Want a handful of healthy ways to lose weight? Here’s how to get your eating plan under control, put the lid on cravings, and add some serious oomph to your fat burning!
ALSO SEE: 10 no-effort lifestyle tweaks for a flat stomach
Lose weight fast…
…with a smoothie recipe that helps to melt fat. This will help you to lose weight in the long-term. Blend together a cup of frozen berries, 200ml coconut water, ½ beetroot and ½tsp fresh chilli.
Write it off!
If you want to lose weight, it’s important to keep a food journal, says Dr Marilyn Glenville. Simply listing the never-ending snacks, nibbles and bites you take all day is an eye-opener and potential snack reducer. Treat yourself to Happy: The Journal by Fearne Cotton – so inspiring!
Up your omega-3s
If you want to lose weight, you should be focused on supplementing with the right stuff. For instance, did you know that essential fats boost metabolism and have a fat-burning effect? Omega 3 EFAs help direct blood sugar to be burnt as fuel instead of being stored as fat.
Try Clicks Essentials Omega-3 Concentrate 1000mg, R53,99 for 30 softgels.
Add cayenne
The capsaicin in peppers helps with thermogenesis – where your body converts fat into heat so it burns more. Throw it in soups, stews and more. It’s said to increase fat burning by 16%.
Love chromium
It helps curb carb and sugar cravings.
Try Biogen Chromium, R89,95 for 90 capsules, Dis-Chem.
Bring on the Bs
“B vitamins have an effect on blood sugar as they’re needed for glucose metabolism, and have a fat-burning effect,” says Marilyn.
We like Wellness Vitamin B Complex, R154,95 for 60 vegecaps, Wellness Warehouse.
Sleep it off
A good eight hours’ kip will keep your hormones happy and help speed up your metabolism, which leads to natural weight loss. Not getting enough sleep? Pencil in some early nights or sip a herbal tea like valerian or camomile to soothe you.
Try Dr Stuart’s Valerian Plus Tea, R86 for 15 teabags, Faithful to Nature
ALSO SEE: Tried and tested tricks to sleep better
Eat grapefruit…
…before a meal. It has enzymes that work on decreasing fat stores – studies show it helps with weight loss.
Grazing is good
Six small meals can be better than three squares. One study revealed people who had six mini meals daily had lower BMIs than those who ate less than four. Eating small and often prompts your body to burn fat.
Mine’s a cider!
Drinking 2tbsp of apple cider vinegar in water before a meal can reduce sugar cravings and help you feel fuller with less food. Worth a try.
Green your coffee
Green definitely is the fat-burning colour. Unroasted green coffee contains chlorogenic acid, which helps the body break down fat.
Try Dr Boxall’s Green Coffee Bean Extract, R298 for 60 capsules, Faithful to Nature.
Meet your matcha
“Green tea might be your daily metabolism-boosting best friend, but matcha features more of the vital compound epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG,” says naturopath Rick Hay. “It helps to burn kilojoules and up energy.” It’s a new take on brewing. Put ½tsp into a bowl and make a paste with water, then fill with more water and whisk until frothy.
Try Lady Bonin’s Tea Matcha, R332 for 40g, Fresh Earth
Kick-start the burn…
…every morning with a nice big mug of warm water and lemon. It’s quite basic, we know, but it really gets your metabolism rocking first thing!
Trust turmeric
This reliable super spice helps keep the weight off. Use with black pepper to up its effectiveness.
ALSO SEE: 7 ways to include turmeric in your beauty regime
Block your carbs!
They play havoc with your waistline. The alpha amylase inhibitors in white kidney bean extract delay the absorption of carbs.
Try GI Lean White Kidney Bean Extract, R131,09 for 60 tablets, Wellness Warehouse.
Find seaweed
“The thyroid is the control mechanism for our metabolism, and if it’s running under par, then fewer kilojoules get burnt,” says herbalist Monica Wilde. A seaweed supplement may speed things up.
We like Vital Kelp Thyroid Support, R59,99 for 100 tablets, Dis-Chem
Tap away snacks
Tapping reframes negative thoughts. “It’s about taking yourself out of the stress-related, munching mode, to a place where you can make an objective, not emotional, choice,” says alternative-medicine practitioner Madison King. Here’s how…
- Stop, smile, take two deep breaths.
- Place your left hand over your heart – this connects to your ‘heart’ energy, so it’s involved in emotional eating.
- With your right hand, tap the top of your left. Start 2cm below the knuckles of the little and ring fingers. This tapping goes to the thymus gland, placing you temporarily in a calm state.
- Tap six times and say, “I can do this/I can say ‘no’ to this snack.” Try it, we reckon it soothes us and takes away the urge to mindlessly nibble.
