5 natural ways to lose weight

Natural Ways to Lose Weight

With the beginning of summer and a new year on its way, weight loss is on a lot of minds and goal lists. While there are plenty of ‘fad diets’, ‘quick weight loss’ supplements and programs to follow, they don’t provide long lasting results. This is partly because the methods used aren’t sustainable (e.g. eating minimal calories) and once you return to normal habits the weight piles back on, but also because metabolically the body needs to drop weight at a slower pace in order to adapt to keeping it off long term.

What not to do!

As highlighted above, fad diets, detox cleanses, calorie restriction, extreme fasting, fat loss supplements and extreme lifestyle habits such as training 3 hours a day are NOT THE ANSWER. These options are not sustainable on a long term basis, do not promote wellbeing, can create an unhealthy obsession, cause other health problems such as nutrient deficiencies and stop you living your best life.

Is there a sustainable way?

The good news is, there is a sustainable and healthy way to lose weight that can be kept off and maintained long term. It’s certainly not a quick fix option, but as the saying goes “good things take time”. The best part is, you’re not having to tolerate an unpleasant diet or routine that you can’t wait to be done with, you can create sustainable habits that are pleasant and maintainable for life!

Tell me how?

• Increase protein intake: Oddly enough this is commonly one of the most overlooked aspects of many people’s food intake. Protein is a macronutrient essential for providing energy, supporting muscle mass and growth, controlling appetite and providing so many more health benefits.. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health & Ageing revealed that 1 in 3 adults are missing the mark on protein intake (GCI Health NY, 2019). This is a massive contributing factor to the increase of obesity, and also a very common contribution to why some people find it hard to lose weight.
• Mindfulness: Your mindset can either be your biggest asset or your biggest burden when it comes to weight loss for several reasons. The first reason being, if you don’t believe in yourself or your worth how can you stay consistent with your efforts? It is also very important to be mindful of these changes you are making, and make sure that you’re taking a balanced approach as that is sustainable on a long term basis. Getting obsessive with dieting and exercise is not healthy and definitely not doable long term, meaning results wont last long term. For more explanation about mindfulness that you can bring into your weightloss journey read our blog “being mindful on your weight loss journey”.

• Sleep: is hugely important for allowing the body to rest and recover so that it can function properly. Functioning properly means that the body’s metabolism can work efficiently to burn fat, and muscle mass can be increased, it also reduces the body’s need to produce the stress hormone cortisol. All these factors contribute to the body’s fat burning ability. A study conducted on weight loss and sleep found that increased sleep duration burnt an average of 270 kcal a day (Caldwell, 2022).

• Calorie Counting: is an effective way to help boost your metabolism and encourage your body to utilise the stored fat into energy. This can be done by firstly understanding your body’s metabolic rate (AKA the amount of calories it burns daily just by functioning). Click here to calculate your metabolic rate using this metabolic rate calculator. Once you become aware of this number, you can compare it to how many calories you are actually eating a day. Gaining this awareness can help you see where you are going wrong and how to improve. In order to lose weight, putting your body in a slight deficit such as 100-200 calories below your metabolic rate is a sustainable approach. It is important not to eat too low of a deficit as it can switch your body into a survival mode where it stores fat instead of losing it. Not to mention starving yourself isn’t good for your mental or physical health! While calorie counting is effective, it can become dangerous in an obsessive manner and have negative impacts on mental health and eating habits. If this is something that affects you, please avoid this method!
• Taking L-Carnitine:L-Carnitine is a great supplement that works as a natural thermogenic to improve fat burning, while also increasing energy and mental focus to help with sticking to health regimes. For more information on L-Carnitine and all the benefits it has to offer, have a read of this  blog a.  Designer Physique has its own 100% pure L-carnitine supplement called Lean Boost.

More to gain then there is to lose..

By incorporating these tips into your health routine, the only thing to lose is body fat, while gaining so many other amazing health benefits. Building a healthier self is so much more than just losing body fat, it’s about strengthening your mind, strengthening your muscles and nourishing your body!

References

Caldwell, A. (2022). Getting more sleep reduces caloric intake, a game changer for weight loss programs, UChicago Medicine. Accessed on 21/11/22, <https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/research-and-discoveries-articles/getting-more-sleep-reduces-caloric-intake>

GCI Health NY, (2019). Despite America’s protein craze, adults are still missing the mark according to a new study, Journal of Nutrition, Health & Ageing. 10.1007/s12603-019-1174-1