Are you looking for ways to lose weight that don’t involve following crazy diets or taking unsafe supplements? Would you love to lose those extra pounds in a way that is not only effective, but actually good for your body?

There are some crazy weight loss plans and products on the market today. While some of them do work, a majority of them only bring about short term results because they can’t be sustained for any length of time. Plus, some are downright unsafe and should never be attempted because of the damage they can do to your body.

If you truly want to lose weight once and for all, you’re best off doing it naturally. When you work with your body the way it was designed, not only will you achieve permanent weight loss, but you will also likely find that it is easier to maintain your loss as it will feel like second nature.

Here are five simple suggestions that will get you started on the safe and nature weight loss path:

#1 - Think Nutrition

Many diet programs tout that you can eat whatever you want and still lose weight as long as you take their low-calorie product. However, your body requires key vitamins and minerals every day and if you don’t get enough of them, you’re setting yourself up for more obstacles than successes. Aim to eat a diet full of high quality, whole nutritious foods instead of processed low-calorie diet products and you’ll get everything you need to kick your body into high calorie-burning gear!

#2 - Hydrate Yourself

Your body needs water for all of its weight loss functions to work properly (think metabolism and adequate energy production). Also, if you don’t get enough water, your cells will hold onto excess sodium, which leads to bloating. Therefore, you’ll want to ensure that you drink 6-9 glasses of water daily so you can turn up your fat burning furnace and trim your tummy.

#3 - Focus on Physical Hunger

A lot of times we eat out of emotional hunger versus physical hunger. We snack because we’re lonely, frustrated or procrastinating in regard to something we don’t want to do. So, when you eat only when your body tells you it needs sustenance, your excess weight will seem to melt off without much effort at all.

#4 – If You Use Supplements, Stick with All Natural

Not all supplements are bad. Sure, some are loaded with fillers that aren’t very good for you, but others use all natural ingredients to help you reach your goals in a safe and effective manner. Therefore, if you decide to try a supplement to help you with your weight loss, stick with one that has all natural ingredients such as raspberry ketone, green tea extract, African Mango and chromium and forget about the ones loaded with unsafe substances.

#5 - Increase Your Daily Steps

To be physically fit, most health experts suggest taking at least 10,000 steps a day. You can easily do that by adding them in throughout the course of your regular activities. For instance, walk to a co-worker’s desk instead of emailing them or park further from the store so that it requires more steps to get where you want to go. You can purchase a pedometer relatively cheaply to help you make sure you’re hitting your daily mark (and it serves to motivate you to reach your goal).

Do these five things and your weight will go down naturally and effectively. It may take a little longer than when you use fad diets and quick fixes, but that is okay because the results will last longer too!