Get Slim Naturally

Trendy diets or fad diets can be an expensive method to try to lose weight and get slim. They may also suggest eliminating certain foods or entire food groups. If you're the type of person that would like to continue with a well-balanced diet and lose weight naturally, skip the commercial diet programs. There are small changes you can make to your diet, exercise and lifestyle to help you get slim in a more natural way.

Steps

Changing Your Eating Habits

1. Eat until you're satisfied. Your body has its own ability to "count calories" and manage portion sizes. Eating only until you're satisfied can help you cut out extra calories and stick to smaller portion sizes.
   • Many fad or commercial diet programs will have you count calories, points or carbs. This might not be easy. It can also be frustrating to do long-term. Learning to pay attention to your body’s signals and allowing your body to dictate your portions and calories is a much more natural method of weight loss.
   • Stop eating when you feel that you're satisfied. That means you should no longer feel hungry. In addition you may lose interest in your food and know that your meal will keep you satisfied for a few hours.
   • If you stop eating when you're full, then you've had too much. You might feel a stretching sensation in your stomach, a "full feeling" or feel somewhat tired. Stop before you get to this feeling.
2. Eat mindfully. Changing the way you eat can also help you lose weight. Mindful eating may help you eat less and feel satisfied with less food.
   • Mindful eating is something that will take practice, patience and time.
   • Start your mindful eating practice by eliminating all distractions around you when you eat. Turn off the TV, cell phone or laptops. These extra distractions can prevent you from fully concentrating on your meal.
   • Take about 20 or 30 minutes to eat your entire meal. Put your fork down in between bites, take a sip of water or chat with your family or friends. When you eat more slowly, you may become more aware of how much you eat and have an easier time stopping when you're satisfied.
   • Also take the time to pay attention to your food and meal. How does it taste? What are the textures? Is it a colorful meal? Really paying attention and focusing on your food can help slow you down and become more satisfied with your foods.
3. Choose leaner protein foods. In addition to eating smaller portions, you want to choose foods that are healthy and low in calories. Choose leaner protein sources to minimize the amount of calories you eat.
   • Lean protein foods are lower in fat, calories and higher in protein. In addition, they can help keep you satisfied longer and make it less likely you'll snack throughout the day.
   • Lean protein foods to choose include: low-fat dairy products, eggs, poultry, pork, lean beef, seafood, legumes and tofu.
   • Aim to include a source of lean protein at each meal or snack. This will help you meet your daily requirement and assist in making your meals more balanced.
4. Go for whole grains. There are two types of grains that you can choose from - whole grains or refined grains. Choose 100% whole grains as often as you can for the biggest nutrition benefit.
   • 100% whole grains are less processed and contain each of the parts of the grain. They are higher in fiber, protein and other beneficial nutrients.
   • Whole grain foods to try include: oats, quinoa, brown rice, millet and whole grain bread and pasta.
   • Refined grains are more processed and contain much fewer nutrients compared to whole grains. These are OK to have on occasion, but most of your choices should be whole grain.
5. Make half of your plate a fruit or vegetable. A great tip to help you manage calories and increase the nutrition of your overall diet is to make half of your plate a fruit or vegetable.
   • Both fruits and vegetables are low in calories, but high in nutrients. Making half of your meals or snacks a very low calorie food can help cut down on the overall amount of calories you consume each day.
   • In addition, both fruits and vegetables are great sources of fiber. In addition to protein, fiber can help you feel more satisfied and stay satisfied longer. This may help you eat less each meal and cut down on excess snacking.
6. Limit high fat, highly processed foods. Regardless if you're following a commercial diet or a more natural plan, you'll want to limit higher calorie, higher fat processed foods. These types of foods do not aid in your weight loss.
   • Processed foods are typically higher in calories and lower in nutrients. During their processing, they are frequently stripped of all the beneficial nutrition.
   • Processed foods can encompass a wide variety of foods including nutritious and healthful choices. For example, pre-washed lettuce is considered a processed food however is a nutritious choice.
   • Aim to avoid foods like: pastries, cookies, cakes, processed meats, frozen meals and TV dinners, canned foods with added sugars, chips and crackers.
7. Drink enough water. Adequate hydration is important for overall health, but can also help you lose weight naturally.
   • It's typically recommended to drink at least 8 glasses of water daily, but it may be beneficial to drink even up to 13 glasses. This will depend on your age, gender and activity level.
   • When you're chronically dehydrated you're more likely to feel hungrier throughout the day. This may cause you to overeat or snack more often than necessary.
   • Also, drinking a big glass of water right before your meal can help decrease your overall hungry and fill you up so you eat less at your meal.

Changing Your Lifestyle

1. Increase baseline activity. Exercise and activity is very important for weight loss. It's a natural way to help increase your calorie burn and lose weight.
   • Baseline activity is the types of exercises you already do on a regular basis. This could be walking to and from your car or doing household chores.
   • Increasing your baseline activity is a great, simple way to help your body burn extra calories.
   • Think about your entire day or week. Where can you add more movement? Can you walk further or more often? Can you take the stairs instead of the elevator? Can you stand at your desk or stand during your favorite TV show?
2. Include regular exercise. In addition to baseline activity, it's important for you to include regular, planned and structured physical activity. This helps support your weight loss.
   • Health professionals typically recommend that you do about 150 minutes of aerobic activity each week. This also equates to about 2 1/2 hours weekly.
   • Aim for a moderate intensity activity like: walking/jogging/running, swimming, dancing, aerobics classes, or using the elliptical.
   • Also include 2 to 3 days of strength training. Regular resistance training will help you build lean muscle mass and increase your body's ability to burn calories even at rest.
3. Get more sleep. Getting regular and restful sleep is very important to your health. This is the time where your body rests, recovers and repairs itself.
   • Studies show that those people who do not sleep enough or do not sleep well typically weigh more than those who do.
   • In addition, those same studies mention that when you do not get adequate sleep each night you have increased levels of ghrelin or your hunger hormone. This makes it harder to stick to appropriate portion sizes or stay away from excess snacks.
   • Aim for at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Also try to turn off or remove distractions like TVs or cellphone prior to going to sleep.
4. Manage stress. Low grade, chronic stress is common and hard to avoid. However, continuous stress can make it difficult to lose weight.
   • Stress is a natural emotion that can affect everyone. However, when it's not managed well, stress can cause increased release of cortisol. This may increase your feelings of hunger, make you more tired and make your body "hang on to weight" more easily.
   • Try to de-stress and relax regularly. It's important to find activities that you can do to help you cope with stress. Try: listening to music, meditating, going for a walk, reading a good book or talking to a friend.
   • If you're having continued difficulty managing your stress levels, consider seeing a therapist. These health professionals will be able to give you more specific guidance on stress management.

Managing Natural Weight Loss

1. Take measurements. When you're trying to get slim naturally and lose some weight, it'll be helpful to track your progress.
   • When you track your progress you can tell whether or not your current diet and exercise plan are working. For example, if you're not losing weight you may need to eat less or exercise more.
   • Be sure to track your weight. Ideally, weigh yourself about one or two times a week. This will give you an accurate look at your progress.
   • Also track measurements. When you want to get slim, you most likely want to get smaller in addition to seeing weight loss. Track your bust or chest measurements, hip, waist and thigh measurements. Re-measure yourself once a month for an accurate view of your progress.
2. Start a journal. Whenever you're attempting to lose weight, change your diet or lifestyle, starting a journal can be helpful.
   • Take notes on your weight loss goals. This means noting your current weight, weekly weigh-ins and how much more you need to lose. This can be a motivating factor for you to stay on track.
   • Also, tracking your food regularly has been shown to help you lose weight as well. This is a form of accountability that can keep you on track.
3. Build a support group. A support group is an essential part of your weight loss plan. Studies have shown that people who have a support group when they're trying to lose weight, are more successful than those who don't.
   • Talk to friends, family members or co-workers about your weight loss plan and desire to get slim naturally. There are most likely other people who would be interested in joining you. It's more fun and can be more motivating to do this with a friend.
   • Also, consider looking for online support groups or forums. You can reach out to multiple people any time of day for additional help and support.

Tips

• If you need that extra encouragement, ask a friend or relative to join you on your journey to a healthier body.
• Always talk to your doctor before making any changes to your diet and lifestyle.
• Exercise minimum an hour every day to be slim.

Related Articles

• Get a Smaller Waist
• Be Naturally Thin
• Thin Your Cheeks
• Look Beautiful, Healthy and Fit Naturally

Sources and Citations

See also

• Lose Weight With a Mediterranean Diet
• Burn Fat (for Men)
• Stay in Ketosis
• Lose Weight in Wrestling
• Lose Belly Fat
• Get a Flat Stomach in a Week
• Lose Weight in One Month
• Lose Weight Fast
• Lose Thigh Fat
• Lose Weight and Gain Muscle

Read more ...