The fastest way to lose weight may not be the healthiest way, but if you're determined to lose weight quickly, you must make a commitment to stick to a reduced-calorie diet and build a regular routine of aerobic and strengthening exercises into your days. You may opt for surgery, support groups or a prepackaged food program to aid your efforts.
Get Ready
Your successful weight loss largely depends on how committed you are to the process and how well you've planned for the changes you're going to have to make. If you're not ready for the challenges of changing your eating habits and exercising regularly, your efforts may be stymied. Start by keeping track of how much food you eat in a day, counting every calorie that goes into your mouth so you'll have a baseline from which to start. Try to eliminate major distractions or wait for a time when things are calmer in your life. Make sure you have the support of family and friends or have set up a support network.
Reduce Calories
One pound equals 3,500 calories. To lose 1 lb. a week, you must reduce your consumption by 3,500 calories. You'll lose weight faster if you reduce your intake even more. A very low calorie diet, or VLCD, is one that usually is monitored by a physician and consists primarily of liquid meals, totaling about 800 calories a day. A VLCD is based on prescription formulas and usually is reserved for the very obese. You can lose between 3 and 5 lbs. a week on the diet. Without doctor supervision, you could reduce your consumption safely to about 1,000 calories a day if you have no other health issues and maintain balanced nutrition.
Exercise
Aerobic exercise is the best option for calorie burning to lose weight. With sufficient intensity and duration, you can burn anywhere from 400 to 600 additional calories each day by running, cycling or participating in aerobics classes. At the same time, you should add strength training to your regimen to build muscle that increases your metabolism. Metabolism is the rate your body burns calories at rest. Your autonomic systems, such as breathing, digesting and cell formation, use between 1,200 and 1,800 calories a day. Muscles require more energy than fat and will burn more calories even when you're at rest, aiding your weight-loss efforts.
Surgery
Bariatric surgery is an option you may consider to lose weight quickly. The weight loss procedure reduces the size of your stomach so that you can't eat as much without getting sick. Which kind of bariatric surgery you choose may depend on your health, body mass index and eating behaviors. You can lose up to 40 percent of your excess weight in the first year following surgery and the rest within the second year.
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