As per the recent research, it is stated that up to 33% of Americans are overweight (BMI over 25), 6% are extremely obese (BMI over 40) and 36% are obese (BMI over 30).
However, being obese or overweight is a risk factor that causes many health problems like cardio functioning, osteoarthritis, diabetes, some types of cancers, etc. Also, the risk will increase with your higher body mass index (BMI).
So, to stay fit and healthy, you have to shed your excess fat in your body and keep it under control to get rid of these health and beauty problems and to have proper health and long life.
The intake of nutritional diet and water (to stay hydrated), do some regular exercises and follow healthy lifestyle habits is the simple logic to get rid of your overweight.
There are many natural ways to get rid of your excess weight gain. Before starting to know about the natural ways to cut down the excess weight, you should know the main causes of weight gain.
Effective Causes for Gaining Weight:
In general, everyone thinks that excess fat in the body is the result of excess intake of too much calories and not getting enough physical exercise to the body. But do you know that it can be caused due to many reasons in our diet and environment, which we aren’t even aware of?
1. Environmental Chemicals:
There are many environmental chemicals like heavy metals, coolants, solvents, plastics (like BPA, used to store the food and beverages), pesticides, etc. will cause weight gain. These environmental chemicals also called as endocrine disruptors will interfere with the weight – controlling hormones.
2. Artificial Sweeteners:
Most people substitute sugar with artificial sweeteners but do you know that there are also contributing to your weight gain. In a study, it is found that intake of saccharin, aspartame or sucralose can develop glucose intolerance and result in type 2 diabetes and obesity.
3. MSG:
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer that used in fast food chains and in a variety of processed foods. In a study, it proved that people using MSG in their cooking are nearly 3 times more likely to be overweight rather than those who don’t use it.
4. Emulsifiers:
Emulsifiers are chemicals that are used to mix oil with water. In general, there are used in processed foods like mayonnaise, ice cream, chocolate, margarine, sausages and bakery products. They also alter the gut bacteria and causes inflammation to become obese.
5. Low-Fat Foods:
Most of the people believe that foods which labeled as low fat are good for losing weight and in a study, it is found that the products which claim as low fat are not significantly lower in calories. Also, low-fat foods will make the people consume even more calories.
The best option is to avoid fast food, processed food, and intensively farmed food when you want to lose weight why because their production methods, ingredients, and the containers will all increase the risk for obesity.
Home Remedies to Lose Weight:
The listed below are some science-backed methods that help you to lose your excess weight naturally without any side effects.
1. Water:
Drinking plenty of water will help to boost up your metabolism with a process called water – induced thermogenesis (body burns calories to heat up to body’s temperature whenever you drink 1 glass of cold or room temperature water).
The intake of 500 ml of water will raise the metabolic rate by 30% in both men and women and also the effect was continued for an hour. Drinking 1 glass of water before every meal will help you to satiety and thus makes you not to get tempted to overeat.
It is proved in many studies that drinking water before each meal will increase the satisfaction and fullness and thereby decreased hunger. So, regular follow-up of this process will help to get rid of excess weight.
2. Consume Fiber:
Fiber resists digestion by humans. There are two main types of fiber like soluble fiber and insoluble fiber.
Soluble fiber travels into the large intestine and gets converted into fatty acids and energy with the help of bacteria. This fiber dissolves in the liquid and other types of viscous gel in your gut that slows down the emptying process of the stomach and makes you feel full for the prolonged time.
Insoluble fiber passes through the gut without breaking down and adds bulk to the food without adding any calories.
In a study conducted on people on a calorie – controlled diet, the intake of 14 gms of extra fiber per day will increase the feeling of fullness and reduces subsequent hungry along with 10% decrease in calories consumed and aids in reducing obesity.
Here are the best sources of soluble fiber which you have to include more in your daily diet.
- Barley, rye, and oats
- Pectin-rich fruits like apples, oranges, and plums
- Root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, etc.
- Legumes like kidney beans, lentils, and soybeans.
Method to use Fiber for Weight Loss:
Include more of fiber content in your daily diet like taking all the above method fiber sources. You can also consume an unpeeled piece of any citrus fruit, you can zest the rind and use it in your cooking. Avoid removing the fibrous membrane surrounding the fruit segments.
Suggestions for Best Results:
3. Green Tea:
Green tea is enriched with antioxidants called catechins and caffeine that help to increase the metabolism and thereby aids in weight loss. They also boost the hormone norepinephrine levels that makes the fat cells to release the stored fat into the bloodstream and use it as your energy.
The amount of catechins in the cup of green tea will vary on the ratio of tea to water, a precise type of the tea, and the infusion period. For best results, drinks 2 cups of green tea per day for 3 months to reduce the waist circumference, body weight, and intra – abdominal fat.
Method to use Green Tea for Weight Loss:
Always use a good branded green tea (loose – leaf) and bring 1cup of water to a boil. Pour it over the leaves placed in a mug. Wait for 5 – 7 minutes to infuse the leaves in water and strain it. Drink this green tea to get rid of the excess weight. A cup of green tea contains around 180 mg of catechins.
Suggestions for Best Results:
4. Use Coconut Oil as your Cooking Oil:
Most of the seed or vegetable oils have long chain fatty acids that break down in your intestines and thus transported to the blood and used as a storage in fat cells or energy. Coconut oil has the best source of medium chain fatty acids that delivered to the liver and used as an instant energy source.
Also, the medium chain fatty acids will suppress the appetite and increase metabolism to promote effective weight loss. It is also proved in many studies that the people who ate food that prepared by oils rich in medium chain fatty acids are effective in reducing the weight rather that people who consumed food prepared with oil rich in long chain fatty acids.
Method to use Coconut Oil for Weight Loss:
This versatile oil is used instead of vegetable oils for cooking (roasting or frying) and also use coconut oil in the place of margarine or butter in baking. You can also use the melted coconut oil for drizzling it all over the vegetables or seafood to get extra flavor.
Suggestions for Best Results:
5. Consume Soup as your Lunch:
It’s best to add water to the meal of vegetables and meat and then blend it into a soup. Have it to stave off hungry longer than consuming individual food components. When you consume solid food along with a beverage then the liquid rapidly sieves out of the stomach and reduces its volume but if the liquid is thickened with solids then it takes a longer time to digest and makes you feel full.
Method to take Soup as Meal for Weight Loss:
- Boil 2 cups of water in a pan and add a stock cube along with fresh (or frozen) chopped vegetables.
- Simmer for few minutes until soft and turn off the heat.
- You can also use the leftover cooked vegetables along with some chopped and cooked ham or chicken.
- Make it as puree by using a stick blender until smooth.
- Then add season to taste and consume it regularly.
Suggestions for Best Results:
6. Consume More Protein:
Proteins take a longer time to digest rather than carbohydrates or fats and also burn more calories for its digestion.
Protein is satiating and makes you feel full to get rid of overweight. The dietary protein helps to raise the metabolism and decrease the appetite. So, eating more of protein content will make you lose weight without much effort.
Method to use Proteins for Weight Loss:
Replace your snacks like corn or potato chips with protein food like nuts, peanut butter or beef jerky. Also, make high protein foods and consume it in every meal to get rid of overweight or obese.
7. Start your Day with Eggs:
If you’re consuming breakfast that has cereal or toast then switch to an egg breakfast which helps you to lose weight. Do you know that many breakfast recipes like croissants, waffles, and bagels are rich in carbohydrates? and they result in a sharp rise in your blood sugar that in turn makes the body produce the hormone insulin. This process activates the storage of fat and thus makes the body unable to use fat as the instant energy.
Intake of 2 medium eggs which has no carbohydrates and contains 13 essential nutrients and 6.4 gms of quality protein content will help you to aid in proper weight loss. They make you feel full for a longer time and prevent overeating that cut down the intake of excess calories.
In olden days, people have restricted their consumption of eggs as a concern that there will be an increase in their blood cholesterol levels and thereby raise the risk of coronary artery disease. But there are many researches that state that the higher consumption of eggs will not raise any risk of heart problems and aids in proper weight management.
When will Diet Work (or) Don’t Work:
As we see most of the popular diets will make people lose their weight in a shorter run but after they end the diet, the people will gain their weight back or even gain some extra pounds. Even research stated that 2/3rd of dieters may regain more weight than they lost before.
It will be possible that people who go on diets will put on weight and thus makes them more apt to regain it. So, any diet that followed temporary will not give perfect results in the longer run, as no one will live only on the cabbage soup or grapefruit for the rest of their lives. The eating habits will cause the people to regain weight shortly after their weight loss goal is achieved.
There should be some long term and permanent lifestyle changes should be followed to lose weight rather than choosing a temporary diet. So, eat more healthy food, exercise daily and give up your bad habits.
Here are some tips that help you to lose weight and also to maintain proper weight for a longer run.
- Choose dark chocolates instead of normal one, as the dark one contains at least 70% of cocoa solids.
- Always check the foods that has not added any sugar or artificial sweeteners. Also avoid the intake of foods that are breaded or battered and deep fried.
- Keep the junk food at bay from your cupboards or fridges to make yourself avoid eating it.
- Switch to wholegrain bread products rather than the bread products that made from refined or white flour.
- Avoid the intake of processed foods and try to make simple meals from fresh ingredients. Eliminate any liquid calories that prepared from the sugary drinks.
- It’s best option to consume whenever you’re hungry and stop it when you feel full. For effective results, you should listen to the instructions of your body.
- Give more space for non – starchy vegetables in your dinner plate for healthy digestion and to get rid of any digestive disorders. Also, while taking any food, you should pay some attention to check the calories, ingredients, and nutritional information on the labels.
- Always try to spend more time in being physically active (by doing some regular exercises) rather than sitting longer times in front of screens.
Final Word:
Always remember that any of these methods mentioned above will not result in rapid weight loss just like low calorie fad diets. Everyone’s body is different, so try these methods for few weeks to set the best suited one and make it as your food preferences and daily routine.
Tell us which one makes the difference to your weight or waistline by sharing it in the below comments box.
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