Natural weight loss
The goal of natural weight loss should be a firm, healthy body, with a feeling of overall well-being. To do this you must focus on working with your body's natural mechanisms to allow it to find a new level that feels as good as it looks. Natural weight loss should be between one and two pounds per week - more than that and you are burning muscle, not fat. Natural weight loss involves following a diet that includes:
- Three balanced meals a day
- A nutritional breakdown of around 30% protein, 30% healthy fats, and 40% complex carbohydrates
- A focus on fresh, unprocessed fruit and vegetables, quality protein (chicken, fish, beans, nuts) and whole grains.
Other recommendations would include:
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Eating two small snacks per day that include some protein. Increased protein consumption has been shown to increase weight loss. In addition, slimmers on a higher protein diet lose fat rather than muscle.
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Maintaining a low glycaemic load in your meals. Foods high on the GI scale cause rapid changes in blood sugar, and thus more hunger.
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Exercise regularly. Work towards a target of 5 workouts per week - three cardio sessions of up to 45 minutes, and two anaerobic sessions such as weight-training.
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Take a multivitamin/multivitamin daily to make up for any nutritional shortfalls.
- Keep a food journal in order to understand what you eat, when you eat it, and why you eat it. This will highlight any destructive or harmful eating patterns.