frisbee, chasing the dog around the yard, or even enjoying great sex. After all, a rose by any other name ...

Walking when the weather's nice is a super-easy way to keep fit, says Diane Virginias, a certified nursing assistant from New York. "I enjoy the seasons," she says, adding that even when she's short on time she'll go out for a few minutes. "Even a five minute walk is a five minute walk."