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Weight loss for many people seems like a phenomenon shrouded in mystery. The primary reason people find it hard to lose weight fast and naturally is not that they lack the capacity to shed weight, rather it is because people lack the proper information to lose weight.
The basic rule of thumb to remember is that the body always stores the excess calories it does not need. In most cases, the body stores the calories in the form of fat. Keep reading for 12 things you can do to help you lose weight fast and naturally.
1. Get Quality Sleep
Getting quality sleep leaves you feeling more energized and plays an important role in weight loss, as well as preventing future weight gain. Poor sleep is commonly linked to weight gain because it makes you more likely to make poor food choices and grab high calorie energy fixer-uppers. Ever had a conversation like this? "I really shouldn't have that extra piece of cake… then again, one slice won't really hurt, right?"
Turns out, sleep deprivation is a little like being drunk. You just don't have the mental clarity to make good complex decisions, specifically with regards to the foods you eat—or foods you want to avoid. Exhaustion reduces your mental clarity and judgment, so you’re more likely to reach for that donut in the office when you’d normally have a piece of fruit. Sleeping helps refresh your mind and your decision-making processes.
Not getting enough sleep also makes you more stressed out which in turn makes it more difficult for you to control your appetite. It creates a hormonal environment in the body that encourages weight gain by causing elevated cortisol levels, which leads to junk food cravings and insulin resistance. Cortisol is the stress hormone that is frequently associated with fat gain. When you don't sleep enough, your body will produce more of this stress hormone that activates the reward centers in your brain that make you want food and affects your hunger and fullness hormones.
Cortisol activates the reward centers in your brain and makes you crave food which means that you’ll need to eat more food than you normally would in order to feel satisfied. At the same time, the loss of sleep causes your body to produce a combination or hormones that shut down the areas of your brain that leave you feeling satisfied after a meal. This means you feel hungry all the time—even if you just ate a big meal - It's a vicious cycle. Make sure to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night.
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2. Add Protein to Your Diet
Proteins have the potential to be an effective remedy for weight loss. Protein is an important macronutrient that’s involved in nearly all bodily functions and processes. It plays a key role in exercise recovery and is an essential dietary nutrient for healthy living. Your body burns calories when digesting and metabolizing the protein you eat, therefore, high protein diets increase the rate of metabolism in a day.
One of the biggest things that impedes weight loss is hunger. In addition, high protein diets evoke the feeling of fullness thus leading to a decrease in appetite.
Most people can get enough protein from diet alone. However, for those who don’t, taking a whey protein supplement can be an effective way to boost protein intake. Whey protein is perfect to blend into a smoothie after a workout – as you’re less likely to end up binging and undoing all the good work. It also helps maintain muscle mass (something that often gets affected when slimming down), which is crucial when it comes to calorie burning. Just make sure to read the ingredients list, because some varieties are loaded with added sugar and other unhealthy additives.
3. Limit Your Intake of Added Sugar
Limiting your intake of sugar is a great way to improve your diet and an effective way to lose weight fast.
People consume ample amounts of sugar without their knowledge. While natural sugars found in fruits and dairy can be healthy as part of a whole foods diet, your efforts may be sabotaged with the sugar that is added to packaged foods. Added sugar is usually hidden in various processed foods and beverages, so you may be consuming a lot of sugar without even realizing it. In addition to containing added sugars, which offer no nutritional value, these foods are usually high in calories and unhealthy. Added sugars are added calories without the nutrition and without really increasing your diet quality.
Cut out sugar as well as added sugar from your diet by reading ingredients on food labels. Since sugar goes by many names in ingredient lists, it can be tricky to try and figure out how much sugar a product contains.
Processed foods are usually high in added sugars, added fats and calories. Ingredients such as salt, sugar and fat are sometimes added to processed foods to make their flavour more appealing and to extend their shelf life, or in some cases to contribute to the foods structure, such as salt in bread or sugar in soups. 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 refined and processed food.
Buying processed foods can lead to people eating more than the recommended amounts of sugar, salt and fat as they may not be aware of how much has been added to the food they are buying and eating. In addition, processed foods are engineered to make you eat as much as possible and they are much more likely to cause addictive-like eating than unprocessed foods.
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5. Try Eating Organic Foods
Adopting an organic diet plan may be an ideal choice to lose weight and get rid of unhealthy belly fat. The term “organic” refers to the way agricultural products are grown and processed. Typically, organic food is produced in such a way as to minimize its exposure to pesticides and grown without the use of synthetic herbicides and fertilizers, or GMOs.
One of the biggest reasons people are holding onto unnecessary weight is because of high toxin levels. Many of these toxins comes from the food that is conventionally grown. Holding on to toxins make the body add weight in a number of ways.
First, they tamper with the normal hormone functioning. For you to lose weight, your hormones must work efficiently. Toxins can affect many hormones involved in your metabolism including insulin, leptin, ghrelin, thyroid, cortisol and many others. So when hormones hinder normal functioning of the body, then you will have a problem with weight gain.
Second, toxins trigger the body to create fat cells. When the body is exposed to large amounts of toxin levels, the body can’t safely excrete it and stores these toxins in the tissue as body fat. Organic produce has also been found to be higher than conventional produce in antioxidants, which tend to have an anti-inflammatory effect stimulating fat breakdown and boosting the growth of friendly gut bacteria.
Choose organic food correctly and eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. In addition, you must change your lifestyle and incorporate workouts for a long-lasting solution to your weight issues. It is also good to see a dietician to guide you on how to pick the right food and the right servings.
6. Drink Plenty of Water
7. Drink Green Tea
Another good idea for weight loss is to try drinking green tea. Green tea is a natural beverage loaded with antioxidants that has not undergone the same oxidation process used to make black teas. Drinking green tea is linked with many benefits, such as increased fat burning; and for some, considered a weight loss remedy due to its components catechins, theanine, and caffeine.
Catechins are antioxidants known to help to lower lipid absorption in the gut. The catechins in green tea are very good for burning fat, because they free fat from fat cells. Further, theanine is an amino acid responsible for the stimulation of production of dopamine, a compound known to invoke feelings of happiness. For individuals who binge on food in times of stress, this compound offers the perfect counterbalance to curb overeating.
Try Matcha green tea which may have even more powerful health benefits than regular green tea. Macha Green Tea is a variety of powdered green tea where the entire leaf is dried and ground into the formula, so you’re getting maximum benefits. Some studies suggests that green tea increases your metabolic rate helping you burn calories a lot faster. Plus, it’s packed full of nutrients and antioxidants to boost your immune system and improve your overall health. Drinking as little as two - three cups a day may make a difference. So replace your regular cup of tea or coffee with a cup of organic green tea.
8. Try Ginger
Ginger is the root of the Zingiber officinale a plant known for its support in digestion, immune health and stress. The root can be used as a powerful supplement for weight loss. One of its properties is that it aids in the reduction of excess gas in the gut and abdomen thus modifying issues of indigestion and discomfort.
Further, the root helps to reduce inflammation as well as irritation in the gut thus improving the digestive process. One of the primary reasons people gain too much weight is due to slow digestive processes. Digestion problems can also cause inflammation and the inflammatory hormones put our bodies into fat storage mode. Therefore, improving this process may lead to weight loss.
9. Take Probiotics
Probiotics are live bacteria that when consumed can help improve digestive health and may even help with weight loss. Your gut contains millions of bacteria where the “good” kind help to ensure your digestive system is working properly and Probiotics may help regulate the healthy gut bacteria. They may also block the absorption of dietary fat, while reducing appetite and inflammation.
You can boost your friendly bacteria by eating, fermented dairy such as kefir and yogurt, or taking one to two Probiotics such as Acidophilus capsules each day.
10. Replace Some Fat with Virgin Coconut Oil
Fat is necessary for your body to function properly, delivering essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins that it needs. However, the type of fat you eat may determine whether you’ll gain or lose weight.
Use Virgin Coconut oil in your diet. It is easy to digest, good for your health, and also helps your body break down materials faster. Coconut oil contains fatty acids called medium-chain triglycerides, which the body metabolizes differently and much faster than the long-chain triglycerides contained in other fats.
Virgin Coconut oil is a very versatile oil and is in fact one of the best oils to cook with. On top of that, it has natural antimicrobial properties so consuming 1-2 tsp per day may help support your immune system. Try adding 2 tsp to your morning coffee that can help balance blood sugar levels for the rest of the day!
Use it in roasting, frying or just a few teaspoons on a salad. However, it’s still a saturated fat – ex, high in calories – so don’t go overboard. Try to grill, poach and steam food wherever possible.
Note that this does not mean that you should add additional fat to your diet, but simply replace some of your other fat sources with coconut oil.
11. Start Your Day with Lemon Water
Lemon water is an excellent drink to help support weight loss by promoting fullness, supporting hydration, and boosting your metabolism. Lemons are high in vitamin C, which is a primary antioxidant that helps protect cells from damaging free radicals and helps your body get nutrients it needs to burn fat into energy and support weight loss
Water is the best beverage for hydration, but some people don’t like the taste of water on its own. By adding Lemon this enhances water’s flavor, which may help you drink more and can also be used as a low-calorie replacement for higher calorie beverages.
12. Exercise
If you really want to lose weight in a healthy way, there’s no way to escape from regular exercise and activity. Doing a mix of mild and hard physical activity will help you lose weight and control your weight. Whether it is jogging, running, cycling, power walking, or yoga, it is a great way to burn calories and improve both mental and physical health.
Also, exercise helps lessen stress and raise your energy, mood, and sleep quality. Taking a mind body approach that nourishes the body and reduces the physical, mental, and emotional stresses that cause weight gain is the most sensible and sustainable way to lose weight.
Remember to always seek the advice of your physician or qualified health provider prior to starting any new diet or treatment.
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