How to lose weight naturally?

By Devanshi Thakkar

Weight loss to a healthy weight for a person’s height can promote health benefits. These include lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels, lower blood pressure, less stress on bones and joints, and less work for the heart. It is vital to maintain weight loss to obtain health benefits over a lifetime.

Obesity can lead to a number of serious health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and some types of cancer.

One method that can help a person lose weight is to limit the number of calories taken in through their diet. The other way is to burn extra calories with exercise.

Add Protein to Your Diet

When it comes to weight loss, protein is the king of nutrients.

Your body burns calories when digesting and metabolizing the protein you eat, so a high-protein diet can boost metabolism by up to 80–100 calories per day.

A high-protein diet can also make you feel more full and reduce your appetite. In fact, some studies show that people eat over 400 fewer calories per day on a high-protein diet.

Even something as simple as eating a high-protein breakfast (like eggs) can have a powerful effect.

Keeping healthful snacks at home and in the office

People often opt to eat foods that are convenient, so it is best to avoid keeping prepackaged snacks and candies on hand.

One study found that people who kept unhealthful food at home found it more difficult to maintain or lose weight.

Keeping healthful snacks at home and work can help a person meet their nutritional needs and avoid excess sugar and salt. Good snack options include:

• nuts with no added salt or sugar
• fruits
• prechopped vegetables
• low-fat yogurts
• dried seaweed

Quitting added sugar

Sugar is not always easy to avoid, but eliminating processed foods is a positive first step to take.

According to the National Cancer Institute, men aged 19 years and older consume an average of over 19 teaspoons of added sugar a day. Women in the same age group consume more than 14 teaspoons of added sugar a day.

Much of the sugar that people consume comes from fructose, which the liver breaks down and turns into fat. After the liver turns the sugar into fat, it releases these fat cells into the blood, which can lead to weight gain.

Avoiding refined carbohydrates

In response to the influx of sugar from refined carbohydrates, the liver will create and release fat into the bloodstream.

To reduce weight and keep it off, a person can eat whole grains instead.

Refined or simple carbohydrates include the following foods:

• white rice
• white bread
• white flour
• candies
• added sugars
• many kinds of pasta

Rice, bread, and pasta are all available in whole-grain varieties, which can aid weight loss and help protect the body from disease.

Drink Water

There is actually truth to the claim that drinking water can help with weight loss.

Drinking 0.5 liters (17 oz) of water may increase the calories you burn by 24–30% for an hour afterward.

Drinking water before meals may also lead to reduced calorie intake, especially for middle-aged and older people.

Water is particularly good for weight loss when it replaces other beverages that are high in calories and sugar.

Drink (Unsweetened) Coffee

Fortunately, people are realizing that coffee is a healthy beverage that is loaded with antioxidants and other beneficial compounds.

Coffee drinking may support weight loss by increasing energy levels and the amount of calories you burn.

Caffeinated coffee may boost your metabolism by 3–11% and reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by a whopping 23–50%.

Furthermore, black coffee is very weight loss friendly, since it can make you feel full but contains almost no calories.

Eating more fruits and vegetables

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables can help a person lose weight and maintain their weight loss.

The authors of a systematic review support this claim, stating that promoting an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption is unlikely to cause any weight gain, even without advising people to reduce their consumption of other foods.

Eating slowly

Eating slowly can help a person reduce the total number of calories that they consume in one sitting. The reason for this is that it can take the brain some time to realize that the stomach is full.

One study indicated that eating quickly correlates with obesity. While the study could not recommend interventions to help a person eat more slowly, the results do suggest that eating food at a slower pace can help reduce calorie intake.

Chewing food thoroughly and eating at a table with others may help a person slow down while eating.

Using a smaller plate

Using smaller plates could have a positive psychological effect. People tend to fill their plate, so reducing the size of the plate may help reduce the amount of food that a person eats in one sitting.

A 2015 systematic review concluded that reducing plate size could have an impact on portion control and energy consumption, but it was unclear whether this was applicable across the full range of portion sizes.

Replace Some Fat with Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is high in fats called medium-chain triglycerides, which are metabolized differently than other fats.

Studies show that they can boost your metabolism slightly, while helping you eat fewer calories.

Coconut oil may be especially helpful in reducing the harmful belly fat.

Note that this does not mean that you should add this fat to your diet, but simply replace some of your other fat sources with coconut oil.

Brush Your Teeth After Meals

Many people brush or floss their teeth after eating, which may help limit the desire to snack or eat between meals.

This is because many people do not feel like eating after brushing their teeth. Plus, it can make food taste bad.

Therefore, if you brush or use mouthwash after eating, you may be be less tempted to grab an unnecessary snack.