When it comes to weight loss, most people usually look for a quick-fix formula. Short of taking a miracle pill or creating a radical lifestyle change, to easily lose weight, you don’t have to go to drastic measures to drop the pounds. Featured here are 3 fast ways to safely and easily lose weight, while still being healthy and happy (which are two keys to maintaining long-term weight loss).
How To Easily Lose Weight
1. Increase Water Intake: What most people don’t realize is that their bodies naturally retain water when they are dehydrated. This results in bloating (which causes your tummy to look fuller, and other areas of your body to appear larger than it is). To immediately reduce the bloat, you need to increase your water intake.
Start each morning with a glass of water (and a squeeze of lemon juice). The lemon juice not only is alkalizing (which balances your pH levels), it also acts a detox agent (helping your body eliminate impurities and toxins naturally). “Choosing water with a splash of lemon juice instead of a 20-ounce soda saves you up to 18 teaspoons of sugar and 240 calories.” [Source: Livestrong]
Continue to drink water throughout your day (even when you don’t feel thirsty). Not only will this help your digestive system more easily process foods (which keeps your bowel movements regular), it also keeps your body hydrated. After a few days, your stomach will start to look flatter and your body will start to easily lose weight naturally.
2. Reduce Simple Carbs: To easily lose weight and slim down, a few minor adjustments to your diet are necessary. Unless you are engaged in regular activity (like running, fitness classes, or other forms of cardiovascular exercise), your body does not need large amounts of simple carbs. Foods like pasta, white rice, sugar, and bread should be consumed in small amounts, if you want to easily lose weight in a short time period. While reducing the amount of simple carbs in your diet, focus on increasing your protein consumption (such as chicken, fish, nuts, and tofu), to help build muscle (making you look more lean and toned).
A high-protein, low-carb diet is the foundation of The South Beach Diet, a system that was created by cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston. While it’s advisable to have a well-balanced diet throughout your life, if your goal is to easily lose weight in the shortest time frame, then reducing or eliminating simple carbs (during that time period) is the way to go.
3. Consume More Vegetables: To ensure your body is properly fed and getting ample amounts of vital nutrients, focus on increasing your consumption of vitamin-rich vegetables. Broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, leafy greens, and cucumber are ideal vegetables to eat (raw or steamed) because they are low in carbohydrates, and high in nutrients. Not only do these superfoods help fight free radicals (which cause aging in the skin and body), they are known to help prevent illnesses and diseases. The Atkins Diet shares suggestions about which key vegetables to include as a foundation in your diet. To make vegetables tastier, sprinkle herbs and seasonings (black pepper, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, etc.) on them.
By making the above 3 minor modifications to your diet, you will easily lose weight without having to make drastic changes in your lifestyle.
[Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only. Consult with a Doctor or Nutritionist before starting any dietary regime. Image Credit: Shutterstock]
