Losing weight is not easy or fun. It may be your desire to finish the task quickly, so you went to Google and put in “how to lose weight fast” to try and make progress faster. It seems like there are so many diet trends and sudden weight loss solutions available that promise quick results, but these can have negative impacts on your health and can even cause potential harm.
“Fad diets that tout rapid weight loss often involve cutting out entire food groups or severely reducing caloric intake,” explains Danielle Crumble Smith, RDN, a nutritionist with Top Nutrition Coaching. “Unless you have a known food allergy or intolerance, eliminating an entire food group can result in you missing out some key nutrients that are beneficial for energy and overall health.”
Jordan Hill, RD from Top Nutrition Coaching warns that improper weight loss plans have the potential to cause dehydration, discrepancies in electrolytes, and other health concerns, particularly if the regimen involves omitting meals, abstaining, or following strategies that are unsustainable. Engaging in extreme dieting tactics can bring about an unhealthy relationship with food and disordered eating habits, both of which can wreak havoc on an individual’s mental and physical well-being in the long run.
Reducing the amount of calories consumed drastically could have a result that contradicts the desired outcome for your body. A decrease in metabolism occurs so that the body can save energy for vital activities such as breathing and mobility. Smith notes that this can bring about unfavorable consequences for other sections of our wellbeing, including our thyroid and hormones.
Attempting to reduce weight too quickly can cause a decrease in muscle mass. Hill says that your metabolism can be decelerated even more by this, and keeping the weight lost off over a longer period can become more difficult.
It is probable that you will regain the weight that you lost, and more. If we eliminate the food we like or eat too few calories, we become hungry! Smith states that when we don’t consume enough calories, it can cause our blood sugar to drop and cause our body to produce hormones like cortisol for stress. High levels of cortisol can impede weight loss as it is associated with storing excess fat around the mid-section.
If you’re attempting to slim down in a responsible and secure manner, you shouldn’t anticipate sizable losses in weight within the duration of a week.
Crumble emphasizes that in order to obtain lasting success with weight loss, it is best to aim for a reduction of one to two pounds each week. It requires an additional 3,500 calories (beyond what is essential to keep alive) to put on one pound of fat. In order to lose a single pound of fat, you need to create a calorie deficit. Typically this means cutting your daily caloric intake by 250 calories, while also burning an extra 250 calories.
Follow these tips from personal trainers to lose weight, and keep it off.
1. Find physical activity you can do consistently.
Keeping the weight off over time is best achieved through making permanent changes. “Start smaller than you might think. Often people overcommit because they are excited. Kami Blease, a personal trainer on Fyt, cautions that it can be simple to tire oneself out quickly.
She advises her patrons to initiate by dedicating a single day each week to exercising, especially if they have not been routinely engaging in physical activity up to this point.
2. Get walking.
“Walking more frequently is a sustainable, approachable way to burn more calories and stick with your weight-loss goals,” says Tatyana Johnston, CPT, the sports performance lead at OMORPHO. “It’s also low impact and is not a super strenuous form of movement, which increases the chances that someone will stick with it.”
Taking a brisk walk of 30 minutes a day (in three 10-minute slots if you prefer) has been demonstrated to give a boost to burning calories and move you towards accomplishing your objectives to shed pounds, according to Johnston.
3. Ask a trainer for help.
“Having a trainer helps create a program that is specific to your needs and ensures that you are more likely to get the results you are looking for and keep your body safe in the process,” says Blease. “There are a variety of trainers out there, so take the time you need to find someone who fits your goals, training style, and budget.”
Having a personal trainer work with you at least once a week is essential to make sure that you keep up with exercise and that your technique is accurate, according to the expert.
4. Get your heart rate up.
The easiest way to do this? Cardio. Johnston states that doing cardio regularly can help slim down and keep the weight off. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans suggest that individuals participate in cardiovascular activities for two and a half to five hours a week (or 150 to 300 minutes a week).
The amount may change based on a particular person’s physical condition and how hard they are working at cardio, Johnston explains. “Consistency is key! If you are able to construct and consistently maintain a regular cardiovascular routine, it increases your possibilities of losing weight and preventing it from returning. Secondly, make your cardio fun! Engage in athletics, take a buddy along, or tune in to a podcast while exercising aerobically. If you find pleasure in this behavior, you will be more likely to keep doing it.
5. Start making weights a part of your routine.
It is essential to have fun while doing physical activities, but regularly lifting weights has a plethora of rewards. According to Blease, it has the potential to boost balance and stability, raise metabolism, and reduce the likelihood of some medical conditions.
Many women tend to think that lifting weights will cause them to become overly muscular, so they refrain from visiting the gym or picking up heavier weights.
6. If you’re short on time, ramp up the intensity.
High-intensity interval training exercises are not for everyone, however they are an optimal approach for developing muscle mass when time is limited and a lot of energy needs to be burned.
“As long as you feel you can maintain proper form, it’s a great way to get in a workout for people with busy schedules,” says Blease. “Even one day is better than no days, but aim for about three days if possible with more low-intensity movement one to two other days. You can ramp up the intensity by trying to get in more reps during a certain amount of time or using heavier weights while maintaining the same time goal. Both will increase your intensity and continue to challenge your body.”
7. Persevere through setbacks.
Allowing yourself to be gentle and starting back at your program should remind you of your objective and tell you that losing weight will take a lot of time and hard work. Exercise grace when you make mistakes and when others make mistakes. Johnston advises that if you avoid making it a pattern, you’ll stay on track to reaching your objective.
8. Think ‘lifestyle movement.’
Examining the way of life you desire and incorporating physical activity into it is essential. Certain individuals don’t really have any ambition to attend a gym and lift weights or take a fitness class. That’s fine! Blease states that activities such as hiking, swimming, skiing, surfing, or biking can provide a more manageable form of physical activity.
Lifestyle Considerations
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle involves engaging in a few habits – exercising aerobically and weightlifting, having a nutritious diet composed of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins, restricting alcohol intake, never smoking, sleeping sufficiently, and managing stress levels. All these will enhance your health. However, keep in mind that if you already partake in many of these practices, you may take a bigger amount of time to shed pounds when compared to those who have yet to implement healthy practices into their lifestyle. Generally speaking, if you make major changes to your lifestyle, you may experience quicker results than if you just reduce your calorie intake while increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables in an already quite healthy lifestyle.
Dietary Needs
A potential hazard of dieting without the advice of a specialist is that you may not obtain the correct amount of nutrition. If you don’t provide your physiology with the nourishment it requires, your metabolism will decrease and your organism may resort to protein in your muscle tissue to generate power instead of those stored in fats. Consult with a dietitian or nutritionist if you are considering beginning a dietary regimen so they can give advice on the most effective weight reduction plan for you.
There are several things to remember when dieting:
Change your mindset. Don’t think of it as dieting. Rather than dieting, focus on making long-term modifications to your dietary habits if you want to be successful.
Make sure you eat enough calories. Significantly decreasing the amount of food you eat could hinder your progress towards shedding pounds, but even more importantly, it can be detrimental to your health. Determine the amount of calories you should be consuming daily and make an effort to stay close to that amount. Only follow your doctor’s advice if they advise that you fast and monitor your progress.
Keep track of what you eat and drink. A lot of individuals find that jotting down every item consumed throughout the day assists them in keeping the amount of calories ingested at the right level for slimming down and the best wellness. You have the option of keeping a food journal by writing it down manually or using a phone, tablet, or computer app to monitor your diet. This is a simple method of tracking your dietary intake and easily finding out the calorie count of each meal or snack.
Eat your vegetables. Vegetables contain a wealth of nutrients and dietary fiber, and typically contain fewer calories than other types of food. Typically, vegetables with darker tones contain greater levels of nutrition. Leafy vegetables make for a great meal selection, and crucifers such as broccoli and brussels sprouts are also very healthy. Vegetables such as cucumbers are not packed with vitamins and minerals, however, they are good choices as they provide fiber, water and contain relatively few calories.
Drink water. Drinking water is essential in order to ensure your body stays hydrated and functions optimally. Moreover, having water can make you feel sated and can help to expel toxins from the body. Including citrus fruits or cucumber to your water can give it a tastier smell and make it more delightful to drink. It’s okay to drink electrolyte waters, but be careful to check that there is no extra sugar or synthetic sweeteners included.
Stay away from sweetened drinks. Soft drinks and fruit juices can interfere with weight reduction and are not beneficial as part of a healthy and balanced diet. People who choose to consume sugary drinks usually take in more calories than those who drink water. Artificial sweeteners can be counteractive for those trying to shed pounds, and some data suggests they may pose harms to one’s health. If you are in the mood for something sugary, why not try adding honey or stevia? Consult with your doctor concerning what is suitable for you.
Choose lean protein. If you consume animal-based proteins, opt for leaner options like poultry, fish, nuts, low-fat dairy, and beans. It is preferable to keep clear of red and processed meats, although if one does wish to consume bacon or cold cuts, it is wise to choose options that do not contain nitrates. Be sure to keep an eye on the amount of sodium.
Select complex carbs. Not all carbohydrates are created equal. Consuming a piece of plain bread won’t supply your body with the same vitamins and minerals as consuming a slice of whole wheat bread. When seeking out carbohydrate sources, examine the components of the food. If the main component is a whole grain (e.g. whole wheat), you are on the right track. Opt for brown or wild rice rather than white rice if you’re eating rice. The same goes for pasta. Whole-grain pasta is obtainable in multiple varieties that offer more fiber than the plain white pasta. When in doubt, read and compare nutrition labels.
Load up your cart with fruits. A beneficial alternative to the refined sugar found in most confectioneries is having fruit as a sweet snack. A fantastic benefit of consuming fresh fruit is the high fiber content. The advantages of the dietary fiber found in fruit can help balance the effects of the natural sugar it contains and also preserve a healthy digestive tract. Just don’t eat too much fruit. Substituting candy and processed foods with fruit is preferable, however, certain fruits possess a high caloric and sugar content. Consult your doctor or nutritionist if you are unsure of how much is reasonable to consume.
Exercise. Maintain your new dietary routine with regular aerobic workouts and strength training. Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle.
Remember, you can do this. There are times when you end up consuming more calories than you intended to, or you eat some unhealthy food. Everyone does that, and it’s okay. Occasional moments of indulgence won’t cause your entire plan to fall apart. It’s okay to treat yourself every once in a while and take a break from exercise, even if you are altering your diet and lifestyle. You possess the capability of regaining your progress the following day.
If you have been attempting to shed weight through exercise and healthy eating but have seen few results, it may be worth having a conversation with your physician about medical weight loss options.
