How to Use Apple Cider Vinegar for Weight Loss

Confession time: I’ve always struggled a little with my weight. Ever since elementary school, my waistline has been a problem for me.

I’m also going to confess this: I like to eat.

And I think it’s safe to say that these two confessions are related to each other. As I was growing, a lot of my calories went to the simple act of growing, and I was able to stay a little ahead of a full-blown weight problem. But as I’ve gotten older and stopped growing, those calories have caught up with me. Since then, I’ve tried just about every fad that’s been on the market, but most of those offer only short-term benefits, and I found the weight quickly returning. That’s when I discovered apple cider vinegar.

Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’re already familiar with the benefits of apple cider vinegar. Not just a food additive, apple cider vinegar has been recognized as being useful in a number of different ways, from health benefits like treating digestive issues, clearing your sinuses, and soothing a sore throat, to home uses such as killing weeds and getting rid of unpleasant odors around the house.

But would you believe me if I told you that apple cider vinegar (I’m going to call it ACV from now on, if you don’t mind) has been shown to help with weight loss? That’s right. If you’re skeptical, or want to learn more, then read on (and check out these success stories) as I tell you more about how you can use ACV to help you lose and keep off those extra pounds.

What You Will Need To Follow This Tutorial

In order to correctly follow this tutorial and reap the benefits of ACV, there are a few things you are going to need:

• The proper attitude. If you go into this with the attitude that ACV is a quick-fix, then you are going to be sadly disappointed. This is not a short-term solution; it is a long-term lifestyle change. In addition to that, ACV is not, by itself, enough. I am going to show you how ACV can be of benefit, but I am also going to talk to you about what else you need to do. Which brings me to...
• Lean, protein-rich food choices. ACV is going to be able to take you part of the way there; your diet is going to be another significant factor.
• Apple cider vinegar. The brand shouldn’t matter.
• Water
• Patience. This is not a change that will happen overnight.

How Does it Work?

There are several reasons why it’s thought that ACV helps with weight loss. One reason has to do with digestion. Because it’s vinegar, it’s an acidic solution. We already know that the acidity in ACV can actually help with digestive problems like acid reflux, but did you know that this acid also helps to digest your food in the first place?

Since digestion is an acid-based phenomenon, a little extra acid can help speed up the process. Even more specifically, the acid in ACV is especially effective on proteins. When broken down, these proteins help to regulate things like hormones, which can be used to break down fat cells, and your metabolism, which determines the speed at which your body uses energy and fat.

Another reason that ACV is effective as a weight-loss aid has to do with appetite suppression. Apples naturally contain pectin, which is a sugar-based substance used to make jams and jellies. Pectin is a known appetite suppressant. So, while ACV helps your body break down food and protein, it also works by helping you to consume less food in the first place. And it makes sense: controlling your food intake is one of the best ways to lose weight!

A third way that ACV can help is by stimulating your taste buds. Think about it: we all want our food to taste good. What is the most commonly added ingredient to enhance a food’s flavor? That’s right: salt. The problem is, when it comes to weight loss, salt is not your friend. A high sodium diet makes you retain water, which is one of the big culprits when it comes to weight gain. So, by having your taste buds stimulated by ACV, you’ll be less likely to add salt to your meal.

Step 1: Prepare the Vinegar Solution

To complete this step, you’re going to need to start with the vinegar and water. Unless you are pretty used to taking ACV, you’re probably going to want to start off with a small amount, so take about 1 tbsp and mix it into a glass of water. If you find the taste unpleasant, it’s okay to dilute it a little more by adding some extra water. As you progress, though, you’re going to want to up the vinegar content gradually, until you’re up to about 2 Tbsps per cup of water, several times a day. The more ACV in your stomach, the more acid is there to help break down those proteins.

Once your ACV solution is mixed, go ahead and drink it. Ideally, you’re going to do this about an hour to a half-hour before meal time, which will give the ACV a chance to do its job. It’s also not a bad idea to drink it first thing in the morning as a way to kickstart your metabolism, which in turn leads to more energy use and less fat retention.

As I said above, this is not a quick fix. As with any regimen like this, this is not the healthy-food equivalent of a diet pill; this is a lifestyle change. Do not expect to see gains (or losses, I guess) right away. However, if you get your ACV dosage to the right levels, and stick with it, you should start to notice gradual changes. Your overall appetite should decrease, and you should notice a drop in the amount of food you eat, and eventually in the amount of food you want to eat overall.

You should also notice an increase in your energy levels as your metabolism gets kicked into high gear. This energy might even come with a renewed interest in physical activities such as walking or bike riding, which also will help with the weight loss. Once you start to see your efforts being rewarded, though, it will definitely get easier to stick with it!

Step 4: Change Your Diet

So, while ACV will go to work immediately to help digest your foods and suppress your appetite, there are other things you can do to help it along. Without a doubt, the most effective thing you can to assist the ACV is change your diet. Because ACV is especially effective with proteins, you’re going to want to start eating more lean protein-based foods (lean because we don’t want to start adding fat to our diet, do we?) Lean proteins include such things as: eggs, poultry, fish, shrimp, and crab. These foods will still give you the protein you need for ACV to work positively on your body, but without adding all the extra calories that come from eating other proteins, like red meat or pork.

As I said before, ACV is a great taste bud stimulator, and can be used as a substitute for salt. Because of this, it is also a good idea to experiment with putting ACV on or in your foods. It’s not as crazy as it sounds: vinegar is already in ingredient in condiments like mustard and ketchup, it’s the base of many salad dressings, and it goes excellent with a lot of fried foods.

So, people already know that vinegar is a great addition to many recipes. Well, why not see what else it pairs well with? You might be surprised. Or, look it up on the internet--there are parts of the country and the world where vinegar is a mainstay in their food. This might be a great time to expand your palate!

Conclusion

Well, I hope you found this tutorial to be informative, and more importantly: I hope you thought it was useful. I mentioned before that I struggled with weight loss before understanding the benefits of ACV, and I’m hoping that one day you can tell one of your friends the same thing. Just remember the main things: ACV works, but it is a long-term solution (pun intended) and not an easy one-and-done cure.

Start taking it now, and take it often. I recommend at least three times a day--before each meal--but the great news is this: you really can’t take ACV too much! It’s not a medicine; it’s just a delicious food that has many positive side effects. The best part about all of this is that, as you are taking ACV for those extra pounds, you might even notice some of the other benefits as well!

Have you used apple cider vinegar for weight loss or some other benefit? Do you have a suggestion for ways we can use ACV more effectively? I’d love to hear about your experiences. Let me know in the comments below!