You wake up one fine morning to try out your new pair of jeans you got few months back from a shopping mall. The jeans you wear don’t seem to zip up and you are upset looking for ways to shed off those unwanted pounds. Losing weight is not easy unless you stay committed to cut back on calories and exercise regularly.
Everyone desires to look their best and weight loss is the only solution that will enhance your physical appearance. A good figure helps boost confidence level and also makes you feel good about yourself. Whether losing weight for your wedding day or for an important event, it is vital to consume fewer calories and burn up more calories to lose weight naturally.
Skip the lift or even the elevator for that matter and take the stairs to get in shape. Want to get back into your old jeans, follow these 50 weight loss secrets that will aid you in losing weight quickly and naturally.
50 Secrets To Natural Weight Loss Revealed
Tip # 1
Keep Your Diet Healthy And Light
Begin your day by having the most important meal of the day, the breakfast. Include whole grains, eggs, and brown breads in your breakfast. These foods keep you fuller for longer hours and you don’t tend to feel hungry during the day. Avoid skipping breakfast, as this can have a great impact on energy levels during the day.
Research studies show that people who skip breakfast have low levels of energy, lesser memory and mood swings. Your breakfast must be a little heavier, lunch must be moderate and dinner must be kept light.
Tip # 2
Follow the No White Foods Diet
White foods are good sources of carbohydrates, which lead to weight gain and must therefore be avoided. White rice, salt, sugar, white breads, whole-wheat pasta and noodles are some of the white foods that must never be included in your diet. Highly processed foods such as white flour do not contain essential nutrients required for body functions like vitamins and minerals. Sugary foods pose a threat to insulin levels and increase food cravings. Increased salt content in diet can result in high blood pressure and weight gain in individuals.
Research studies have revealed that people who eat white rice regularly are prone to type 2 diabetes. It was found that those who had this carbohydrate rich food three to four times a day were more likely to get the disease.
Tip # 3
Keep Track Of Daily Food Intake
Keep a dairy with you to note down the amount of calories you consume each day. This will help you keep track of the kinds of foods you consume that lead to weight gain. By doing this you will have a fair idea about the kinds of foods you must avoid for quick weight loss. Research conducted on a group of people keeping track of daily food intake showed that they consumed lesser calories in comparison to those who did not make note of food intake.
Tip # 4
Walk a Mile
There is a proverb that says rest a while after lunch and walk a mile after dinner. Lunch is generally considered a light meal, while dinner is regarded as a heavy meal. Walking a mile after dinner is good for health and helps indigestion. Walking is the simplest exercise to shed those unwanted pounds. It can be done anywhere and anytime. You can even walk on the treadmill while watching your favorite movies.
Majority women these days are eager to drop those post pregnancy pounds and get back in shape so that they can easily fit back into their pre-pregnancy jeans. Walking is the best way for women to lose weight and get back in shape. Call your neighbors and friends to the nearby park to walk along discussing things with them. Having a friend to exercise with helps you work harder to lose weight. Walking along with friends helps improve relationships and keeps you motivated to lose weight.
Tip # 5
Eat Healthy, Eat Early
It is said, “Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” Have your meals well in time to stay healthy. Choose healthier food options and avoid junk foods. Break down your daily food intake into smaller portions to stay fit. Instead of opting for three large meals a day, decide to have five to six small meals a day.
A study conducted in South Africa reveals that breaking up your morning meal at various intervals of five to six hours helps consume lesser calories during your next meal, which is lunch. This automatically helps in weight loss. Besides, there are other studies that have shown distributing the same amount of calories over various intervals helps control hunger. Your hunger is controlled, as your body is unable to release much insulin and this keeps blood sugar levels stable.
Snacking after 7 pm is unhealthy and will not help you lose weight. It is advised to eat food at least 3 hours before going to bed. The food consumed after 8 pm gets transformed into body fat. This is a myth believed by majority of health conscious people.
Tip # 6
Curb Appetite, Reduce Cravings By Color Therapy
Did you know the color of your food has a great impact on your diet? Several colors influence your eating habits in various ways. There are a few colors that motivate you to eat, while a few others suppress your appetite. The color blue used in your dining area will help you consume fewer calories.
Tip # 7
Indulge in Some Fun-filled Activities
Dancing is a fun way to burn calories and keep off weight for long time. Hit the discotheque during the weekends and dance to your favorite tunes. Bring along your partner to make it even more exciting. Dancing is a fun-filled activity enjoyed by one and all.
Tip # 8
Organize Matches, Physical Activities During Weekends
Instead of going to the movies during weekends, organize matches like cricket, tennis and football in your locality. This will not only make you sit less, it will also keep you away from binging on junk food while watching movies. Go for a long walk or cycling to a nearby place to stay healthy and fit.
Tip # 9
Take To Physical Household Activities
Household chores help burn a lot of calories easily. Once a week indulge in household activities like mopping the floor, cleaning windows, bathroom tile, or your car. Scrubbing is a great way to shed off pounds. You can shed off nearly 120 calories by scrubbing for 30 minutes. Household activities not only help you lose weight but they also help to keep surroundings clean.
Tip # 10
Cut Down Television Viewing
Television viewing leads to overeating, thus resulting in weight gain. Research studies found that people, who watched more television, ate more often and gained a lot of weight. Walk on your treadmill while watching television or do some simple exercises, this way you’ll burn more calories.
Tip # 11
Sniff Peppermint, Chewing Gum When Hungry
It might sound a bit funny, but it really works to a great extent. Consuming peppermint gum when hungry makes you feel less hungry. A study found that people who chewed gum more often felt less hungry and consumed lesser calories throughout the day. This will help you keep off weight for longer time. Sniffing gum sends a signal to the brain making it think that you are already eating some kind of food.
Tip # 12
Be Committed, Stick to Your Diet, Exercise plans
Commitment is the key to successful weight loss. Commitment is not sufficient; to lose weight quickly you will have to stick to your exercise and diet plans for a considerable period of time. To get instant results on weight loss, you will have to work really hard that can be a bit difficult. However it is worth the effort if you begin to drop pounds.
Tip # 13
Avoid Weight Gain by Eating Slowly, Chewing Well
Chewing helps in better digestion of food. Every bite must be chewed properly at least 10-12 times. Eating slowly helps you feel fuller and you tend to stop eating soon. It also helps you enjoy your nutritious food and prevents weight gain. Chewing well is a good exercise for jaws and facial muscles.
Tip # 14
Include Fiber-rich Foods In Diet
Fiber rich foods keep you feeling fuller for longer hours. This way you feel less hungry and consume less. The calories consumed through fiber-rich foods like whole grains, legumes, berries and apples are much less as compared to other foods. Besides helping to lose weight, a high-fiber diet lowers the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Tip # 15
Avoid Skipping Meals, Eat Frequently In Small Portions
Some people opt for crash diets to shed off those unwanted pounds. Crash diets only aid in short-term weight loss. Skipping meals will only leave you feeling hungrier later, when you tend to overeat during your next meal. Instead break up your meals into smaller portions and have them at various intervals. This is the perfect way to starve off hunger and stay fuller.
Tip # 16
Work Hard, Work Smart
A lot of commitment and hard work is required to lose weight and stay healthy. It would be really wonderful if we had a magical button to shed off pounds instantly. Since this is impossible, hard work and proper guidance will help you achieve your weight loss goals. It is not possible to spend hours in gym due to busy work schedules. Work smart by adopting weight loss strategies that aid in natural weight loss. Opt for short workouts that are also quiet effective in burning calories.
Tip # 17
Focus On Your Goals
Ensure that you drop at least one pound a week, which must be your goal of losing weight. More efforts need to be put in if you fail to lose one pound a week. Losing 2-3 pounds a week is the average weight a person can lose. Focus on losing weight and you will achieve your goal faster.
Tip # 18
Take Breaks While Exercising
Exercising can be tiring at times and you require short breaks in between to relieve tiredness. Some people take breaks while exercising, while a few others believe taking breaks will disturb their exercise routine. However, taking breaks while exercising helps burn more fat. This was found in a study conducted on few people while exercising. A 20 minute break helps burn 20% more fat.
Tip # 19
Keep Motivation Level High
Motivation is an important factor in weight loss. People who are motivated tend to lose weight easily then those who are not motivated. Staying motivated requires you to set smaller weight loss goals. Setting larger goals can leave you disappointed if you do not achieve the desired weight loss results. Reviewing progress from the time you began a weight loss program will keep motivation levels high.
Tip # 20
List Out Reasons That Thwart Weight Loss Goals
At times you may not be able to achieve your desired weight loss goals due to various reasons. List out the reasons as to what mistakes you made or what would be the reasons that are thwarting your efforts. This will help in knowing what exactly went wrong and finding a solution to the problem.
Tip # 21
Shop To Drop Pounds
Shopping can be exciting and at the same time it can be a fun way to drop pounds. Shop for groceries, clothes and other items, but don’t take your car. Instead take a walk if the shop is nearby and if it is far then park your car a bit away. Walk carrying your heavy stuff to the parking area. When shopping at a mall, avoid taking the lift or escalator. Walk all the way to the shop by stairs and buy your favorite stuff.
Tip # 22
Skipping, Swimming, Sipping, Stair Climbing and Sleeping well – 5 S’s of Weight Loss
Skip and hop to good health. Skipping and swimming are a great way to burn calories. Begin your morning workout by skipping with a rope and come home to have a refreshing cup of green tea.
Sipping green tea has several benefits. It not only aids in weight loss, but also keeps many diseases at bay.
Stair climbing is a perfect workout for overall body. Getting sufficient sleep is important for good health. Insufficient sleep affects appetite, which influences weight.
Tip # 23
Green Diet to Make You Stay Lean
Include the green diet in your daily foods you consume to stay lean and healthy. Salads, green tea, green leafy vegetables, broccoli and certain fruits must be included in diet to stay in shape.
Tip # 24
Avoid Soda, Carbonated Drinks
People these days, particularly teenagers love to have soda and other carbonated drinks that are bad for health. Substitute these drinks with water or other low-fat fruit juices. Besides helping to quench thirst, water and fruit juices curb appetite. Having a lower appetite means you consume lesser food.
Tip # 25
Stock Up On Low-calorie Snacks
Low-calorie snacks must be replaced with other snacks that contain fats and sugars. It is important to ensure that dairy products are low in fat before consuming them. Low-calorie snacks contain antioxidants, fiber and protein and are a healthy eating option for those who want to maintain their figure.
Tip # 26
Include Stress-busting Techniques In Your Routine
With the fast paced lifestyle we lead, getting stressed out is inevitable. Stress busting techniques like yoga, meditation and aromatherapy are best to be practiced every day. Relieve stress by going for a walk in fresh air in the morning.
Tip # 27
Do’s and Don’ts to Lose Weight Naturally
Want to lose weight naturally by putting in a little hard work? Avoid eating junk foods and opt for something healthy like salads, green veggies, fruits etc. Keep yourself hydrated by drinking 8-10 glasses of water throughout the day. Exercise regularly; if you feel too lazy bring in some fun by taking along a buddy to dance along with you.
Tip # 28
Award Yourself With Something Special
When you see you are achieving instant weight loss results, go to a shopping mall and buy yourself a good pair of jeans, leggings and other clothing. This is a great way to stay motivated and keep off weight for a longer time. Clothing you buy will ensure that you maintain your body weight for longer time. You can even reward yourself with your favorite food once in a while.
Tip # 29
Laugh To Stay Healthy and Fit
Feeling low? Laugh for a while and you will find your feeling disappear soon. It is said laughter is the best medicine and helps in relieving stress to a great extent. Laughing is a great exercise for the lungs and the heart. It helps in strengthening immune system and lowers blood sugar levels.
Tip # 30
Include Moderate Activity In Your Routine
Keep moving your body to either clean up the kitchen, drawers or re-arrange your cupboard. Walk when you receive a phone call on mobile, instead of sitting idle. Indulge in smaller workouts, as they help to improve metabolic rate. Whether done close to your home or at your workplace, moderate activity helps maintain overall health.
Tip # 31
Get Help From Professional Trainers With Your Workout
Although hiring professional trainers is expensive, a couple of workout sessions by hiring trainers will motivate you to work out more vigorously. Hiring professional trainers will help keep off those unwanted pounds, as you get to learn proper exercise techniques.
Tip # 32
Consume Low-fat Yogurt Daily
Fill up your refrigerator with low-fat yogurt and consume it daily. Research studies have found that people who burn a lot of calories on a daily basis must have low-fat yogurt at least thrice a day to burn up more fat and lose weight easily. Low-fat yogurt is an excellent source of calcium, which activates hormonal reaction that slows down production of fat cells. This helps in weight loss.
Tip # 33
Learn the Substitution Method
When given a choice to have a plate filled with salads or a piece of cake, opt for a plate filled with salads. Salads are fat free and will not add any calories to your diet. Substitute sugary, fatty foods with low-fat foods and foods that have low calorie content.
Tip # 34
Strength Training Workouts For Instant Weight Loss
Everyone desires to lose weight like the snap of our fingers and this is impossible unless we sweat it out. Time and effort is all that is required to attain that perfect figure. Strength training workouts are excellent exercises that target all muscle groups.
Tip # 35
Spice Up Your Food
Besides adding flavor and variety to food, did you know spices aid in weight loss? Fresh and dried spices make the food healthier. Spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and cloves minimize or remove sugar content in foods. The salt content in foods can be replaced by using spices like garlic, pepper and ginger. Consuming less sugar and salt keeps off those unwanted pounds.
Tip # 36
Change Methods Of Cooking
Opting for methods like baking, steaming and grilling foods will help cut a lot of calories. Utilizing a non-stick pan for cooking is a good way to stay healthy, as you make less use of oil. Using lesser amount of oil for cooking enhances the flavor of vegetables and whole grains. Steamed vegetables retain original amount of vitamins and minerals.
Tip # 37
Check Out Food Labels When Buying
When purchasing your favorite items for home, check out food labels before buying them. Certain foods are high in sugar content and must be avoided. Ensure that you buy items that contain more than 4 grams of sugar. Buy whole wheat pasta instead of pasta noodles.
Tip # 38
Banish Crabs, Add More Protein To Diet
Limiting or totally eliminating foods rich in carbohydrates will help shed off weight easily. A low-crab diet helps to lose weight and lowers risk of heart diseases, diabetes and certain type of cancers. Protein rich diet such as lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs and vegetables is good for weight loss.
It takes longer time for the body to digest low crab foods. Rising and dropping of blood sugar levels is common after consumption of low crab diet. The rise and drop in blood sugar levels curbs appetite for longer period.
Tip # 39
Boost Metabolism For Quick Weight Loss
Increase your metabolic rate by indulging in exercises or by consuming foods that boost metabolism. Aerobic workouts such as brisk walking, running and strength training workouts help boost metabolism. Green tea, fruits and vegetables, meats, nuts, avocados and salads are some of the foods that keep your metabolism high.
Tip # 40
Get Enough Vitamin D
Vitamin D when combined with a low-calorie diet aids in weight loss. This was found by researchers in their study at the University of Minnesota. The researchers found that obese people are likely to shed off extra pounds when their vitamin D levels rise. Vitamin D can be got from the sun and when combined with calcium supplement, it helps to improve digestion and normalize blood sugar levels.
Tip # 41
Exercise More, Consume Less
Weight loss is all about burning more calories and consuming lesser calories. So start off your weight loss program by having healthy foods and exercising more. This will help you achieve your weight loss goals easily.
Tip # 42
Quality vs Quantity
When consuming foods pay attention to the various nutrients your body requires instead of focusing on the amount of food you eat. Consume foods that have high nutritional content. The quality of food is more important and of course even quantity matters when it comes to consuming unhealthy foods.
Tip # 43
Be Prepared For Challenges
Be more competitive by challenging a friend to work out or compete in a running race with him/her. This will not only help to lose weight but it will lift up your competitive spirits.
Tip # 44
Prepare Healthy Food At Home
Avoid eating outside and prepare your own healthy food at home. This way you will learn the amount of calories you consume. When eating outside opt for healthier food options like fruit chats and salads.
Tip # 45
List Out Favorite Hobbies
Indulging in your favorite hobbies is a great way to distract yourself from having unhealthy foods. If your hobbies include physical activities like playing games, gardening, swimming and hiking, it will keep you fit and active.
Tip # 46
Dress To Impress
Ensure you wear nice clothing to impress people around. You feel good about yourself when you dress up well. People compliment you and this creates a feeling of keeping up your hard work in the near future. When you continue to put in hard work you will keep off weight for longer time.
Tip # 47
Snack On a Bowl Of Nuts
When you feel hungry, snack on a bowl of nuts, as they are a good source of mono-unsaturated fats that are healthy. Carry a few nuts like almonds and pistachios with you to your work place. Instead of binging on junk food have nuts.
Tip # 48
Never Lose Hope and Continue Efforts
Even if you fail in your efforts to lose weight, never give up and continue to put in efforts. Start all over again and stay positive in losing weight. Positive attitude is important for weight loss. Also get support from your family and friends. Watch or read about celebrity weight loss to get motivated to lose weight.
Tip # 49
Music – A Good Way Of Sticking To Exercise Routine
Listen to music while exercising. This not only allows you to enjoy your workout, but it also helps you stick to your exercise routine. Studies found that people, who carried earphones along with them while exercising, lost weight easily by sticking to their work out routine.
Tip # 50
Imagine Yourself Thin
When you don’t seem to get enough results from your workouts, imagine yourself when you were slim. This will keep you focused on your weight loss goals. Visualizing yourself thin will create a feeling that losing weight is not impossible.
Franky Keats is a professional dietitian with natural weight loss as his main area of practice. Franky has been working as a nutritionist for ten years now. Besides, he is a recognized author and columnist. He has been writing health columns for esteemed dailies and magazines. If you are looking for sure-shot solutions to your health related problems (that are mostly about overweight and fat burn), you can go through various master- piece articles and write ups written by Keats.
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