How to Lose Weight Naturally, part 2



Written by Raymond Salas


In part one of "How to Lose Weight Naturally," I discussed some of the mental, emotional, and spiritual components for losing weight naturally.


In this article, I will look at the physical changes that you can make to lose weight naturally.


The Physical Guidelines for Losing Weight Naturally


- Drink more water.

Drinking more water increases your metabolism and aids digestion, so your body will burn calories faster. Plus, drinking a glass of water fifteen minutes before a meal will help you reduce your appetite and craving for food, so you'll eat less.



How much water is best?

In Your Body's Many Cries For Water (now published as "Water: For Health, for Healing, for Life"), F. Batmanghelidj, M.D. recommends the following optimal water intake daily:



Take your body weight (e.g. 120 lbs.) and divide in half (i.e., 120 / 2 = 60). This the number of ounces of water that he recommends daily. In this example, you would drink a minimum of 60 ounces (i.e. 7-8 cups) of pure water (not drinks with water) daily.


If you consume alcohol and/or caffeine, he recommends an additional 10 ounces of pure water for every 6 ounces of alcohol or caffeine because both dehydrate the body.

"Drink much more water than you are accustomed to drinking and let it be 90% of the liquids you consume. When you drink a lot of water, every function of your body works more efficiently." 
- Abraham-Hicks

- Bless your food.

Everything is energy, including your food, body, the people around you, etc. Expressing a simple blessing (mentally or spoken) before consuming any food (or drink) will help change the energy of the food in a beneficial way.



Here is the blessing that I use daily:

"To all who have helped prepare and bring this food (and drink) to me now, I say: 'I love you. Thank you.'


To all of this food (and drink) before me now, I say: 'I love you. Thank you.'


To all of my body about to consume this food and my mind about to enjoy this food (and drink), I say: 'I love you. Thank you.' "

- Eat slower, enjoy your food more.


It takes about 15-20 minutes for our brains to register that we are full. Therefore, by eating more slowly, not only will we taste and enjoy our food more, but we will eat less, if we stop eating as soon as we begin to feel full. In addition, we will have better digestion because we chew our food more thoroughly whenever we eat slowly.

"A growing number of studies confirm that just by eating slower, you'll consume fewer calories -- in fact, enough to lose 20 pounds a year without doing anything different or eating anything different." 
- Leo Babauta

- Eat smaller portions.

Eating smaller portions of healthier foods is one of the easiest ways to lose weight naturally. If you are accustomed to eating larger meals, you might try eating smaller meals more frequently or make your mid-day meal the largest, followed by a light meal or healthy snack for dinner.



Dr. Mehmet Oz says that eating smaller portions has other benefits too: 

"When it comes to meal portions, smaller is definitely better for the average American. Reducing your meal portions can have the 'real age' effect of making you up to 3.1 years younger because it helps reduce arterial and immune aging."


- Do not eat late at night.


For most people losing weight, it is generally recommended to finish eating 2-3 hours before going to bed each night.


In the video "How to Lose Your Belly Fat," Momo (from The Momo Zone) agrees that cutting out late night eating can be one of the most important changes that you can make for losing weight naturally and permanently.

Diet guru Bob Greene agrees and advises his clients not to eat after 8pm, as a way to reduce calories and lose weight.


- Eat a G.I. Diet.


"G.I." is an acronym for "glycemic index," which measures the rate of how fast your body breaks down carbohydrates and converts them to glucose.


Why is this such a big deal?


In the article "G.I. Diet - The Healthy Way to Lose Weight," I explained:

"Research has shown that foods with a high G.I. rating break down faster, which will leave you feeling hungry. Therefore, high G.I. food should be avoided whenever you are trying to permanently lose weight. By contrast, foods with a low G.I. rating break down slower, which will leave you feeling full for longer periods of time."

For a list of foods from the G.I. diet, you can check out my article for more information.


- Exercise optimally three times per week.

"Overweight and obese conditions can be prevented or treated with exercise along with a healthy diet. Activity helps to reduce body fat and increase muscle mass, thus improving your body's ability to burn calories. The combination of reduced calories and exercise is the ticket to weight loss." 
- Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, LD


Now, you may be wondering: "What's the best way to exercise?"


Peak performance coach and motivational speaker, Tony Robbins revealed that exercise researchers studied and found that the optimal aerobic exercise program was a combination of running and walking (at your own comfortable pace) as follows:


- Run for four minutes, followed by walking for three minutes.

- Then, run again for four more minutes and walk again for three minutes.


- Continue this cycle until you have completed four runs of four minutes each followed by three minutes of walking.


This total workout will take just under 30 minutes.


The exercise researchers found that it was best to complete this workout three times per week for optimal results.


Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I am not a medical doctor or health professional. I am a holistic healer who has successfully worked with hundreds of clients from all over the world for over fifteen years. The purpose of this article is to share my findings and is intended as educational information only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You are 100% responsible for what you do (or don't do) with it.