Diet fads come and go, but the key to staying naturally slim is living a consistently moderate lifestyle.
Here are 10 small changes you can make to your diet, exercise, and lifestyle to help you get slim in a natural way:
1. Don't Drink Your Calories:
Experts confirm the body doesn't register all calories equally. Solids are more satisfying, so eat what you can chew and drink only calorie-free beverages like water, diet soda, unsweetened tea, and the like. Also to note: alcohol's loaded with calories and it slows down your body's metabolism of fat, no matter what type you drink!
2. Grab Some Green Tea:
When a recent study compared the metabolic effect of green tea (in extract) with that of a placebo, researchers found that the green-tea drinkers burned about 70 additional calories in a 24-hour period. They reported it to "increase energy expenditure and fat oxidation."
Researchers believe the difference is caused by metabolism-boosting antioxidants known as catechins--providing the thermogenic effect--which are found in green tea.
Moreover, these antioxidants (called polyphenols) inhibit lipase (the fat absorption enzyme) in the digestive tract and provide a feeling of satiety.
Those 70 calories burned per day add up to a total of 7.3 pounds of fat a year.
3. Start Lifting Weights:
4. Add Some Spice To Your Life:
Eating hot peppers can boost a person's basal metabolism--the total calories the body burns at rest. The reason? Capsaicin, a compound found in jalapeno and cayenne peppers, may increase your body's release of stress hormones such as adrenaline, which can speed up your metabolism and your ability to burn calories.
5. Get Some Sleep:
Being sleep deprived will make you fat. It will slow down your metabolism, make your body clock screwy, and mess with your hormones. It's not good no matter how you look at it.
Women who get less than four hours of sleep per night have a slower metabolism than those who sleep for a full eight hours. So make sure you get all the sleep your body requires and if your internal sleep cycle happens to be off, you repair it right away using a healthy method.
6. Add 20 to 30 Minutes of Moderate Exercise In The Evening:
Thirty minutes of aerobic activity before dinner boosts your metabolism and gets things hopping. The workout could keep things elevated for another couple of hours, even if you are just lounging around the house. It will also help work off din-din, so all those calories aren't just sitting around in your stomach while you're officially done for the day.
7. Eat Every Meal:
Skipping meals will NOT make you lose weight faster.
That strategy backfires every time, without exception.
In response to this hunger strike, your body will FREAKOUT and think it's starving. Convinced that food is in short supply, it slows your metabolism in order to conserve energy. Over time, the result is that when you do end up eating, even if you consume the same amount of calories you normally would, your body is going to cling to them for dear life. Literally. your body will be slower to use the calories as fuel, thus packing on the pounds. Do. Not. Skip. Meals. Busy-ness isn't an excuse. Chug a protein shake, eat a granola bar, consume some calories, just don't Not eat.
8. Add 20 Minutes of (Extra!) Exercise Per Day:
Do yourself a favor by doing a little something extra each day. Take the stairs instead of the elevator; walk everywhere. Walk, walk, walk. The pedestrian lifestyle will make you thin, naturally. Walking the dog, gardening, and even housecleaning all increase the number of calories you burn. Of course, I'm all for running and walking, but you don't have to do any formal exercise to burn loads of calories!
9. Drink Water:
Your body needs water in order to efficiently metabolize stored fat. When you shortchange yourself, you are likely to slow down that process, meaning it's more difficult for your body to burn calories. Drinking 64 ounces of water (that's eight 8 oz glasses) daily is even easier than drinking green tea to speed up weight loss!
10. Make It A LifeStyle, Not A Short-Term Gimmick or Fad:
Weight-loss gimmicks and schemes never work, and they are never about being healthy or taking care of yourself. Make it a lifestyle, and things will fall place.
Note: I am not a registered dietitian, nutritionist or medical doctor. The views I express are mine alone, based on my own experiences, and should not be taken as medical or health advice. Please speak with a medical doctor or health professional before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or daily routine.
