Lose weight naturally means that rather than counting every calorie or scratching entire food groups from your diet, make healthful eating — along with fitness and stress reduction — a part of your daily lifestyle.
By thinking of weight loss not as a primary goal but rather as a by-product of making important health choices, you are on your way to addressing the underlying causes of weight gain — not merely the symptoms.
This approach can benefit you for long term result then other lose weight methods. How can you lose your weight naturally? Here are some key habits that you can do:
Healthful diet
Remember this: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."
These 3 points form the basis of a healthful diet:
1. Eat food. "If it’s something your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize," says Mark Hyman, M.D., author of UltraMetabolism: The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss (Scribner, 2006), "you probably shouldn't eat it." Choose whole fresh foods rather than processed food products. In other words, don't just avoid processed and refined white bread, but also limit enriched whole wheat bread, which is loaded with processed nutrients and preservatives. Fresh whole grain bread straight from the bakery would be better, while a dish of cooked wheat berries would be even more nutritious. The greater amount of food you eat that is whole and unmodified (rather than being a food product), the more healthful (and — believe it or not — satisfying) your diet will be.
2. Not too much. There's no getting around that one of the most healthful and effective techniques for weight loss is moderate calorie restriction. Since weight loss boils down to consuming fewer calories than you burn, portion control is a non-negotiable element. To safely lose weight, shoot for a deficit of 250 to 500 calories per day — anything greater could leave you very hungry and more vulnerable to impulsive indulgences with bad-for-you food.
Tip: Restricting the number of calories is one of the most difficult requirements to weight loss. Try substituting quality for quantity. You may find that by choosing organic whole foods, you'll need less to feel satiated.
3. Mostly plants. Vegetables should make up the largest portion of your diet, as the antioxidants in fresh produce have a powerful effect against the free radicals in our bodies. Also, since vegetables (especially leafy ones) are low in carbohydrates, eating a plant-based diet translates into fewer calories overall. Remember, variety not only adds spice but longevity, too. As omnivores, we require a certain amount of complexity in our diet in order to stay healthy. Include as many different colors and varieties of fruits and vegetables in your diet as you can.
Proper hydration Don't underestimate the importance of drinking water for weight loss. Sufficient water intake is crucial for you to achieve optimal digestion, absorption, circulation and waste excretion.
Depending on how much produce you eat, the climate you live in and how much you exercise, you should be drinking an average of 6 to 8 glasses of water a day. Remember that fruit juice, tea, coffee and sodas don't count as water.
We often misinterpret thirst as hunger — which throws off our natural appetite cues. By staying properly hydrated throughout the day, you will deter false hunger pangs and be able to more easily discern your true hunger levels. Another bonus? Staying hydrated fights fatigue, giving you more energy to stick with your exercise plan.
Tip: Carry a water bottle with you wherever you go so that you have no excuse for getting parched.
Natural supplements
While your focus should be on getting nutrition from whole foods rather than relying on supplements, ensuring basic nutritional support through a few well-chosen supplements is a reasonable backup. Begin with a high-quality multivitamin and mineral combination, and choose a brand that doesn’t contain fillers, binders, coloring agents, gluten or lactose.
For natural compounds that may speed up weight loss, consider calcium, chromium and green tea supplements. While it is unclear how effective these supplements may be in enhancing weight loss, they have few known risks and some potential benefits. Nonetheless, it is not standard medical practice to recommend them.
Calcium (400 to 500 milligrams daily) may play a role in weight control by regulating energy metabolism. Chromium (400 micrograms daily) appears to improve insulin function and blood sugar control — which may make weight control easier. The caffeine and antioxidant catechins in green tea can help enhance calorie burning by increasing thermogenesis (the production of heat in cells). You can either drink several cups a day or take it in capsule form (anywhere from 250 to 500 milligrams daily)
Tip: Taking your vitamins and supplements (either with a meal or just before) may reduce stomach upset.
Stress reduction
Stress and weight gain are closely related. Stress can cause your adrenal glands to release adrenaline and cortisol into your bloodstream, which in turn can cause the body to conserve fat.
Chronic stress throws your metabolism out of whack and can lead to weight gain regardless of calorie intake. Cortisol (the stress hormone) makes your body less sensitive to other hormones — most notably to leptin, the hormone that tells your brain when you are full.
There are other factors at work (i.e., the fact that people turn to food to comfort themselves in times of stress).
Relaxation, experts say, is the best defense against stress. "When someone learns how to consciously acknowledge the presence of stress, he can then make a deliberate choice in how he'll react to it," says Steven Gurgevich, Ph.D., author of The Self-Hypnosis Diet: Use the Power of Your Mind to Make Any Diet Work for You (Sounds True, 2007). "Instead of 'emotional eating,' they can take a brisk walk, do something productive or use an active or passive relaxation technique."
Tip: Meditation, yoga, prayer, baths, music, tai chi, hypnosis and breathing exercises all may induce the relaxation response.
Fitness
For people who are more than moderately overweight, exercise can be daunting (at best) and even physically excruciating due to the pressure your weight puts on your joints. But you have to start somewhere: Wendy McClure, a fitness consultant and trainer listed by Men's Journal as one of America’s 100 Best Trainers, says very heavy people should not jump into an exercise boot camp. "I often suggest beginning with classes in a pool, because they can move freely in the water for a long period of time without joint problems," she says. Walking is another excellent way to launch an exercise program. Walking as little as 15 minutes a day could significantly improve your health. The more out of shape you are, the more fitness gains you will experience early on. Use a pedometer — available for as little as $10 — and slowly build up to 10,000 steps a day (about 4 to 5 miles). Studies show that this level of activity can reduce blood pressure, significantly increase calorie burn and improve cardio fitness (again, particularly in people who are less fit to begin with).No matter your baseline fitness level, choose activities you enjoy (ice skating, rock climbing, square dancing), and do them with people you like. Many studies show that people are more likely to stick with an exercise program if they have an activity buddy —the commitment drives people to show up even on days when their motivation is low. Also, don't be a fair-weather friend to exercise. "A consistent routine of exercising each day... shows the best and most successful results," McClure says. It is healthier — and safer — to exercise for 20 to 30 minutes a day on most days than to procrastinate all week and try to punish yourself for 2 hours on a Saturday.
Success with a natural weight-loss approach doesn't equal quick results. By introducing long-term and lasting changes instead of drastic, unsustainable ones, you may lose weight more slowly — perhaps only a pound a week. Still, the more gradual the loss is, the more likely that the pounds will be gone for good.
Go lose your weight naturally and have a healthier life.
Lose Weight Naturally
The ruler and hourglass body shape
The ruler body
This is another body shape that is common in men. Women with ruler bodies are often reffered as having boyish figures with few curves, and seem tobe naturally thin without even trying – just like celebrities Keira Khightly and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Their figures are squarish because the width of their bust, waist and hips vary slightly.
Rulers seem to be eating all the time without getting any fatter.
Although it might sound like a good problem to have, ruler-shaped bodies often wish they could put on some weight and have a fuller figure rather than looking thin.
Such a figure does have its benefits, such as missing out the myriad health problems associated with too much body fat, but it is believed that such a body has a higher risk of developing osteoporosis.
The hourglass figure
This body shape applies only to females. Hollywood legends such as Marilyn Monroe were regarded as having the perfect hourglass figure, but now it’s back in fashion – with Scarlett Johansson and Catherine Zeta Jones.
Women with an hourglass figure have soulders and hips of a similar width and a smaller waist, giving them classic female curves without looking too skinny.
The trouble is that hourglass shaped women often find they put on weight quite easily, while finding is difficult to build muscle.
That means maintaining those curves will require a healthy, low fat diet and regular cardiovascular exercise.
Now that you know what body shape you are and realize that it is genetically determined, let this be the basic for making sure that you are eating right and exercising right for your body shape.
You can also find more about eating right during your pregnancy to make you understand the do's and don'ts if you are pregnant.
What Is My Body Shape - The pear and apple
We have already known the types of body shapes and you probably identify which body shape that you have. Now, how will we deal with them.
The pear-shaped body
Men or women woth pear shaped figures are usually bottom heavy. They appear to have a narrow upper body compared to their wider lower body.
And if you need some celebrity idol with a pear-shaped figure, look no further than Jennifer Lopez.
Research has shown that people with this body shape show less risk of developing heart conditions. This could be because hip-fat contains a natural anti-inflammatory element called adiponectin, which prevents arteries from swelling up and becoming blocked.
Storing fat around the hips also has far fewer health risks than storing fat around the waist, although as with all body shapes, it’s important to work hard and eat balanced meal to maintain a healthy weight.
The apple-shaped body
Many men are considered to be apple-shaped – their bodies have a silhouette that resembles an upside down triangle. This is definitely a common body-type for men, but not for women.
Women with an apple-shaped figure will have afuller bust and waist, but smaller bum, and will tend to accumulate weight around their stomach rather than around their hips.
Keep that waistline in check to reduce risk of heart disease or diabetes. A healthy diet and active lifestyle are essential, as is an active lifestyle. Toning and strengthening the upper body will benefit “apples” greatly.
Next: The ruler and hourglass body shapes.
What Is My Body Shape - Shape Really Does Matter
What is my body shape? The answer is that there are 4 human body shapes. Can you imagine, if everyone had the same body shape, the world would be a boring place. Thankfully, everybody has a different body type and shape. Just as our facial features are inherited genetically, our body shapes are, too. That’s why you often hear people say,”I’ve inherited my mother’s waist and hips” or “I’ve got my dad’s shoulders and height”.
It is obvious that our body shapes affect our lives in a number of different ways. Our body shapes often determine what and how much we eat and exercise, what we wear and how we feel about ourselves.
Men and women often are commonly described as having pear, apple or ruler shaped bodies. These terms are used to describe the areas where the body has a tendency of storing fat.
For example, pears tend to store fat below their waist, usually on their hips and thoghs, whole apples store fat above their waists, around the mid section.
The fourth body shape that only women have is the hourglass figure.
While it is almost impossible to alter your body shape completely, there are things you can do to look after your body – and look your best no matter what body shape you have.
Now you have known the answer about your body shape. We’ll see about how to deal with each of those body shape in my next post.
Break away from skipping breakfast
You may curious why are people skipping breakfast. In fact, body-conscious teens may believe cutting out breakfast will help them lose weight, but the opposite appears to be the case, say researchers at the University of Minnesota, United States.
In a five year study of more than 2,000 youngsters, those who skipped breakfast weighed om average 2.3 kg more than those who ate first thing in the day, the BBC reported. And this was so even though the breakfast eaters consumed more calories in the course of the day.
But the study in the journal Pediatrics found that those who ate breakfast – and then ate more during the day – were likely to be mote active.
The research adds weight to evidence that people who eat breakfast – whatever their age – are leaner than those who do not.
“It may seem counter-intuitive,” said Mark Pereira, who led the research. “But while they ate more calories, they did more to burn those off, and that may be because those who ate breakfast did not feel so lethargic.
“While it’s best to go for a healthy option, a wholegrain cereal for instance, the evidence does seem to suggest that eating anything is better than eating nothing at all.”
Around 25 percent of the group in the study regularly missed breakfast, and the problem was particularly pronounced among young women.
“They skip breakfast because they worry about weight gain – and it’s ironic that the ones who aren’t worried and eat in the mornings are the ones who keep their weight down,” said Pereira.
Tam Fry, chairman of the Child Growth Foundation at the National Obesity Forum, said the findings of the study showed just how important it was to relay a clear and consistent message to young people.
“If you eat well first thing, you’ll feel brighter, you’ll have more get up and go and you’ll expend more energy. Eating regular meal is vital, and a proper breakfast is very important.”
Skipping breakfast does not help you lose weight!
Wholegrain cereal is best. But anything is better than no breakfast. You are likely to be more active and burn off more calories during the day if you do eat breakfast because you won’t feel lethargic. Those who eat breakfast are more likely to keep their weight down.
So, don’t do skipping breakfast to lose your weight.
