Most nutritionists will advise against trying to lose weight fast, advocating a steady, sustainable diet that will help you to keep the pounds off. However, there are a number of proven techniques that can help you shed the pounds more quickly if you really need to lose weight fast. Consult your doctor before beginning any weight-loss regimen.
Theory
Losing weight is scientifically simple. According to the Weight-Control Information Network, the key to weight loss is burning more calories through exercise and daily activity than you consume through food and drink. The greater the deficit, the more weight you will lose, with the government's Nutrition Information site suggesting that you need a calorie deficit of 3,500 to lose a pound of weight. To lose weight fast, you need to burn as many calories as possible while eating less.
Balance
Studies performed by the University of Louisiana and by the Mayo Clinic show that nutrition plays a larger role in weight loss than exercise, because it is easier to affect the number of calories burned or consumed through diet than through exercise. For example, while a 130-pound person can burn around 400 calories in an hour on a cycling machine, you could cut out roughly the same amount by eating two fewer slices of pizza, according to statistics from the American College of Sports Medicine and the Calorie Counting website.
Features
Since diet is the most important part of the equation, make sure you are eating right. The first part of this is to make sure you are eating the right food. According to the American Dietetic Association, you should be focusing on lean protein that is low in fat, along with complex carbohydrates such as vegetables and fruits. Avoid refined, simple carbohydrates such as sugar, white bread or white rice, or fatty or processed foods.
Amount
You also need to make sure you are eating the right amount. The ADA recommends eating smaller portions. Using smaller dishes can help you feel like your portions are larger than they are. Nutritionist Ian Marber suggests eating five to six small meals a day, with up to 40 percent of calories from lean protein and around 60 percent from complex carbohydrates, spaced every few hours to stop you from feeling hungry and binging. Another trick is to avoid calorie-laden drinks such as juice, soda or alcohol, and instead drink plenty of water or green tea.
Exercise
Although nutrition may be more important, exercise is vital if you are looking to lose weight fast. It will also help boost your metabolism --- immediately after exercise, or permanently if you manage to put on muscle mass --- helping you to lose weight faster, because your body will burn more calories even at rest. The best way to shed calories quickly is high-intensity interval training. Your body burns far more calories when pushed to its limits, but it cannot sustain this level of activity for long. By performing eight sets of a single exercise flat-out for 20-second periods with 10 seconds' rest between sets, you will burn a huge number of calories. This will also elevate your metabolism, causing it to burn more calories in the hours after training, a factor conditioning coach John Berardi calls afterburn.
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