Losing Weight the Natural way

The mantra to lose weight is simple- spend more than you consume! But as with all simple things in life, this is very difficult to follow; especially if you suffer from chronic conditions where the barest of all exercises causes a lot of stress. So how do you lose weight naturally? Here are a few things to do and practice when trying to lose weight naturally:

• Eat a diet that is dominated by raw food: A diet rich in raw unprocessed food is rarely fattening. Thus fruits, raw vegetables, sprouts, salads, are all examples of raw food that banish hunger, yet keep the calorie count on check. If eating raw isn’t possible, eat food that is broiled, steamed, or grilled. Needless to say, avoid food that is fried or sautéed.

• Watch what you eat: This may not be ideal to all, but indeed possible by a majority. When you fill your plate, ensure that half of it is taken by vegetables, 1/4th by carbohydrates, and the remaining by protein. There are some foods that add up the protein as well as the carb count. Make sure that you balance this out. Chicken, fish and eggs are a good source of protein. As for the vegetables, ensure that you avoid starchy vegetables like potatoes and other root veggies.

• Sugar is best avoided. And even if you have to source them from natural food like fruits. Another way is to simply skip desserts. A good thing about fruits is that it provides the natural mix of sugar, minerals, and fiber that have a self limiting effect on the body. Thus you feel full longer. And if you can’t control your urge, eat sugar 15 minutes before your food. This is because hunger is directly related to blood sugar levels and hence curbs your urge to eat.

• Cut processed food: Refined flour, heavy sugar and plenty of other additives are common ingredients in processed food. Complex carbs take time to digest and hence make you feel full for a longer period.

• Eat 5 times in a day: Rather than eating three whole meals make sure that you eat 5 times in a day. This increases the metabolism and causes the body to burn more fat.

• Eat in small plates: Eating in a small plate encourages you to take fewer servings and also makes you feel full sooner than expected.

• Regular exercise: All of the above mentioned methods are useless unless you exercise for a minimum of at least 30 minutes every day.

By inculcating these habits you may take time to lose weight, but it ensures that you do not land yourself in the hospital and that the weight loss permanent.