What is the best way to lose weight naturally?
The best way to lose weight naturally is to make small, achievable steps in changing your lifestyle.[1] Changes towards a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle, no matter how small, can greatly benefit your health long term.
Usually, it’s difficult to make lifestyle changes even when you know it’s good for you, as you might already be comfortable with how you live or find that it’s too much of a hassle. The more realistic approach is through small gradual changes, such as drinking more water instead of just soft drinks or coffee, sleeping slightly earlier, and exercising or stretching more regularly.
Another recommended way to start losing weight naturally is to identify weight gain habits in your daily life and gradually eliminate them.[2] You could either stop doing things that trigger those habits or be more conscious about those habits and indulge them less often.
Some of the food-related weight gain habits include:
- night eating, such as snacking after dinner and before you go to bed;
- social eating, such as snacking during social activities outside normal eating times;
- emotional eating, such as snacking in response to emotions like boredom, anxiety, or stress; and
- distracted eating, such as eating food while doing other tasks.
It can be difficult to break away from these habits, especially when they’ve been reinforced throughout your life. That’s why it’s important to talk through these things with your doctor to find solutions and compromises when trying to break weight gain habits.
With Mosh, our health platform can connect you with a network of AHPRA-registered health practitioners who can help you understand how to lose weight and support you on your journey. If you have any questions about weight loss, our Mosh practitioner can recommend science-backed solutions that can help you get on the right track to achieving the results you desire.
Which exercises are best for quick weight loss?
There are a number of exercises that are great for losing weight, but in general, any physical activity that gets you to move your body dynamically is good for weight loss.[3] In no particular order, these are some recommended exercises to help you lose weight, build healthier habits, and stay active:
Walking
This is something you already do, so it’s rather simple to incorporate more walking throughout your day. It is recommended that you walk at a brisk pace for it to be an effective exercise without placing too much strain on your joints.
Jogging or Running
These exercises are usually recommended to help you lose weight, in addition to increasing your overall fitness and stamina. The key difference between jogging and running is that the jogging pace is usually around six to nine km/h, and the running pace is anything faster than nine km/h.
Strength Training
Lifting weights in strength training helps reduce your body fat and increase your muscle mass, which can increase your resting metabolic rate.[4]
Swimming
Swimming is a low-impact, refreshing, and affordable exercise for weight loss in Australia.
Pilates
While Pilates may not burn as many calories as other exercises, it is an effective, beginner-friendly exercise routine for improving your flexibility and alleviating common issues such as back and joint pains.
While many of these exercises are easy to pick up and start incorporating into your daily routine, it’s still recommended to consult your doctor so that you can better understand how to lose weight with these exercises.
If you choose Mosh to help you with your weight loss journey, then Mosh can support you through high-quality services, such as our monthly subscription service, that will help you maintain your healthy habits long-term. You could also check out our other articles to find out how to lose weight with exercise and what exercises burn the most belly fat.
What are the most popular diets for losing weight?
Currently, the most popular diet for losing weight in Australia is intermittent fasting.[5] It has some scientific backing, and it’s also a popular fad diet in the media. However, everyone has different bodies, genetics, lifestyles, and dietary options. The effects of intermittent fasting vary for each person and should not be considered a one-size-fits-all solution.
Intermittent fasting isn’t recommended for the elderly, children, those with chronic diseases, and pregnant or lactating women, among others.[6] When done repeatedly for prolonged periods, it may lead to developing symptoms such as dehydration, fatigue, nausea, and headaches, as well as vitamin and mineral deficiency, among others.[7]
If you’re wondering about topics like what to eat to lose weight, which food is good for weight loss, or even which fruit for weight loss, it’s important to know that healthy weight loss is not all about a ‘diet’.[8] Instead, it’s about making small yet significant changes to your lifestyle through healthy eating patterns and physical activity. It’s a lot easier to stay committed to losing weight when your lifestyle changes are realistic and sustainable.
Based on the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating, it is recommended that you select foods from the five food groups and avoid foods with excessive amounts of added sugar, salt, and fat.[9] Some foods that are recommended for you to create a healthy, balanced diet include:
- plenty of vegetables and fruits of different types and colours;
- reduced fat varieties of milk, yoghurt, and cheese;
- whole grain cereal foods and bread;
- lean meats and poultry;
- fish, eggs, tofu, nuts, and seeds;
- limiting your alcohol intake; and
- consuming moderate amounts of sugar by avoiding food and drinks with added sugars.
In general, it’s recommended that you monitor the amount of food you consume by reducing portions to a healthy size and not having seconds during meal time. Moreover, it’s advisable to consult your doctor to confirm if you have any food allergies or strict dietary restrictions that could affect your choices when building a healthy eating habit.
Hydration is also crucial for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and losing weight, so take note of when to drink water to lose weight.
With Mosh, our online health platform makes it convenient for you to speak to an AHPRA-registered doctor that will help you understand how to lose weight and the steps you could take to achieve the results you desire.
If you want to learn more about losing weight, consider reading further on ‘how to work out to lose weight’.
Evidence-based treatments
Diet and exercise alone might not be enough to lose weight quickly, since your genetics and medical background might play a role. As everyone's circumstances and weight loss goals differ, tailored weight loss regimens are the most effective and healthiest.
Mosh's evidence-based treatments are tailored to each individual's needs. Your doctor will consider not only your diet and exercise habits, but all of the other factors that affect your weight as well.
Achieve your fitness goals with Mosh
Although weight loss can be a life-long commitment, you don’t have to do it alone. Mosh will be there alongside you every step of the way, not just in the first few weeks.
At Mosh, we are committed to helping you lose weight in a healthy and sustainable manner. Now is the time to build habits that will help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight. We are here to help you achieve the results you desire using science-backed programs and recommendations.
So that you can feel and live confidently in your body, talk to a Mosh doctor today.