Natural Weight Loss
Natural Weight Loss – Understanding your Metabolism
There are as many ways to achieve natural weight loss as there are people. It’s a simple fact that everyone is different. While one diet screams no carbohydrates – and that strategy definitely works for many people – for someone else, sugar may be the devil.
As simple as this step is, many people struggle with it, perhaps because it is just that – too simple. Try getting a small notebook that you can keep handy. Everytime you eat or drink something, write it down. Do it for just three days and you’ll start to get the picture. Maybe you genuinely forgot you ate that piece cheese and two crackers, or that sweet biscuit with your afternoon coffee. Doing this two or three times a day as a snack, or even an unconscious habit can certainly add up the energy in!
A natural diet is a balanced diet. But you have to get an honest picture of where you are now to realise how you can regain some balance. Once you see how and what you eat and drink, you can fix it. No crazy diets, no deprivation, just aim for balance. A diet primarily made up of vegetables and fruit, a little cheese here and there, lean meat a few times a week, sugar as a treat and you start to get yourself in balance.
By eating lean protein at every meal, you will also feel full longer, causing you to consume fewer calories throughout the day. Some of the best sources of lean protein include eggs, chicken, turkey and fish.
There is aerobic exercise, which is primarily used to raise your heart rate and burn calories. Typical aerobic exercise includes running, walking, swimming and bike riding.
Then there is strength training. This helps boost the metabolism because as your muscles contract, they burn much more energy than when they are at rest. Increased muscle mass also increases your metabolic rate overall, since muscle uses more oxygen and burns more energy than fat, even when your muscles are at rest.
Recently interval training has been recognised by exercise experts as particularly effective for weight loss. Interval rationing involves a mix of high-intensity and moderate workout levels, is particularly effective in boosting the metabolic rate. This type of exercise requires you to consume more oxygen during your workout, which kick-starts your metabolism to work more effectively, even when your workout is over.
