A 2009 Gallup poll found that 55 percent of Americans surveyed said they would like to lose weight. Many dieters want quick weight loss but are unsure of appropriate methods. Weight loss that occurs too quickly can lead to a paradoxical slowing down of the metabolism, says the American College of Sports Medicine. This makes subsequent weight loss and maintenance harder. While everyone loses weight at a different rate, you can begin to shed weight within a short time and avoid metabolism slow-down if you follow some basic guidelines.
Change Your Diet
Step 1
Reduce your overall calorie intake by giving up or decreasing your consumption of high-calorie treats. To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you take in. By eliminating certain foods from your diet, such as cookies, candy, ice cream, chips, fried foods and full-fat salad dressings, you can substantially decrease your daily calories to lose weight fast.
Step 2
Substitute low-calorie, healthier alternatives to high-fat foods. This will cut further calories and help you reach your weight goal faster. Try turkey or veggie burgers in place of hamburgers, carrot sticks dipped in salsa or hummus instead of chips and dip, mustard on sandwiches instead of mayonnaise and low-fat yogurt instead of ice cream for dessert.
Step 3
Use salad plates and smaller bowls to eat meals and snacks rather than standard-sized dinner plates and cereal bowls. Dieters tend to consume less food when they use this strategy, which seems to trick the eye into thinking a smaller portion appears larger than it is. Smaller meals and snacks mean fewer calories, leading to faster weight loss.
Increase Your Activity
Step 1
Do aerobic exercise at least three to five times per week. Aerobic, or cardiovascular, exercise includes activities like playing tennis, cycling, ice skating, swimming and running. This type of vigorous exercise burns significant calories and is essential to fast weight loss.
Step 2
Add weight lifting to your workout schedule. Weight lifting builds muscle, which burns more calories than fat and raises your metabolism, says the American Council on Exercise. To lose weight quickly, complete two to three weight-lifting workouts per week, working all major muscle groups. Some examples of weight-lifting exercises are squats, dead lifts, biceps curls, triceps kickbacks and leg curls. Use weight machines, free weights or exercise bands for these exercises.
Step 3
Increase your incidental activity. All physical movement, not just formal exercising, burns calories. The more you move each day, the more calories you will burn and the faster you will shed weight. Squeeze in extra activity wherever you can. Walk your dog more often, take stairs instead of elevators, do housework more vigorously and join in active play with your children instead of watching from the sidelines.
Tips and Warnings
- You don't need weights, weight machines or exercise bands to build muscle. You can also use items around your house, such as laundry detergent jugs and full water bottles, to lift weights.
- Losing weight too quickly can lead to eventual diet failure, says MayoClinic.com. This is because super-fast weight loss is generally due to calorie restriction so severe it cannot be maintained for long. In addition, if you lose weight too fast, you may be losing water weight and muscle tissue rather than fat. Consult a physician or registered dietitian if you have questions about the appropriate rate of weight loss.
Things You'll Need
- Athletic shoes and clothing
- Cardiovascular exercise machines and/or outdoor exercise space
- Hand-held weights or resistance bands
- Nutrition information book or website
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