The core of weight loss is eating fewer calories than you burn. However, that’s not always as easy as it sounds. There is a lot of bad weight loss information on the internet.
Most of us don’t know how to lose weight naturally and safely. We try different ways without sufficient knowledge; thus, the results are unsatisfactory.
Several people are oblivious about the methods of safe and natural weight loss. Numerous websites claiming weight loss through their medication do not help the audience but rather spread the misinformation to promote their weight loss products.
It’s also important to identify the strategies that feel right for you. A tactic like intermittent fasting may work for some, for example, but others may feel loopy come 11 a.m. without an energy-boosting breakfast. Check out the tips below to help you figure out how to lose weight naturally, in a way that feels totally customized to you and your body. That way, once the pounds peel off, they can stay off-for good.
Losing weight can be tough. Yes, there are a plethora of diets, workout routines, and pills out there that seem like a roadmap to the weight-loss promised land. But at the end of the day, keeping pounds off involves tweaking your lifestyle. Natural weight loss, which involves adopting healthy habits that you can incorporate long-term, can help that number on the scale go down in a safe, effective way.
Naturally losing weight is a healthy and safe method of weight loss. It generally involves making small tweaks to your diet, exercise routine and lifestyle. In addition, when you’re making small lifestyle changes (typical in natural weight loss), you’re more likely to continue these habits long-term. A combination of these factors can help you lose weight naturally and in safe and healthy manner. However, talk to your doctor if you aren’t losing weight or need help losing weight.
Easy Ways to Lose Weight Naturally
Change Your Mindset
The steps to lose weight are fairly simple. It starts with a MINDSET! In addition, you need to make sure what your body demands. A healthy diet and good exercises are the keys to make your body fit, smart, and perfect!
Do The Workout You Love
Often times, we think the best weight-loss strategies start with a lofty exercise program. But the reality is that workouts are only one part of the picture, and there are a slew of recommendations for how much exercise we should be getting on a regular basis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for example, recommends that adults should exercise 150 minutes a week at a moderate intensity, or incorporate 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity.
Meanwhile, a study published in Circulation found that the amount of exercise we get has a direct relationship to our heart health-the more you get, the healthier your heart will be-and they suggest two full hours a day as the new goal.
Basically, everyone’s different, so it’s hard to nail down a guideline that applies to everyone, says Sara Gottfried, M.D., bestselling author of The Hormone Cure and The Hormone Reset Diet. But if all else fails, remember this: Something is better than nothing. That’s why Dr. Gottfried suggests incorporating 30 minutes of moderate intensity movement daily, devoting five minutes before your workout to an active warm-up, then another five minutes to cool down and prevent injury.
Once you’ve got that down, you can layer on time and intensity. “After two weeks, add 10 minutes so that you’re exercising moderately for 40 minutes, four days per week, or increase intensity,” she suggests.
Finding something you enjoy is an important component to any fitness routine, too, because-duh-it means you’ll be more likely to stick with it. So if running isn’t your thing, don’t sweat it-try a Zumba class, or meet girlfriends for Spin after work. (You could even try working out according to your Zodiac sign.) “You might get results from something you hate, but those results won’t last,” says Jess Sims, C.P.T., a Fhit Pro trainer at Fhitting Room in New York City.
And don’t be afraid to branch out and see if there’s something else to love. “Varying your workouts will help keep you entertained and help you progress because your body doesn’t get used to the same movements,” adds Sims. Plain and simple: There’s no one-size-fits-all workout, so don’t box yourself in.
Stock Up On Slow-Release Carbs
Certain foods – especially refined sugar, starch and white flour – can cause an immediate spike in energy levels, followed by a massive dip, so you tend to pig out more. Switching to slow-release carbs will ensure your energy levels are maintained for longer – and is far more manageable than a punishing diet.
Porridge or eggs are great breakfast options. For lunch or dinner swap your white pasta for quinoa and French fries for sweet potato wedges.
Practicing the Right Eating Habits
When you’re trying to change your diet and eat more healthfully, planning out your meals can be helpful.
- Write out your breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack options for a week at a time. Note if you’ll need to have a day of meal prep set aside to help make meals quicker.
- For breakfast you might have 1/2 grapefruit with a bowl of oatmeal, or you could have a scrambled egg with sauteed vegetables and low fat cheese.
- For lunch you could have a large salad with lettuce, spinach, beets, carrots, a handful of walnuts, 1/2 avocado, and beans (black or garbanzo). Drizzle a little balsamic vinegar over the top.
- For dinner you might go for grilled salmon (with a little dill and lemon), a serving of brown rice, and grilled zucchini.
- If you need a snack, go for protein and a fruit or vegetable. Try a hard-boiled egg and an apple or greek yogurt with blueberries and ground flax seed.
Start The Day By Drinking Water
The body is typically dehydrated upon waking up, which the body interprets as being hungry, causing people to overeat. Hence, drinking water first thing in the morning can reduce hunger. Drinking water before meals reduces food intake because water fills up the stomach. Drinking adequate water and staying hydrated helps in overall health as well.
Eat Whole, Single-Ingredient Foods
One of the best things you can do to become healthier is to base your diet on whole, single-ingredient foods.
By doing this, you eliminate the vast majority of added sugar, added fat and processed food.
Most whole foods are naturally very filling, making it a lot easier to keep within healthy calorie limits.
Furthermore, eating whole foods also provides your body with the many essential nutrients that it needs to function properly.
Weight loss often follows as a natural side effect of eating whole foods.
Avoid Refined Carbs
An easy and best way to attain quick weight loss is to avoid the intake of carbs. With a minimal consumption of starches, carbohydrates, and sugars, your body will utilize the stored fat for energy rather than the crabs.
Saturated fats are less damaging to the body’s metabolism than refined carbohydrates, Evidence of which can be found in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Beware Of Natural Weight-Loss Pills
Between social media ads and TV commercial breaks, it’s nearly impossible to escape messaging around natural weight-loss supplements. A lot of them are plant-based-green tea extract, bitter orange, raspberry ketones-and harmless-sounding. But do they work? Not exactly, says Melinda Manore, Ph.D., professor of nutrition at Oregon State University. In her research of hundreds of natural weight-loss supplements (a $2.4 billion industry in the United States), she concluded that there’s not a single product that results in significant weight loss. And, what’s worse, many of them have side effects that can hinder your fitness goals (including bloating and gas). Not exactly a surefire way for you to fit into those skinny jeans.
Cook With Good Fats
Fat is necessary for your body to function properly, delivering essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins that it needs – so you needn’t cut it out of your diet altogether.
However, the type of fat you eat can determine whether you’ll gain or lose weight. For example, coconut oil contains fatty acids called medium-chain triglycerides, which the body metabolises much faster than the long-chain triglycerides contained in other fats. Use it in roasting, frying or just a few teaspoons on a salad. However, it’s still a saturated fat – ie. high in calories – so don’t go overboard. And try to grill, poach and steam food wherever possible.
Measure Your Portions
Calorie counting, limiting certain food groups or restricting carbs or fat isn’t always an easy diet plan to follow or all that natural. Consuming all foods and keeping an eye on portions is an easier and more natural way to help start weight loss.
- When you’re measuring and monitoring your portion sizes, you will naturally cut out some calories which can help you lose weight.
- Invest in a food scale, measuring cups or measuring spoons to help keep you on track. You may also want to measure any bowls, cups, or containers you have at home to see how much food they hold.
- Measuring portions doesn’t mean you have to be hungry all the time, if you use strategies to feel more full.
High-Fiber Diet
Including a high portion of the fiber in the diet helps in digestion and helps achieve early satiety (feeling of fullness). A high-fiber diet includes fruits and vegetables.
Limit Your Intake of Added Sugar
Eating a lot of added sugar is linked with some of the world’s leading diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer.
On average, Americans eat about 15 teaspoons of added sugar each day. This amount is usually hidden in various processed foods, so you may be consuming a lot of sugar without even realizing it (15).
Since sugar goes by many names in ingredient lists, it can be very difficult to figure out how much sugar a product actually contains.
Minimizing your intake of added sugar is a great way to improve your diet.
Add Fruits, Fiber, And Veggies To Your Diets
Cutting down your calorie intake does not essentially mean that you have to consume lesser food. High-fiber foods, which include vegetables, whole grains, beans, and especially fruits, are large in volume, and they take a longer time to digest, which proves them a great asset for weight loss.
Be Open to The Right Natural Herbs For Weight Loss
While weight-loss supplements are definitely out, those aren’t the only things to consider: There are also natural herbs for weight loss. And while there’s a laundry list ready to be added to your drink at any smoothie spot or juice bar, a lot of them don’t really live up to their purported better-for-you benefits. According to the McCormick Science Institute, there are 12 herbs and spices that have potentially significant health benefits, including black pepper, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, and turmeric.
But out of all of the spices, cayenne pepper has been most praised for its weight-loss properties. Researchers found that just half a teaspoon increases metabolism, and a study group of 25 diners burned an extra 10 calories when it was added to their meal. Even better: For those who didn’t regularly eat spicy meals, adding in pepper cut an average of 60 calories at their next meal. (Spicy foods might also be the secret to a longer life.)
Go For Whole Grains
The grain group includes a large variety of foods. Choosing 100% whole grains can add fiber, protein and other essential nutrients to your diet.
Whole grains contain the germ, endosperm and bran. They include ones like: brown rice, whole wheat, millet, quinoa, and whole grain oats.
One serving of grains is about 1 oz or 1/2 cup. It’s recommended to make half of your grain choices whole grains if possible.
Keep grains to 1-3 servings daily. This will help support your weight loss.
Intermittent Fasting
Any form of fasting helps in weight loss because of the reduction in the calorie content. There are three methods of intermittent fasting, namely, alternate-day fasting, periodic fasting, and daily time-restricted feeding. The most effective method of intermittent fasting is something that can be easily maintained, based on the individual’s daily routine. The eight-hour window for eating is commonly recommended. For example, if a meal is being eaten at 6 p.m. in the evening, the next meal should be taken at 10 a.m. the next day. The individual can eat from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (eight-hour window for eating) and fast from 6 p.m. to 10 a.m.
Drink (Unsweetened) Coffee
Fortunately, people are realizing that coffee is a healthy beverage that is loaded with antioxidants and other beneficial compounds.
Coffee drinking may support weight loss by increasing energy levels and the amount of calories you burn.
Caffeinated coffee may boost your metabolism by 3–11% and reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by a whopping 23–50%.
Furthermore, black coffee is very weight loss friendly, since it can make you feel full but contains almost no calories.
Get Enough Sleep
There is a relationship between sleep deprivation and obesity. Research suggests that sound and appropriate sleeping habits can help in weight loss.
People who do not get enough and good sleep also experience hormonal changes that lead to weight gain. Not only this, but they also become the victim of fatigue, exhaustion, and mood swings.
But Remember, Vitamins Are Good
Generally speaking, you want to load up on essential vitamins and minerals through whole food sources. Still, nobody’s perfect. Supplementing your everyday diet can bring about total-body benefits, including increased muscle tone, more energy and, yep, weight loss. (This is what you need to know about vitamin IV infusions.) If that last one is your main goal, Dr. Gottfried suggests making these a regular part of your diet:
Vitamin D: Some experts think that sleep disorders have risen to epidemic levels for one major reason: a widespread vitamin D deficiency, says Dr. Gottfried. That’s not exactly ideal, since adequate sleep is critical for your metabolism and actually achieving healthy, natural weight loss. Dr. Gottfried says it’s best to aim for 2,000 to 5,000 IUs of vitamin D each day (try using this simple vitamin D dosage calculator to figure out how much you need), as a 12-week weight-loss study found that doing so resulted in lower amounts of fat mass.
Copper and zinc, together: When thyroid hormones are too low, your body pumps the brakes on your metabolism. But zinc can help boost your immune system and maintain a healthy thyroid. The downside: Adding zinc to your supplement routine can make you copper deficient. That’s why Dr. Gottfried suggests women pair them together (you can get this in a high-potency multivitamin). For an optimal ratio, she suggests taking 20mg of zinc each day with 2mg of copper.
Berberine: Blood sugar rises with age, and berberine is one of the supplements proven to help you normalize glucose. It also works to reduce inflammation in your body, which can help with weight loss. And as if that weren’t enough, “berberine can also curb sugar cravings, especially for those suffering from diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and obesity,” says Dr. Gottfried. Take 300 to 500mg once to three times per day.
Magnesium: Affectionately called the relaxing mineral, magnesium can counter stress response, help your muscles release, and may even help you score better sleep. (Here are five other tricks that could help you snooze.) Plus, Dr. Gottfried says it’s needed for hundreds of biochemical reactions in the body, like keeping your heartbeat steady and maintaining normal nerve and muscle function. Opt for 200 to 1000mg, and take it at night, since it helps your muscles relax.
Exercise Regularly
Getting into a regular exercise routine can help support your weight loss and improve your overall health.
It’s recommended to do about 150 minutes of cardio each week and include 2 days of strength training.
Also increase your baseline or daily activities. Even doing things where you walk to the grocery store, or you take 15 minute breaks at work and go for a walk, can help with your weight-loss and your health.
Exercise boosts your mood because it releases endorphins, which help make you happier, healthier, and more confident about yourself, which may help regulate your eating.
Find exercise that you enjoy, that way you’ll be excited for it rather than dreading it. Practice yoga, take dance lessons, go for a run in the prettiest neighborhood in your town or city. Don’t think of it as a punishment, try to think of how you are benefiting your body and your health!
Get an exercise buddy. It is much more fun and easier to stay on track with someone else to help you monitor yourself and to talk to.
Avoid Liquid Calories
Liquid calories come from beverages like sugary soft drinks, fruit juices, chocolate milk and energy drinks.
These drinks are bad for health in several ways, including an increased risk of obesity. One study showed a drastic 60% increase in the risk of obesity among children, for each daily serving of a sugar-sweetened beverage.
It’s also important to note that your brain does not register liquid calories the same way it does solid calories, so you end up adding these calories on top of everything else that you eat.
Stay Hydrated
To most bodily functions, water is an essential fluid to intake. A person can use it all day long since it contains no calories, and it provides numerous health benefits.
The habit of drinking water all day long helps to create a stronger metabolism. Moreover, if a person drinks water before a meal, it helps lose weight, says a US study.
Consumption of water is far better than sugary beverages as they contain a huge number of calories. Water further helps one reduce the calorie intake.
Drink (Unsweetened) Green Tea
Green tea is a natural beverage that is loaded with antioxidants.
Drinking green tea is linked with many benefits, such as increased fat burning and weight loss.
Green tea may increase energy expenditure by 4% and increase selective fat burning by up to 17%, especially harmful belly fat.
Matcha green tea is a variety of powdered green tea that may have even more powerful health benefits than regular green tea.
Replace Some Fat with Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is high in fats called medium-chain triglycerides, which are metabolized differently than other fats.
Studies show that they can boost your metabolism slightly, while helping you eat fewer calories.
Coconut oil may be especially helpful in reducing the harmful belly fat.
Note that this does not mean that you should add this fat to your diet, but simply replace some of your other fat sources with coconut oil.
