The best way to lose weight naturally
Stay away from high fructose corn syrup and sugar in general. That is the easiest and most effective way to lose weight. I know that for some it is like asking them to stop smoking or drinking. I know it’s hard. I quit smoking a few years ago, so I’m familiar with addictions. I also know that many people do not see the comparison of sugar with an addictive substance. After all, a person has to eat to live, right? But that’s exactly the point, to live. Sugar and especially man-made high fructose corn syrup is killing Americans. A recent study suggests that a person doesn’t even have to be obese to suffer serious health consequences. Just a little extra fat around your belly could be a big warning sign.
The bad thing about sugar in general is fructose. Fructose is thought to fail to signal the body that it is full, causing you to overeat. It increases your insulin, which ultimately makes you fat and speeds up your aging process, like putting your foot on the gas pedal in your car. To paraphrase a classic Arnold Schwarzenegger line, “Get rid of sugar if you want to live.” It’s that easy.
Again you say, I have to eat. Right, well that’s true, so let’s replace that deadly stuff on your menu with some healthier options. Instead of coke, drink unsweetened tea or even water. You do know that water is essential for life, right? Coca-Cola is not, nor is the new sugar water from Cocoa-Colas misleadingly called Vitamin Water. You have to change your way of thinking. You don’t need sugar every time you eat or drink to live. If you really need a sweet taste, try a little stevia. It’s natural, and you can use it to get rid of sugar. There are also plenty of herbal teas to try out different flavors. My favorite is the cherry tea. It may take a while for you to change your tastes, but taste can be trained to enjoy whatever you decide.
The only sugar you should get in your diet should be from fruit. The body can deal with the sugar in fruits and vegetables much more easily than the man-made high fructose corn syrup found in cokes and most other processed foods these days. Still, be careful about how much fruit you eat. Try to stick to vegetables and lean meat as much as possible. As a former junk food addict, I am amazed at how many healthy options I actually enjoy eating. I grew up thinking that if it wasn’t coke, ice cream, hot dogs, fried chicken, and hamburgers, it must taste terrible, but really there are a multitude of items I have yet to try.
Don’t be afraid of all fats. You need some fat in your diet and, of course, no processed foods. Eat an avocado a day. Take a handful of nuts here and there throughout the day. Personally, and it may be weird, but I like to mix a hard-boiled egg with my avocado. That way I get the healthy fat and all the protein and other healthy nutrients from the egg in one easy-to-prepare meal. Boil several eggs at once and keep them on hand. They make great sandwiches throughout the day. Salmon, chicken, turkey all make great lunches and dinners along with your choice of healthy vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, lentils, beans, cauliflower, kale, spinach, etc, etc. The first week eat all you want. You will begin to feel fuller and it will be easier to reduce portions to normal size. I guarantee you will lose weight over the course of a month that won’t come back unless you start eating sugar again.
One more tip. Move on. Just move around a bit. I won’t lie to you, intense exercise is likely to make a person lose weight faster, but everyone has to start somewhere. In the long run, if all you do is walk in the park a few times a week, you’ll be much healthier and burn a few calories each week. Wash your car, clean the house, do anything, but don’t sit for more than two hours at a time. You have plenty of time to be still when you sleep at night. If you move all day at work, great, now let’s add twenty minutes of exercise to your daily routine.
Remember a bit of wisdom I’ve learned about bad things in general. If you don’t buy them, you can’t eat, drink or smoke them. Don’t play with fire, or you’ll get burned. I’m not saying you can never have a coke or cake on a special occasion, but remember this. If you buy a whole box of coke, or a whole box of cake, you’re not likely to spread it out over the course of a month. Instead, you’ll end up eating or drinking all of it in a week. The only way to defeat temptation is to push it away from you. It’s a biblical principle, but it works just as well with food as it does with sin. So give it a try and see how much weight you lose. In a month you will have more energy and strength, and you will look much better.