In our eat-and-run, massive portion-sized culture, maintaining a healthy weight can be tough, and losing weight even tougher.
While there’s no easy fix to dropping pounds, there are plenty of steps you can take to develop a healthier relationship with food, curb emotional triggers that lead to overeating, and achieve lasting weight-loss success.
Weight Woes
Increased weight leads to various health situations that can be hard to combat, such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke. And, certain causes of sudden weight gain like insomnia, stress and thyroid disorder are a cause of serious concern.
"Being fat isn't your fault; staying fat is."
The reason why so many people are overweight is not because they’re lazy or unmotivated, but because their environments (social, familial, economic) make them fat and keep them that way.
If your spouse has ever bought you ice cream to “reward” you after a week of hard workouts, if your friends and family have ever pressured you to eat or drink more, or if your job or commute is just too time-consuming to allow time for fitness, these “Home Remedies for Quick Weight Loss” may work for you.
But, first let’s take a look at why you may be gaining weight in the first place.
What’s Making You Gain Weight?
These factors may resonate with your personal experiences of weight gain:
Low-Fat Foods: Many foods in the supermarkets today are labelled "low-fat." That’s misleading, because low-fat foods contain high levels of sugar. High-sugar foods can still contain an excess of calories and thus contribute to weight gain.
Anxiety: When you have a surge of adrenaline as part of your fight/flight response, you may get fidgety. Adrenaline is the reason for the “wired up” feeling you get when stressed. While you may burn off some extra calories running around because you simply can’t sit still, anxiety can also trigger “emotional eating.” Overeating or eating unhealthy foods in response to stress or as a way to calm down is a very common affliction.
Cravings & Fast Food: When you are chronically stressed, you may tend to crave “comfort foods,” such as potato chips or a tub of ice cream. These foods tend to be easy to eat, highly processed, and high in fat, sugar, and/or salt. These cravings result from both biological and psychological reasons. Stress may mess up your brain’s reward system or cortisol may cause you to crave more fat and sugar. You also may have memories from childhood, such as the smell of freshly-baked cookies, which lead you to associate sweet foods with comfort.
Poor Sleep: Do you ever lie awake at night worrying? Research shows that worry is a major cause of insomnia. Societal troubles keep our minds overactive and make it harder to switch off. Stress results in blood sugar imbalances, which leads to fatigue. If you drink coffee or caffeinated soft drinks to stay awake, or if you consume alcohol to try to forget the pressures of the day, your sleep cycle will be even more disrupted.
Mindful Eating
Our fast-paced world has allowed eating to become mindless. We eat on the run, at our desk while we’re working, and in front of the TV. The result is that you consume much more than you need. To practice sensible eating, try these tactics:
- Make a mental note of what you eat. Eat slowly, savoring the smell and texture of your food. If your mind wanders, gently return your attention to your food and how it tastes.
- Say no to distractions while eating. Try not to eat while working, watching TV, or driving. It’s too easy to mindlessly overeat.
- Eat 3/4 of your hunger. It takes time for the signal to reach your brain that you’ve had enough. Don’t feel obligated to always clean your plate.
Home Remedy Options
Natural home remedies for weight loss are popular, since they can spur quick fat reduction. And, they offer zero side effects.
Lime Juice & Honey
Lime juice and honey mixed in lukewarm water is a very effective home cure for weight reduction. Once or twice a day, drink a concoction of one teaspoon of honey and the juice of half a lime mixed in a glass of lukewarm water.
Another way of enjoying lemon and honey is via Green Tea, which can be aggregated with warm water.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar is another popular home remedy to reduce excess weight. It helps breakdown fat and hence prevents the accumulation of body fat.
- Mix two teaspoons of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar in a glass of water. Drink it daily in the morning and preferably before meals.
- You can also drink a glass of water mixed with one teaspoon each of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar and lemon juice.
You can have up to two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a day. Do not exceed this amount, as it may reduce your blood potassium levels over time and lower your bone mineral density.
Cabbage Juice
Cabbage is a common food item that is known to be a warehouse of vitamins and fibers. However, it is not widely known that cabbage is one of the fastest weight reduction formulas as well.
Cabbage contains vitamin A and vitamin C, which increase the body’s metabolism by triggering the breakdown of carbohydrates.
The fiber present in cabbage improves digestion. This reduces the amount of toxins present in the body. If you have an overload of toxins in your system, you’re body cannot properly absorb nutrients, which decreases metabolic rate. Cabbage consumption can help flush out these toxins.
Curry Leaves
Eating 10 fresh curry leaves daily in the morning works as a great Ayurvedic remedy to address obesity and diabetes caused by obesity. Continue this treatment regularly for at least 3-4 months.
Ginseng
Ginseng is a strong stimulant herb that’s been proven to help speed up the body’s metabolism and regulate blood sugar levels. It also gives a potent energy boost (which is great for exercising) and increases mental alertness. Of all the natural “performance enhancers” out there, ginseng is one of the best.
Honey and Cinnamon
Yes honey contains sugar (natural sugar), but it also helps promote fat metabolism and fat burning. Cinnamon regulates blood sugar and insulin levels and prevents you from overeating (and is especially good for overweight people who are also diabetics).
These kitchen essentials form the best home remedies for a boost in your weight loss efforts.