Stimulant-Free Weight Loss

A variety of stimulants are available that can increase weight loss. Many people choose not to use them, as they can have serious side effects. If you are trying to lose weight, you'll find that long lasting weight loss is actually easier to attain without stimulants.

Utilize a few basic weight loss techniques, and you'll discover that the pounds will come off in a safe, healthy manner.

Disadvantages of Stimulants

• Stimulants can speed up your metabolism, but at a price. Stimulants can cause agitation, insomnia, high blood pressure and a rapid heart beat. Losing weight doesn't have to be uncomfortable or dangerous.

  People who lose weight with stimulants are also in for a shock once they reach their goal weight and discontinue their use of them. Stimulant use has left them unprepared to manage their appetite and food choices in a healthy way. Oftentimes, the weight makes a hasty reappearance.

Increase Your Metabolism

• You can increase your metabolism naturally. Vigorous exercise is one way to do it. According to Michèle Turcotte, MS, RD/LDN, aerobic exercise can increase your metabolism for four to eight hours after you have completed your exercise.

  Weightlifting is another thing you can do to ensure that your stimulant-free weight loss plan works. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so the more muscle you build, the more calories you will burn even when you're sitting on the couch watching television.

  Eat at least 1,200 calories each day. Very low calorie diets decrease metabolism. You should be able to lose weight eating 1,200 to 1,600 calories a day without decreasing your metabolism significantly.

  What you eat is also important. Protein builds muscle, which you need to increase your metabolic rate. Fruits and vegetables give you energy, while greasy fast food will slow you down. Also, consider adding green tea to your diet. According to a Tufts University study published in the February 2009 edition of the Journal of Nutrition, it increases exercise related weight loss.

Decrease Your Appetite

• Stimulants can decrease appetite, which is one reason that some people take them for weight loss, but you can decrease your appetite in ways that are safer and healthier. One proven way to eat less at meals is to drink a glass of water before a meal. Eating a bowl of soup before you eat your meal will also help you decrease your overall caloric intake.

  Another way to reduce your appetite is to eat foods that are low on the glycemic index. These are foods that won't spike your blood sugar and cause rebound hunger. Whole grains, non-starchy vegetables and legumes are low on the glycemic index. You can find a chart listing the glycemic index values of common foods in the Resources section.

  Make sure that you eat plenty of foods that are high in fiber. Fiber increases feelings of satiety, causing people to eat less.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

• Stimulants often provide a quick start to weight loss. When losing weight naturally, weight loss is likely to be slower in the beginning than it would be for someone taking a stimulant, but this doesn't mean that you are failing at weight loss. Weight lost at the rate of 1 lb. to 2 lbs. a week is healthy weight loss. Weight that is lost in a slow, steady manner is much more likely to stay off in the long term.

Techniques That Work

• Food diaries have been shown to be effective in both losing weight and maintaining weight loss. Jack Hollis Ph.D. conducted a study for Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research that showed, "The more food records people kept, the more weight they lost." The reason this is effective is because reflecting on our habits tends to encourage us to change our behavior.

  Support groups are also helpful. Being accountable to someone about your eating and exercising behavior is a motivating factor for many people.