Did you know that there are some natural ways to lose weight without taking medicines?
Many people have become conscious of their weight due to the many health consequences associated with excess body weight. As a result, people are finding all-natural means that impact their health and improve their wellbeing. Excess weight as used in this context is having a body mass index of 25 kg/m2 or more.
Some common health consequences of excess weight include but are not limited to development of the following conditions: hypertension, diabetes, stroke, heart failure, depression, and so many others.
According to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) statistics in 2016 on weight gain, overall, 13% (650 million) of the adult population (18 years or more) were obese and 39% (1.9 billion) overweight .
Also, one in five children and adolescents were found to be overweight globally. This implies that this world population is at risk of developing the above health consequences.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has indicated that obesity is one of the leading risk factors for early death.
However, it is exciting to know that overweight/obesity are preventable.
Losing weight is a complex process which requires discipline and consistency in the approach one resorts to. Without discipline and consistency, a rebound weight gain may occur. It may be difficult to retain the weight you had when you were young.
However, losing a pound or two per week has substantial benefits in preventing certain conditions such as stroke, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and others.
Weight loss is a slow journey. You should not imagine it as a 1 or 2- week activity. Consistency and commitment are key and the use of multiple approaches may offer better results.
The following methods have been scientifically proven to help in losing weight significantly and are associated with little to no long-term negative consequences.
These are therefore the natural ways to lose weight without taking medications.
1. Drink more fluid (water)
A healthy adult of 70 kg has a total body water composition of 50 – 70 % of water. Water is the best fluid to drink because it provides a lot of health benefits, and it does not contain calories. Water is needed for normal body metabolism such as thermogenesis.
Drinking water before eating also enhances quick satisfaction and reduces the amount of calories or food one consumes. Also, replacing the consumption of alcoholic beverages, sugary drinks with water cuts down the amount of calories that one takes.
The main objective is that we want to reduce calories and also facilitate the body’s caloric metabolism. In conclusion, make sure that you drink at least 2 liters of water every day to meet body metabolic needs and for weight loss.
2. Adapt a protein diet
Evidence from research has shown that high protein and reduced carbohydrate diets significantly reduce overweight and obesity in the short term. Even though the long-term effects are well unknown, this has been noted to be one easy natural way to lose weight without medicines.
The mechanism is that higher protein diets appear to increase satiety, increase energy expenditure (metabolism), reduce body fat and or maintain lean tissue with higher metabolic activity [Donald K. Layman et al, 2009]. A high protein diet includes; eggs, meats, dairy, nuts.
Low fat proteins include lean meat (chicken breast, pork, beef, lamb, or turkey), reduced fat dairy, fish and eggs. Eating a low-carb diet means cutting down on the amount of carbohydrates (carbs) you eat to less than 130g a day. But low-carb eating shouldn’t be no-carb eating.
Low carb diets include lean meats, and seafood such as salmon, sardines, shellfish, lobsters, and herring.
Vegetables include broccoli, cabbage, carrot, tomatoes, onions, cucumber, beans, mushrooms, and fruits such as grapefruit, strawberry, lemon, oranges.
Nut and seeds that can be used include ; peanut, walnuts, almond, cashews, coconut, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds.
The diaries include cheese, full fat yogurt, Greek yogurt.
Fats and oils include extra virgin olive oil, butter, coconut oil, avocado oil, sunflower seed oil.
Beverages (do not add extra sugar) include coffee, water, carbonated water, dark chocolate.
Most low-carb diets are healthy, nutritious and very delicious.
A research conducted by Thomas P. Wycherely et al in 2010, on overweight and obesed patients with type 2 diabetes concluded that a high protein diet with resistance exercise training improved weight loss and body composition significantly.
Hence, overweight or obese diabetic individuals should incorporate resistance training exercises such as squats, push-ups, bench press, lat pulldown, lunges, deadlifts, and bend over rows.
3. Avoid refined and processed foods
Refined sugar, oil, white rice, white bread, baked potatoes, cakes, sports drinks, noodles, bagels, cookies, frozen pizza, fruit snacks and others. The problem with refined foods is that they contain trans fat and excess calories that can contribute to weight gain.
Focus on eating whole grains such as brown rice, wheat, oats, green vegetables and fruits if you want to shed off some kilos. Whole grains are healthy, nutritious and enhance your body’s metabolic activity.
4. Be physically active
One common natural way to lose weight is through maintaining consistent physical activity. That’s exercise regularly and be consistent. Engaging in sedentary lifestyle activities can result in a rebound weight gain even with the most effective weight management techniques.
As a result; one should register with the gym or do moderate to vigorous exercises such as brisk walking, jogging, resistance training exercises, gardening, swimming, and others.
Exercising increases metabolism, burning calories including fat, enhances the feeling of well-being, strength, happiness, improved insulin sensitivity and other cardiovascular benefits.
At least one should regularly and consistently perform 150 minutes of exercise per week or 30 minutes of exercise for at least 5 days of the week, in order to shed off some kilos of body weight.
5. Do not skip breakfast
It is likely for people to eat heavily in the later part of the day when they skip breakfast. And if they do not engage in physical activity as the day draws nigh, the body stores the excess calories that are consumed which contributes to weight gain.
Breakfast should rather be taken seriously and heavily whilst lunch and dinner are rather lighter as this coincides with the physiological secretion of insulin and other hormones in the body.
6. Cut down on alcoholic beverages, sweetened carbonated drinks, and sweetened beverages (tea and coffee)
Another natural way to lose weight is to avoid or cut down the use of alcoholic beverages, sweetened carbonated drinks, and other sweetened beverages. These sweetened drinks are high caloric diets and can result in weight gain. Hence, these should be avoided.
REFERENCES
- Donald K. Layman, et al, 2009. A Moderate-Protein Diet Produces Sustained Weight Loss and Long-Term Changes in Body Composition and Blood Lipids in Obese Adults. First published online January 21, 2009; doi:10.3945/jn.108.099440. American Society for Nutrition.
- THOMAS P. WYCHERLEY et al, 2010. A High-Protein Diet With Resistance Exercise Training Improves Weight Loss and Body Composition in Overweight and Obese Patients With Type 2 Diabetes. DIABETES CARE, VOLUME 33, NUMBER 5, MAY 2010. DOI: 10.2337/dc09-1974. Australian New Zealand clinical trials reg. ACTR no. 12608000206325, anzctr.org.au.
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/30-ways-to-lose-weight-naturally#TOC_TITLE_HDR_30
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-lose-weight-as-fast-as-possible#3.-Move-your-body
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324123#hydration
- https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/10-ways-to-lose-weight-without-dieting
- https://www.ptdirect.com/training-design/training-tools/dan2019s-top-ten-2018most-functional2019-resistance-training-exercises
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/glycemic-index-and-glycemic-load-for-100-foods.
- https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/102/2/454/4564524
WRITTEN AND EDITED RESPECTIVELY BY:
Dr. Abel Daartey is a pharmacist by profession, a teacher, and a mentor by nature. He enjoys reading scientific journals and articles and publications in neuroscience and related topics. He aims at churning out content that educates the public and health care providers in meeting the healthcare needs of the populace.
Noah Amoo
Noah Amoo is currently a Ph.D. Education candidate at the University of Hull in the United Kingdom with a research interest in Digital Technologies. He has a Masters degree in Education and Leadership from the University of Hull, a Professional Diploma in Software Engineering from IPMC- Ghana, and a Bachelors Degree in Publishing Studies from KNUST- Ghana.
Noah has a good interest in editing and translating books and videos into English and Asante Twi. In addition, he has volunteered in teaching English Language, Mathematics, and ICT in many basic and secondary schools in Ghana.
His hobbies are playing the piano, shopping, exercising, and reading.
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