How To Lose Weight Naturally

Part 2

I want a full life, one of success, health and happiness. I want all of these things but I also want them to be simple. We all know that simple doesn’t always equate to being easy, though we are all guilty of overcomplicating things, with weight loss being one of them.

It was my intention with this article to share some of the most basic foundations that make sustainable weight loss feel achievable and accessible. To stop chasing the magic pill or that quick fix and instead turn to trusted practices that can be turned into healthy habits that will serve you for a lifetime.

The article got a little on the long side so I decided to split it into two parts. You can get access to part one below if you missed that one. Before diving into part two and my next 10 tips.

12. Stress management

The topic of stress is one that in itself could get incredibly in-depth, I don’t know a single person that hasn’t experienced the feelings of stress over the last couple of years.

Stress affects us physically, mentally and emotionally meaning that it can change the way you think, feel and act. A stressed-out body will feel tired, lethargic, achy. Workouts will feel harder and your willpower around sugary foods will be non-existent.

Reduce your stress levels and your body will find it easier to find a healthier balance with body composition.

ACTION — Acknowledge where your current stress levels are at. If it’s high, recognise the causes of stress for you and reduce where you can. This may be things like obsession over the news or social media, work stresses, long commutes, time management, always having to be ‘on’, stressful relationships, kids, side hustles. We all feel stressed by different things but recognise what they are for you, and consider what small things you can take action on to reduce.

Add in stress reduction activities like walking in nature, meditating, breathwork, taking a bath, having meaningful and open conversations, reading, dancing, listening to music, practising gratitude, journaling, getting a massage, just being still or cuddling a pet. Again this is very subjective and we all have different things that help us to feel calm and bring us joy. Discover what yours are and do more of them, allow yourself the space to take time to relax, have fun and de-stress.

13. Hydration

I hate to keep on banging the same drum here, if you have read any of my previous health articles, the topic of hydration will feature in most of them.

Hydration is one of the most underestimated factors that contribute to good health and fat loss, it’s what keeps the body running efficiently. Whilst drinking water alone is not going to trigger weight loss, good hydration is a supporting factor to make sure the body functions as it needs to. Drinking enough water can stop you from feeling as hungry therefore reducing calorie intake, boosting metabolism, supporting your workouts, removing waste from the body and it can support brain function and focus too. A focused brain increases willpower and allowed you to make better choices.

ACTION — Don’t overcomplicate this, just drink more of the calorie zero goodness of water. Use the colour of your wee as a guide to your hydration levels, aiming for a pale straw colour, and drink regularly throughout the day.

14. Sleep & Recovery

Sleep is essential to good health but also weight loss. It’s the time when the body rests and recovers, it’s when your body regenerates and also balances out your hormones and allows the body to counteract levels of stress.

Think about the last time you had a really rubbish night sleep what did that do to your ability to workout? How were your hunger levels affected? Your ability to make good food choices versus opting for more calorie-dense comfort foods?

You can see how sleep will affect your energy levels but also your choices for food and exercise.

ACTION — How much sleep you need is also very individual, but I like to aim for between 6–9 hours a night with my personal optimal being 8 hours, as this is the place where I generally wake up naturally before my alarm.

Assess how you feel when you get up in the morning, do you feel rested and refreshed? If not it may be time to consider prioritising sleep and going to be 30 minutes earlier, you just need to be able to peel yourself away from the ‘just one more’ temptation of the latest Netflix series or stop mindlessly scrolling social media in bed.

15. Manage stress and emotions without relying on food

Having a mindful approach to eating habits and behaviours, especially when it comes to reaching for food as a source of comfort will help you to better manage your weight. In point 12 we talk about stress management, but this one is about becoming more aware of your behaviours around food.

You can read more on mindful eating in the below article

ACTION — Starting to question your behaviours around food. It will allow you to begin breaking the patterns that aren’t supporting you, and to develop other methods for dealing with stress that doesn’t involve sinking your head into a tub of ice cream to deal with life.

16. Drink alcohol sparingly

I’m never going to tell you to abstain from alcohol completely, I love to have a drink as much as the next person. But we all know that alcohol can be a sticking point when it comes to weight management.

Alcohol can scupper your fat loss intentions in a number of ways. It’s empty calories to start with, it disrupts your sleep (even if you think you sleep better after a couple, you probably still wake up more tired). We have already touched on sleep, which then also has a knock-on effect on your ability to make better food choices, especially the next day when the hangover kicks in.

ACTION — Drink sparingly meaning that you save alcohol for occasions and nights out, I personally like to avoid any mid-week drinking and also stop using alcohol to de-stress or get emotional relief (because it doesn't do anything to actually deal with your challenges). Do your best to eat well and hydrate as much as possible before during and after drinking.

17. Make sure you have positive supportive social connections

Who you surround yourself with matters and research shows that being part of a supportive social group can be beneficial to both physical and mental health. Humans are social creatures and we all need to feel connected, yes even introverts like me who love to be alone, we still need that connection deep down. If you have other people around you that have dreams, goals, ambitions and ideas,, people that are already experiencing what you would like to achieve, then you too become more likely to move towards your own health goals.

ACTION — As a health coach and fitness instructor I have always been a raving fan of fitness communities. Whether that is a running club, a BootCamp, a CrossFit gym, any type of sports club or even an online group programme. These are the places where you meet people where being fit and healthy is just the norm, and these are where I have met some of my best lifelong friends.

18. Set goals and intentions have a vision of how you want your health and your body to be.

For me, this comes from having a morning routine to practice this. Connect with the vision of your happy healthy body what that means and feels like for you, do it daily, write down your intentions each day and begin to have the self-awareness to be able to check-in with yourself throughout the day. In the below article I share the 15 minute morning routine that can help with this.

This combined with the use of a Life Planner is what helps me to keep my mindset focused and clear on my intentions and goals.

19. Self Talk

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t — you’re right.” — Henry Ford

Notice the way you talk to yourself, if you really pay attention you will find that the narrative in your head is never-ending and most of us spend a lot of our time beating ourselves up, bashing or trashing our bodies. Is your self-talk is empowering or disempowering? Research shows that positive self-talk can improve results and performance

ACTION — Focus on positive self-talk, reminding yourself why and how you CAN be naturally fit and healthy. You can use the tips from the mindful eating article on starting to increase your self-awareness around your internal narrative, notice when it comes up, and be able to choose to turn your attention to more positive self-talk.

Which of these tips feels like it could help you the most on your journey towards a happy, healthy body?