Top Natural Ways to Lose Weight

We do it every year. We take out the pencil (a pen is too concrete) and we write down our resolutions for the coming New Year. And if you're like the majority, one of your resolutions will be on this very subject in some way, shape or form. And that is perfectly fine, because statistics show, that just by making this new years resolution, you are more likely to follow it. And a month down the road, 64% of you will still be following through with it. Hey! That's a number we can live with. However, resolutions are better followed if you make more realistic goals for yourself, so get rid of that magic number you have floating around in your head and just follow these guidelines. You'll be surprised at how easy it is to stick too, and when you see the weight falling off, you'll be more inclined to keep doing these all year long – not just the first month!

Updated Sep. 27th, 2023

Split into two sections; Supplements and Lifestyle Changes, here are 14 ways how you can jump start your New Years Resolution of losing weight in 2014.

SUPPLEMENTS

Adrenal Supplements: What do my adrenal glands have to do with me losing weight, anyways? Well, even though they are the small glands on the upper pole of each kidney, these small glands help you manage stress, produce sex hormones and are responsible for water balance in the body, meaning – if they're out of whack, your body is going to have a hard time losing weight. In fact, signs that you are suffering from adrenal exhaustion is weight gain, fatigue, changes in mood, gut disorders, low sex drive. Adrenal supplements (also called Adaptogens) can help to balance unhealthy cortisol levels, improve energy, and support healthy weight loss. A great way to jump start your healthy lifestyle and see results!

konjac root

Konjac: Shed yourself of unwanted waste, or water weight. Mostly known as Konjac root, or glucomannan; it is a supplement that absorbs water as it travels through the digestive tract. It increases the bulk of stool, also meaning it provides a better signal to the colon that there is waste to remove. Taken with food, konjac effectively slows the release of the sugars in our food, which leads to faster satiety, and allows the body more time to burn the calories they contain off as energy instead of storing them as body fat. This makes it a helpful aid for reducing the glycemic load of foods. Konjac root is especially indicated for diabetics, or people who have constipation. It's a great way to help keep things moving, regularly!

Green Tea: Start incorporating green tea in your daily routine, if it's the ONLY thing you do! And not just for weight loss, for several reasons. Research confirms that green tea is one of the most effective weight loss promoters (as a supplement/food), as it is high in catechins. By increasing your catechin intake (270-1200mg/daily) over a 12 week period, it has been shown to increase your metabolic rate, reduce body fat and improve overall weight loss. AS a BIG bonus, green tea contains an amino acid that promotes brain waves, and nutrients that help boost mental alertness. If that weren’t enough, green tea has many great benefits for cardiovascular health, anti-cancer properties and so much more.

CLA: Perfect for those looking to boost weight-loss and make exercising more tolerable. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is an essential fatty acid, which means it must be taken in through our diet as the body has no way of producing it. CLA is responsible for moving dietary fats into cells, it also moves sugar into cells so that it can be used to make energy, and not stored as fat. Other benefits of taking CLA is it's enhancement in your immune system via its potent antioxidant action, and its ability to decrease fat, improve muscle tone and increase lean muscle mass – overall, increasing your tolerance and/or length of time for exercise.

Green Coffee Bean: This might be the perfect match for you, if you are not willing to change aspects of your lifestyle, but still want to lose weight, as this is said to be “a miracle pill to burn fat.” Green coffee bean consists of an extract of an unroasted seed of the coffee plant (coffea arabica). It contains chlorogenic acid (CGA) which has been shown to suppress the release of glucose in the body and boost the metabolism of sugar and fat in the liver. What does this mean for weight loss? It means this supplement can potentially aid your body in burning more fat and storing less of it. This is best taken 30 mins prior to meals, with a glass of water, three times daily.

Raspberry Ketones: Said to “trick your body into acting like it's thin” - this supplement has became a household name among health nuts thanks to everyone's favourite daytime doctor; Dr. Oz. By increasing levels of a hormone called adiponectin (a hormone that is naturally higher in people who are thin) it helps to regulate your metabolism. It is said that this pill can help promote weight loss while following a healthy diet and exercise plan! Seeing as it would be impossible to eat 90lbs of raspberries per day to get the recommended dosage that Dr. Oz recommends, it is easier to take a Raspberry Ketone supplement. Just keep in mind, there is still little research on this 'weigh-loss miracle', so it is best to use in moderation, and with self awareness.

Protein Supplements: Many think protein is only important when you are trying to bulk up, and gain a bunch of muscle like many of those bulging weight lifters you see. But truth be told, protein gets your body working as soon as its consumed, sending your metabolism into high gear to break it down. The key is lean protein, and it is a vital step to keeping your body losing fat, while not taking the muscle with it. Protein supplements are a great way to make sure you get all your recommended protein daily, as shakes range from 10g - 45g of protein per scoop. Look for protein supplements that are 'complete proteins', and contain all nine of the amino acids, if you can. Also, be sure to avoid unnecessary fillers, and look for high quality, clean products.
LIFESTYLE CHANGES

workout-pro

Workout Routines – Change it up! While sticking to the same workout routine may be convenient for your brain, your body eventually suffers. Yes, it is better than doing nothing, however, after a few months of doing the same routine, your body will consume less energy; this is sometimes referred to as muscle memory. This can easily results in the dreaded weight loss plateau. Changing it up will continually challenge your body and it will burn more calories, giving you the results you're looking for. You can chose to do this in two ways; the intensity of the workout, or the type of workout. Incorporating pilates and circuits (much like that of crossfit) is a great way to keep your body guessing. If you're a runner, perhaps something as small as adding a few sprints or running up steeper hills or even changing your route, could give you better results.

Smaller Meals, More Often: For many of us, there has and always will be three meals a day; breakfast, lunch and dinner. But if you're looking to lose weight, you might want to try changing your tune and eating 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day. By doing this you will help regulate blood sugar, control cravings and keep hunger at bay – making it less likely for you to go with the unhealthy, quick fix. Eating smaller meals more frequently can also help speed up your metabolism, as there is less downtime between meals. Just be smart about your choices, make sure each of your mini-meal includes lean protein, fiber and a healthy fat. There are some great examples of this here.

Blood Sugar Balancing: It doesn't have to be rocket science, but by simply following a healthy balanced diet and staying away from fad diets you'll impact your body on a level most diets miss; balancing your blood sugar. A well-balanced blood sugar level is crucial to overall fitness, well-being, regulating hormones, burning off stored fats and kick starting your metabolism for weight-loss. Some tips for stabilizing blood sugar: 'Eat in Three's'. Eat every three hours and divide your plate into thirds; protein, fats and carbs. Try eating foods low on the glycemic index, such as alternative sugars; agave nectar, coconut palm sugar. Dr. Oz even recommends aligning your spine, and exercising your white and red muscles for 10 minutes daily (such as mountain climbers, side shuffles etc.)

breakfast_healthy

Eat Breakfast: We know you've heard it before, 'breakfast is the most important meal of ..blah blah blah' but there is some truth behind the hype. Not having breakfast can make or break (no pun intended) your diet. As the first meal of the day, it sets the tone for metabolism, cravings and overall food consumption throughout the day. Eating breakfast can actually lead to less late night snacking! When you skip a meal, it just makes you that much hungrier, grouchier, and more likely to consume double the calories over your next meals. So have a well-balanced breakfast, that means no dessert-like items, and you'll notice a big difference in weight, mood and decreased overall food consumption throughout the day.

Food Sensitivities/Intolerance: Years ago it may have been hard to go out and find foods that you're able to eat with certain allergies, but in today's marketplace, this is not the case. Gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, you name it and you'll be able to find it. Good thing too, because eating these foods when you are sensitive to them could really help you pack on the pounds. Not to be confused with a food allergy, which has slightly different markers and can be more severe, a food intolerances also lead to inflammation, impact digestion and absorption of nutrients significantly, not to mention lead to more aches and pains in our joints, as well as lower energy… all, in turn, preventing us from weight-loss. A few signs you may have these sensitivities is feeling bloated, fluid retention, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), eczema, migraine, fatigue, hives and asthma. Keep a food journal, record what you eat and how you felt. If you can't pin point it yourself, it might be wise to see a Naturopathic doctor for advice.

Hormone Balancing: If you are truly doing all the right things, and still struggling to lose weight or keep it off, then your hormones may be at play. While this whole balancing of hormones for healthy weight-loss may be new to you, it is in no way an unfounded correlation. Hormones control every aspect of weight-loss, including your metabolism, where fat is stored, appetite and even cravings. Something as simple as having excess belly fat can indicate you have high estrogen, low testosterone, low DHEA (a hormone of the adrenal glands, see above), high insulin or high cortisol (stress hormone). Having an underactive thyroid (hypothyroid) can also make it very difficult to lose weight. There are supplements that can help you, you just have to ask. It's best to find out which one of these you may be suffering from by consulting your Naturopathic doctor.

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Portion Control: Don't run! We know it's scary when you hear 'portion control' when you're trying to lose weight. “I'm going to starve!” is one of the biggest misconceptions about a “healthy lifestyle” – but when you master it, you'll realize it is huge portion of your success. First off, don't skip meals as this is doing more harm then good. By simply measuring out your foods following the nutritional guidelines it comes with, you will notice a difference. You'll be surprised to see what 1 cup of cereal actually looks like in your bowl. Same with protein, did you know that 3 ounces of lean meat looks like a deck of cards? And does not take over your whole dinner plate. By sticking to the rules when it comes to portion sizes, and making sure to eat balanced meals, with vegetables, starch and proteins – we know you'll see a big difference in a short time.

Nutritional Information
for informational purposes only. please consult your health care practitioner before taking natural health care products. click here for full disclaimer.

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Comments on “Top Natural Ways to Lose Weight”

  • Sandra
    Loving These Articles

    Finally, an article about losing weight that doesn't tell you to starve yourself!! I have really been enjoying these articles from NN, they're very informative, thank you.

    Reply
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  • Paul Lamoureux
    Paul Lamoureux March 7, 2022 at 8:23 pm
    WINDOW

    The 24-hour body clock, also known as your circadian rhythm, may influence the best time to eat based on its effects on hunger, nutrient absorption, insulin sensitivity, and metabolism .

    To match your body clock, the recommended eating window is less than or equal to 8–12 hours a day, during daylight hours. Eating outside of this window may lead your body to process calories less efficiently, which may contribute to weight gain

    Reply
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