Losing weight is first a matter of how many calories you eat and how many calories you burn. Then, to lose weight quickly, you must consume foods which prime your body to use a significant amount of your stored body fat as fuel instead of muscle glycogen and blood glucose. A well-planned exercise routine at the start of your day, along with a weight-loss nutrition plan will get you on the right track to losing weight quickly. Reduce your caloric intake by 500 calories. Exercise most days of the week, increasing your net caloric loss to lose weight fast.
Eat to Lose
Step 1
Determine the total number of calories you need to eat each day. If you are a woman, multiply your weight in pounds by 16 calories then subtract 500. If you are a man, multiply your weight in pounds by 17 then subtract 500, according to the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
Step 2
Use a spreadsheet program on your computer to manage your food intake with accuracy and attention to detail. Create five small meals per day in which your total carbohydrate intake is 40 to 50 percent of your daily calories, compared to an athlete who eats 65 percent of her daily calories from carbohydrates to maintain and increase her performance; the remaining percentage of calories will be from protein and fat. List the name of the item, the serving size, the total number of calories, and the grams of carbohydrates, fat and protein. Design your meals at night so you know exactly what you need to eat and pack for the next day.
Step 3
Measure everything you eat and drink according to your meal plan; if you guess at how much food you are eating, you are likely to eat too many or too few calories, both deterrents to losing weight quickly.
Step 4
Eat immediately after every exercise session using fast-digesting or high-glycemic index foods; the glycemic index is used to measure how fast foods raise your blood sugar. High-glycemic foods or foods with a GI of 70 or more quickly replenish the energy in your muscles so you can exercise the next morning and burn plenty of calories. Use a glycemic index book or search online to identify high-glycemic foods. Eat 1 cup of pineapple with two boiled eggs or blend the pineapple in with your protein shake.
Step 5
Eat at least three servings of whole grains every day. Make spaghetti with whole-grain spaghetti noodles. Use sprouted grain bread for toast. Make a sandwich with one whole wheat English muffin. Whole grains provide the fiber and healthy carbs you need to keep you full and fuel your body. These foods also keep your blood sugar steady, decreasing the production of insulin to help you lose weight fast.
Exercise to Lose
Step 1
Exercise in the morning before you eat breakfast, optimizing the percentage of calories you burn from body fat instead of carbohydrates. In the morning there is less carbohydrate available due to your overnight, sleep-induced fast and therefore a decrease in insulin and an increase in glucagon. Glucagon is a hormone that promotes the breakdown of stored body fat for fuel during exercise.
Step 2
Exercise for 40 to 90 minutes so you burn plenty of stored body fat and lose weight fast; it takes approximately 20 to 30 minutes before your body begins burning fat primarily for fuel, according to a 2006 article by Bruce Craig, Ph.D., published in the "Strength and Conditioning Journal."
Step 3
Perform two strength-training workouts per week, such as on Mondays and Thursdays. Do one 20-minute, highly-intense interval session on Fridays. Perform one long, 90-minute aerobic session on Tuesdays. Do two moderately-intense, 40-minute aerobic sessions on Wednesdays and Saturdays or Sundays. These workouts maximize the number of calories you burn and the percentage of calories burned from stored body fat, hastening your weight loss.
Tips and Warnings
- Repeat your meals for the week, making small changes. Vary your fruits and your sources of protein but keep the carbs and veggies the same.
- Start your exercise program slowly, which will reduce the risk of injury. Begin with three days of exercise, building up to five or six days per week.
References
- "ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal"; Your Clients Are What They Eat: Balancing Weight with Diet Part 1; Gary Miller, Ph.D.; January/February 2005
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; Thomas R. Baechle and Roger W. Earle; 2000
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; Low-Carbohydrate Diets Promote a More Favorable Body Composition Than Low-Fat Diets; Jeff Volek, Ph.D., RD, et al; February 2010
- "Exercise Physiology, Energy, Nutrition & Human Performance"; William McArdle, Frank Katch and Victor Katch; 2007
- "ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal"; Glycemic Index: An Educational Tool for Health and Fitness Professionals; Stephen Wong, Ph.D., and Susan Chung, R.D.N.; November/December 2003
- "ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal"; Strength Training Guidelines: Roll in Body Composition and Health Enhancement; Wayne Wescott, Ph. D.; July/August 2009
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