With swimsuit season inching closer, you may be thinking about trying out a more stringent weight loss program or workout. However, the latest fad diets or miracle cure to shed pounds won’t keep the weight off long-term, and they could even wreak havoc with your health and well-being if you’re not careful. Additionally, while liquid diets may be a quick fix to help you fit into your favorite pair of jeans, what are you going to do when you reintroduce actual food back into your meal plan?
Trying out the hottest exercise craze without the approval of your physician isn’t a wise decision, either. You could end up spending more time recuperating on the couch instead of actually burning calories. With these thoughts in mind, it’s easy to understand why people are taking a more natural approach when it comes to eating right and losing weight. Therefore, we have put together 10 natural weight loss tips that are tailored to help you slim down for 2015:
1: Toss out the Sugar Bowl
If you’re looking for the primary culprit when it comes to tipping the scale, look no further than those sweetened sugar crystals. Reducing your daily sugar intake, especially the refined type, is a good way to minimize your risk of diabetes and other ailments. There have also been a number of studies that link sugar consumption to weight gain.
2: Use a Meal Timing Plan
According to nutrition experts Mira Carlton, CN and Jayson Carlton, PH D., using a meal timing plan is a great strategy to help you shed pounds. The main key to this weight-loss method is how much time you let lapse between dinner and breakfast. Eating your meals within a 12-hour window such as 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. can help you lose pounds in a short amount of time. You can also get the same perks by simply adjusting your meal timing plan to fit your lifestyle. If you work really late, simply time your breakfast to let you have a 12-hour overnight fast. You should see slimming effects in about three to four days.
3: Get Enough Sleep
Sleep deprivation can have an adverse reaction on your nervous system’s overall functionality and hormone release. A lack of sleep can also decrease your satiety, fat deposition and increase your need to eat. In order to keep your body in tip top shape, you should aim for at least seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Before bedtime, pack away your cell phone, laptop and tablets. Taking a warm bath, reading a book or drinking a glass of warm milk can put you in the mood for a better night’s rest.
4: Start the Day with Breakfast
Research has shown that eating breakfast can help protect the body from excessive weight gain. A good breakfast can also satisfy your hunger from your overnight fast. Try to incorporate high-protein foods such as eggs, yogurt or cereal. This can help keep you feeling fuller for a longer period of time.
#5: Stop Your Cravings
Appetite suppressants are plentiful on the market today. However, removing your cravings naturally can help improve your body’s overall health. According to Science Daily, spinach extracts have been proven to have thylakoids, and this can boost a person’s weight loss capabilities by as much as 43 percent.
6: Use Social Networks for Support
The social networks you form can give your weight loss goals a much needed boost. Based on a published study by Northwestern University early in the year, there is a strong correlation between large social networking groups and losing a great deal of weight. Those involved in the study found that individuals who are more socially active via online weight loss management programs will usually lose an average of 8 percent more than those who choose to go it alone.
7: Engage in Aerobic Exercise
Whether you’re looking to get bikini ready for the summer or to shed unwanted pounds from a brutal winter, you’re going to need to incorporate some form of aerobic exercise. Cardio workouts can get your metabolism going, and they can also create calorie deficits when you make working out a part of your everyday lifestyle. Simple activities such as walking, hiking, biking and golf will enable you to burn calories. Exercises such as yoga and pilates can also burn calories. The trick to making aerobic exercise a natural part of your life is to find something that you enjoy doing.
8: Stop Eating BEFORE You Are Full
Pushing yourself away from the table before you feel full can seriously expedite your weight loss. It’s important to understand that it can take approximately 20 minutes for your brain to realize that your stomach is full. Eating slowly and taking the time to chew your food a number of times can also allow you to enjoy what you’re eating. Because you’ll give your body plenty of time to register that you’ve had enough, it can help prevent you from reaching for a second helping.
9: Use Strength Training
If you’re looking for a natural way to lose weight, you’ll have to ditch the powders and miracle pills. Strength training exercises go beyond other methods by metabolically burning fat even after your workout has finished. In addition to increasing your metabolism, research has shown that strength training can improve your fat loss proportion, tone your body and boost your self-confidence. Smaller weights are just as beneficial when it comes to working out, so you don’t need to strive to be a muscle head in order to receive the benefits associated with strength training.
10: Manage Your Stress
Cortisol and other stress related hormones can affect your weight loss achievements because they can increase your appetite. This could lead to compulsive and unhealthy eating patterns. What’s even more interesting is that recent studies have shown that incorporating exercise into your day-to-day regimen may be far more important than losing weight. While a simple 20 minute walk per day may not allow you to go down a pants size immediately, the benefits of this simple activity can alleviate stress and increase your life expectancy.
Crazy workouts and fad diets are a thing of the past when it comes to keeping your body in shape. While they may get you quick results, you won’t be able to keep the weight off for good. However, incorporating the above natural weight loss tips as a part of your daily life will help you achieve lasting results and better health and wellness.
