Natural home remedies for weight loss

You’re not in a happy place if you’re overweight or obese – and neither is your body. In fact, how much you weigh, in relation to your height, your waist size (pinching more than an inch of flab?) and how many pounds you’ve gained since your mid-20s have a huge impact on your health.

We’re not talking about fitting into skinny jeans or other form-fitting fashions. We’re talking about an increased risk of early death. Excess weight puts you on the list for heart attack and stroke, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, gallstones, asthma, cataracts.. You get the picture here. Yet America is getting fatter, so we know there’s a serious problem and a growing burden on the health care system.

No easy fixes for losing weight

We all like an easy fix for weight loss, but pills, potions and diet foods (a $60 billion-dollar industry in the U.S.) won’t do it for you, no matter how impressive the “after” photos look. So we’re going to outline the best strategies for weight loss, foods for weight loss and natural fat loss remedies. Keeping it natural with the portion control, good foods and an activity plan is the best way to reach your goals.

How to quickly shed weight

You want to make sure your weight is not more than 10 pounds over what you weighed when you turned 21 and keep it there. If you’re overweight, your critical first step is to prevent yourself from gaining more! When you’re ready, shedding pounds quickly and effectively is the way to go.

Diets don’t work. They’re too restrictive, we lose interest and we quit. And rapid weight loss, where you’re dropping 10 pounds in a few weeks, aren’t good for your body – plus, you’ll rebound and gain the weight back, guaranteed! That’s the yo-yo diet cycle quick weight loss can lead to. The two key things you need to rev up your metabolism and build a strong body are proven natural fat loss remedies: Healthy eating plan and an exercise program that suits your lifestyle, your likes and your goals. This way – and this way only – you can develop good habits that will make all the difference between setbacks and long-term success.

Tips for weight loss

Let’s dial it down a bit more. To lose weight, you have to use up more calories than you take in. One pound equals about 3,500 calories, so you need to reduce your caloric intake by 500 to 1,000 calories per day to lose about one to two pounds per week. While two pounds doesn’t sound like a lot, that’s eight pounds a month. You’re well on your way!

When you’re thinking about foods for weight loss, considering what to eat and formulating an eating plan is only half the battle. How much you eat – portion control, please! – puts as much of a stamp on your long-term health as picking the right kind of fat or choosing the right mix of vitamins. For example, the recommended serving size for cooked chicken, such as a lean boneless breast, is one ounce. A cooked, boneless and skinless chicken breast is about three ounces.

Credit: Top 10 healthy snacks for weight loss, The Best Cookie Recipes website

Home remedies for weight loss

So, how to lose weight naturally? Well, when you’re looking for effective, quick weight loss, there are certain things you can do. Again, it’s important to incorporate strategies that you like and turn them into good weight management habits for a lifetime.

Here are seven natural fat loss remedies that are worth trying!

1. Lemon. A squeeze of this popular citrus is a great way to start your day. Lemon is a natural detoxifier to help your liver flush away toxins. A little lemon juice (not too much) helps neutralize stomach acids and reduce heartburn and acid reflux. For weight loss, that means keeping your digestive system humming along.

Recipe: Take a glass of lukewarm water, add two or three tablespoons of lemon juice and a pinch of black pepper. Mix it well and drink it on an empty stomach, every morning.

2. Green tea. Green tea is a powerful antioxidant that can help keep your metabolism running in fine form. To have the real benefits from it, drink it without sugar.

3. Cabbage. Hail the humble cabbage! Cabbage is a top cruciferous vegetable to get your weight management on track. It contains tartaric acid that helps prevent carbohydrates and sugar from getting converted into fats. Cabbage also comes with a wide variety of nutrients which your body needs: Calcium, potassium, vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin E, sulphur, and magnesium. It is also a rich source of fiber. Great for digestion, the immune system and shedding those pounds.

4. Eat more slow foods. There’s a lot to be said for the slow food movement, the trend to prepare fresh, locally-sourced meals and sit down at the table with family or friends to enjoy them – instead of relying on fast food. Why? It’s healthy and will help you manage your weight. Fast food is cheap, filling and convenient. It also packs far more calories, not to mention harmful saturated and trans fat, than you need. Studies show that people who eat at fast-food restaurants more than twice a week are more prone to gaining weight and developing diabetes than people who only occasionally eat at the golden arches.

5. Drink coffee before a workout. Fact or fiction? Fact, but with a note of caution. The caffeine in coffee can make exercise feel a lot easier, so you’ll be more likely to stick with it and give it your 100 percent effort. It helps improve attention and reduce symptoms of fatigue. The idea is a cup at the right time can help you to exercise harder and for longer. Burn those calories and strengthen those muscles! But there are many negative effects of this popular stimulant, including insomnia, anxiety, headaches, palpitations and high blood pressure that also come into play. You don’t want to have a cup before exercise and then drink cup after cup throughout the day. Moderation is key.

6. Do some yoga. There are many benefits to this ancient practice – and you can count weight loss among them. Practicing it regularly helps to lower stress, for one, and we know that too much of the stress hormone, cortisol, packs on belly fat like nobody’s business. With yoga, you have mindful mediation, flexibility and you’re building strength and burning calories.

6. Get enough sleep. This is a habit that needs some urgent attention. Our fast-paced lives and stress levels are making us sleep-deprived. That’s not good. There’s a huge body of research about why sleep is important and weight management is part of the puzzle. Sleep loss can increase hunger and negatively impact the body’s metabolism, making it more of a struggle to maintain or lose weight.

These weight loss tips are just a few helpful strategies to get you started. The bottom line (after all, you want to reduce that big bottom) is finding good ways to keep you on track for your weight loss goals. There’s no magic one-size-fits-all approach, but developing a healthy eating and exercise plan to suit your tastes will deliver lasting results.