Fit Tip Weekend : 8 Tips on using Green Tea for Weight Loss (Part Two)

   Hope you enjoyed my 8 Health Benefits of Green Tea post a couple of days a go, but as promised here is part two - on just how you can use green tea to help aid weight loss!

1. Drink Often

This has to be a routinely thing, otherwise you'll see no effect. Try drinking at least three a day for weight loss aids - either half an hour before or after a meal, to help break down your food effectively. A tip I learnt from Women's Health though - do not drink it (or water) just before a meal to fill you up, as this is actually diluting your stomach acids, so digestion will be less effective & therefore you could end up storing more fat. Just remember not to add milk or sugar to the tea, as you will be preventing the full effect.

2. Kick Start the Metabolism

Ideally you should drink a cup first thing in the morning, this will not only give you energy & focus your brain, but the tea's thermo-genic properties will kick start your metabolism for the day, which will burn excess fuel (from food) faster. It will also slowly start to burn the fat stored around our body, which will aid the weight loss.

3. A Natural Detox

As discussed in my last post, green tea is a natural detoxifier. It uses antioxidants to cleanse the body of harmful toxins, while breaking down fat cells for easier digestion. This not only leads to a healthy liver, but also cleans out your digestive system and can in turn reduce fat stores & bloating around the tummy. Also by drinking more water (within the tea), you will feel the benefits of hydration.

4. Exercise with it!

Not only does exercise burn calories, but it also increases the metabolism, which is especially good first thing in the morning. Exercise will maintain a healthy & strong body, while there is evidence that it also increases weight loss when teamed with green tea.

5. Balance your Diet

This is extremely important. Your body needs every type of food group for a different reason & by cutting something out - for example carbs - it can actually do more harm than good. Instead of looking healthy, your body will be lacking energy & vitality. Instead keep a balanced, controlled diet. If you want to cut something out, try cutting out processed foods & replacing them with natural ingredients, even 'fat free' processed food is not as good for your body as natural ingredients. Equally, skipping your meals has the opposite effect to what you might think - by starving your body of nutrients & fuel, it will start storing fat more whenever it gets food, as it can not know when it's next source of fuel is coming. In this case, controlled & often is better.

6. Banish Unnecessary Snacks

There is a difference between needing a snack in between meals for energy or craving a snack because of boredom. It is perfectly ok to have a healthy (or occasional naughty) snack between meals, but if you find your craving food for no reason, green tea can really help fill that void & banish the habit of snacking for the sake of it. I know my weak time is at night watching TV, but try replacing that bar of chocolate with a green tea & if you're still hungry, then have that healthy snack.

7. Be Patient

This isn't a quick fix to loose pounds before the weekend, this is a healthy life choice. As with healthy eating & trying a new workout plan, it will take a few weeks to truly see the effects, but you should be feeling healthier from the inside before then. Just be patient & make this a ritual. Remember, green tea is only an aid to weight loss, it will not help you lose pounds without a healthy diet & exercise.

8. Say Goodbye to Bloating & Excess Water

With it's detoxing effects, you will naturally start to feel less bloated, which can often be the cause of feeling frumpy or like you've put on a little weight. It will also flush out some of the excess water weight that your body is carrying, which will once again make you feel lighter.