Before you start a mission to drop a few pounds as quickly as possible, consider the merits of going more slowly. For one, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that people who lose only a pound or two per week are more likely to keep the weight off. Consider that fast weight loss can pose health risks and is often unsustainable, so always get your doctor's approval before going ahead. If time is of the essence, there are a few strategies that can help.
Exercise Harder
If you already work out, extending your exercise sessions will help you burn more calories, but it may not make enough difference for quick weight loss. Changing the exercises you do could, however. According to MayoClinic.com, a 160-lb. person who spends an hour walking at 3.5 mph burns only about 275 calories, but spending that hour running at 8 mph instead will burn more than 950 calories. If you exercise every day, that equates to almost a pound and a half of extra weight lost per week.
Strength Train
Don't leave weightlifting or strength training out of your fitness regimen. Although it doesn't burn as many calories as cardio, it's crucial for toning and defining your muscles and giving you a truly enviable physique. If your weight loss progress ever happens to stagnate, strength training can pick up the slack and continue to help you look better. You can strength train by doing curls and presses with dumbbells, stretching resistance tubes or using weight machines at a gym.
Eat Less
MayoClinic.com preventive medicine specialist Donald Hensrud, M.D. notes that cutting calories is more effective for weight loss than exercise. If you never work out but cut 1,000 calories from your daily diet, you'll lose 2 lbs. per week. You also can go on a medically supervised low-calorie diet of 800 or fewer calories per day. According to the Weight Control Information Network, such a diet may result in up to 5 lbs. of weight lost per week, but is typically reserved for cases of obesity.
Cut the Sugar
Sugary treats may be tasty, but most are high in fat and empty calories. If you stop eating refined sugar and products that are made with it, you could potentially cut out thousands of calories from your diet per week, leading to speedy weight loss. It's a big change that requires willpower, but it will have visible results.
Go Vegan
If you're willing to make a huge adjustment in your eating habits, consider adopting a vegan diet, which is free of all animal products, including eggs, honey and dairy. As substitutes, many vegans use soy milk, coconut milk, and natural sweeteners such as agave nectar. MayoClinic.com registered dietitian Katherine Zeratsky states that on average, vegetarians and vegans weigh less than meat eaters and consume fewer calories and less fat.
Make Big Changes
To lose weight quickly, you must be willing to make big changes in your lifestyle. Those changes are relative to what is normal for you; so, for example, if you already run for an hour every day and follow a vegetarian diet, you could double that exercise time and turn to veganism. The key is to stick to the big adjustments you make so that you'll be able to keep the weight off after you lose it.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Exercise for Weight Loss - Calories Burned in 1 Hour; Mayo Clinic Staff
- MayoClinic.com; Weight Loss - Better to Cut Calories or Exercise More?; Donald Hensrud, M.D.
- Weight Control Information Network: Very Low-Calorie Diets
- MayoClinic.com; Vegetarian Diet - Will It Help Me Lose Weight?; Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
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