If you want to lose weight fast, there are two factors you can influence: calories consumed through diet and calories burned through exercise. A pound of body fat is equal to 3,500 calories, according to the Mayo Clinic. The quickest weight loss recommended is 1 to 2 lbs. weekly. For fast weight loss, you need to burn 7,000 calories weekly through diet and exercise to accomplish a 2-lb. weekly weight loss.
Faster Calorie Burning
Exercise for 30 minutes, most days of the week, to speed up weight loss. Select activities that burn the most calories per workout session. For example, if you enjoy walking, challenge yourself by jogging, which burns 584 calories an hour for a 160-lb. person. As you get stronger, increase calorie burning by running, which burns 986 calories an hour.
Another high-calorie burning option is rollerblading. This activity burns 913 calories during an hour session for a 160-lb. person, according to the Mayo Clinic. Continue to challenge yourself to keep calorie burning high and lose fat quicker.
Strength Training
If you aren't strength training, you're missing out on an opportunity to burn even more calories during the week. Schedule at least two sessions weekly. Building your major muscle groups -- arms, legs, abdominals and back -- helps your body burn more calories each day. Even after your workout has ended, your body continues to burn calories throughout the day. Leave a day between strength-training sessions to allow your muscles to heal and get stronger.
Foods That Promote Weight Loss
Eat a low-calorie diet rich in fruits, vegetables and lean sources of protein. Whole-grain carbohydrates, such as whole-wheat rice, wheat bread and oatmeal, are options too. You also need to select healthy sources of fat, such as avocados and olive oil. Special foods can help your body burn more calories and improve results from your workouts. For example, salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which increase your metabolism, according to "Fitness" magazine. Berries improve blood flow, allowing you to make more efficient muscle contractions during workout sessions. And, almonds contain magnesium, which helps build stronger muscles. The body also doesn't absorb all the fat from almonds, and that promotes weight loss.
Fad Diets
Fad diets promise fast weight loss. These diets often restrict your diet to eating a single food or group of foods for several days or longer. For example, fat-burning soups claim to cause a 10- to 17-lb. weight loss in seven days. However, it's difficult to keep this weight off long term. A successful, fast weight-loss plan needs to include foods you enjoy eating over the long term.
References
- American Heart Association: Quick Weight Loss or Fad Diets
- Mayo Clinic: Exercise for Weight Loss: Calories Burned in 1 Hour
- MedlinePlus: Tips for Losing Weight
- Mayo Clinic: Eating and Exercise: 5 Tips to Maximize your Workouts
- Mayo Clinic: Energy Density and Weight Loss: Feel Full on Fewer Calories
- "Fitness": The 10 Best Foods for Flat Abs
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