Fast Way To Lose Weight In A Month

Fad diets that promise quick weight loss often lead to a slower metabolism and weight gain. If you eat too few calories, your body will use lean muscle mass for glucose energy, which in effect means it will cannibalize itself. Because the amount of lean muscle mass you have affects how fast you burn calories, to lose weight by eating just enough calories for your energy needs, while also maintaining lean muscle mass.

Step 1

Swap energy-dense breakfast foods, such as bagels, for foods that can be eaten in large volumes without adding significantly to your daily calorie intake. For example, have a large fruit smoothie with added nuts for protein. The protein will promote lean muscle tissue and help to keep you feeling full, while the cut in calories will promote weight loss.

Step 2

Eat a soup or salad before main meals. According to Dr. Barbara Rolls in her 2007 book, "Volumetrics," study subjects who followed this simple protocol ate an average of 12 percent fewer calories during the meal. If you typically consume 1,400 calories between lunch and dinner, this would equate to around 1.5 lbs. of weight loss during a month.

Step 3

Increase your water intake so your body can burn calories efficiently, and drink water before and during your meals to feel fuller and eat less. A study published by the "Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism" in 2003 found that participants used about 95 additional calories per day when they drank 64 oz. of water. This is equal to almost 1 lb. of fat during one month.

Step 4

Step up your activity levels. Exercise builds lean muscle mass, which increases your body's metabolism rate. Your calorie burn will be higher, even when you are at rest.

Tips and Warnings

A smoothie containing two apples, a pear and a small handful of almonds provides around 300 calories, which is about 200 calories less than a breakfast consisting of a cream cheese and egg bagel. Because 3,500 calories is equal to 1 lb. of fat, over a month this would result in around 1.7 lbs. of fat loss. When you add exercise to your weight-loss efforts, you can afford to eat treats occasionally without jeopardizing your results. Any kind of physical activity is beneficial. Performing more tasks manually and doing away with labor-saving gadgets, you can burn around 100 to 200 calories extra a day, according to Mayo Clinic Research. If you combine this with four brisk 30-minute walking sessions a week, you may lose around 2.2 lbs. extra per month.