To make dramatic changes in your weight, you need to take dramatic measures that might not be sustainable or healthful in the long term. Experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention don't recommend losing more than 2 lbs. per week. You can try some methods to lose weight faster, but they come with risks.
Very Low-Calorie Diets
If you reduce your daily calorie intake by about 500, you can expect to lose about 1 lb. per week. Reduce your intake by 1,000 calories and you'll double the amount to 2 lbs. per week. Because it's a thin line between significantly cutting calories and starving the body, reducing your daily calorie intake to 1,200 or fewer calories per day requires medical supervision to be safe. However, the Weight Control Information Network points out that people who follow medically supervised very low-calorie diet plans can sometimes lose 5 lbs. or more per week.
Fad Diets
Following a fad diet plan is another option, although it's not a healthful one. Fad diets dramatically restrict daily calorie intake to result in quick weight loss, but because most fad diets aren't nutritionally balanced enough to provide the body with all the nutrients it needs, most of the weight lost is water weight that returns when dieters begin eating normally again. Because a fad diet cuts calories so significantly, though, it might allow you to lose at least several pounds per week for as long as you follow it.
Exercise
Mild to moderate exercise isn't likely to lead to quick weight loss, but following a vigorous exercise plan can help you lose weight rapidly, especially if you combine it with a low-calorie diet. According to MayoClinic.com, a 160-pound person who exercises for 60 minutes will burn more than 900 calories with rollerblading and close to 1,000 calories with running. Losing 1 lb. requires burning or saving 3,500 calories, so if you reduce calories by 1,000 daily and run every day for an hour, you could lose 4 lbs. or more per week.
Other Methods
Diet pills and appetite suppressants are other quick weight loss options, although they pose some of the biggest dangers. Such products are classified as dietary supplements, and in an article for the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Dr. Monica Zangwill points out that supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and might make advertising claims that are not backed by scientific research. Finally, gastric bypass surgery or other weight-loss surgery is a potential choice for people who cannot slim down through other methods and who quickly need to drop a lot of weight. To find out more about surgery and get personalized safety and health advice for other weight-loss strategies, talk with your physician.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Healthy Weight -- Losing Weight; January 4, 2011
- Weight-Control Information Network: Very Low-Calorie Diets
- MayoClinic.com: Exercise for Weight Loss - Calories Burned in 1 Hour; December 1, 2009
- BIDMC.org: Diet Shakes and Meal Replacements - Can They Really Help You Lose Weight?; June 2010
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