There are many ways to lose weight quickly.How they differ:
- degree of harm to health;
- the “part of the body” that causes weight loss;
- The willpower required to maintain your chosen weight loss strategy.
Below we discuss four principles for proper weight loss based on the latest scientific research.How quickly you lose weight with their help depends on the individual characteristics of your body.
Ultra-rapid weight loss methods and associated risks
To avoid being disappointed by our unreasonable obsession with the title of this article, let’s quickly sober up.
First, losing weight extremely quickly always carries health risks.For example, by super fast we mean tens of kilograms per week.
Secondly, weight loss as we understand it is not all about reducing the fat ballast in the body.
The most common question asked is "How to lose weight quickly?" which is understood to mean "seeing a different number on the scale in a very short period of time (usually a few days) or putting on pants/clothes that were smaller than when you were younger."
When losing weight, your body weight and the circumference of its various parts will change for at least the following reasons:
- Reduce body fat mass;
- destruction of muscle mass;
- Reduce the size of muscle cells;
- Removes fluid from the subcutaneous layer.
Which of these methods is right for you?
"Lose weight" quicklyThis can be done (in the sense of changing the scale reading) by removing excess fluid from the body, for example with the help of diuretics, which are actively used by professional athletes when drying out the body.
The price of the problem is the risk of serious side effects, including death.Diuretics are among the most dangerous sports chemicals.
The currently popular detoxification diet also belongs to the category of rapid weight loss diet.This is one of the reasons for its popularity.
But what causes the weight changes on this diet?An almost complete lack of protein in the diet results in the destruction of muscle cells due to the same loss of fluids from the body, and a reduction in muscle cell size due to reduced glycogen stores in the muscles that "bind" water.
The same applies to using laxatives for weight loss: when using laxatives, the amount of fluid removed from the body increases.
We’ve given three very effective examples of rapid weight loss.Their main features areThe effect is very short-lived, the fat percentage will not change, and there is a huge risk of harm to health: After stopping a diet, your weight will return to normal within a few days.
Therefore, based on the above, it is important to understand the following:Losing weight quickly (say 10kg in a week) due to fat mass is almost impossible.
In addition, the speed of weight loss has a lot to do with the personal parameters of the body.A man who weighs 150 kg and has a body fat rate of 40% can tell you how he lost 7 kg in a week, but for you, who is 65 kg and has a body fat rate of 15%, it will only take six months to reach 7 kg by following the same method...
therefore.
Below we will introduce you to scientific and reasonable weight loss principles so that you can lose weight as quickly as possible based on your personal characteristics.In this case, our advice will help:
- Don’t compromise your health, improve it;
- Maintain or even increase muscle mass;
- Set a pace for yourself that you can stick to.
Extremely rapid weight loss methods are known to carry significant health risks.Moreover, they do not burn fat, they only remove water from the body
How to lose weight quickly without affecting your health?main principles
1. Reduce caloric intake
Weight loss should always start with this.
Scientists say too many calories are the single most important cause of obesity in our society.But they relentlessly try to prove to us that we have too little movement…
Most commonly, manufacturers of unhealthy foods promote healthy lifestyles and emphasize the need for physical activity.Therefore, they divert our attention from the real cause of obesity – their products.
In a study of African tribesmen who travel all day, scientists found that they represented levels of energy expenditure that were not much different from office workers in developed countries.
This does not mean that Africans are not active.No.
onlyThe body consumes very few calories during exercise, accounting for only about 20% of daily energy expenditure: if a hunter from Africa consumes about 500 calories during the day (just for exercise), then an office worker consumes about 200 calories.The difference of a few hundred calories is negligible.
Therefore, the main rule of weight loss is: when we consume less calories from food than required to maintain life processes, the body begins to burn fat.This is called a calorie deficit.
But with some reservations, the following statements are true:The greater the caloric deficit, the faster the rate of weight loss.
Main disclaimer:The higher the caloric deficit, the higher the risk of health problems.
Recommended caloric restrictions -300-500 caloriesFrom basal metabolism.
The first rule of weight loss: reduce your caloric intake; the larger the caloric deficit, the faster you will lose weight
2. Eliminate carbs from your diet
Carbohydrates (sugar and starch) stimulate the release of the hormone insulin, whose task is to control blood sugar levels.It does this by transporting excess glucose to its stores: glycogen and fat.
If you don't lead an active lifestyle, then consider all desserts to be entirely fat.
When insulin levels in the body are low, conditions are created for active use of fat for energy..To achieve this, you simply need to eat fewer carbs.
The vast majority of diets are built on this principle, including intermittent fasting, the ketogenic diet, and the Dukan protein diet.
When insulin levels are low, another weight-loss mechanism mentioned at the beginning is activated: the kidneys remove excess sodium from the body, which combines with water.What impact does this have?The thickness of skin folds is reduced.
The diuretics used by professional athletes to dry out their bodies work on the following principle: These drugs also remove sodium, allowing you to gain very lean muscle.
While diuretics carry a high risk of very serious side effects, there is no risk in restricting carbohydrates because the body simply gets rid ofredundantsodium
By simply removing carbohydrates from your diet, you will lose weight quickly; your appetite will decrease and your skinfold thickness will decrease.
3. Eat more protein, healthy fats and fiber
In this way, we have clarified the main principles of rapid weight loss.
The next step is to maintain muscle mass and avoid vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Every meal should include protein, healthy fats, and low-carb vegetables.This combination will provide the 20-50 grams of carbohydrates needed for rapid weight loss without the need for precise calculations using formulas and calculators, while also providing adequate vitamins and minerals.
Eating protein is very important for weight loss for the following reasons:
- The protein has a thermogenic effect, which means it increases the internal metabolic rate by 80-100 calories.A little, but still.
- Protein foods keep you fuller longer, reducing appetite and the desire to snack during the day.We discussed this in our material on the weight loss benefits of cottage cheese and eggs.
- Protein prevents the breakdown of muscle mass during a calorie-restricted diet.
Protein sources:
- Meat (lean part): beef, chicken, pork, mutton;
- Fish and seafood: salmon, trout, shrimp, lobster;
- Eggs and dairy products.
vegetable
Vegetables are a natural source of vitamins and minerals and are rich in fiber and water, filling you up and keeping you full while being very low in calories.You can eat them in any quantity without worrying about gaining weight.This is the secret to avoiding severe hunger.
The only important thing is to avoid starchy vegetables such as potatoes.
Recommended low-carb vegetables:
- broccoli;
- cauliflower;
- spinach;
- Brussels sprouts;
- white cabbage;
- salad;
- cucumber;
- celery.
Fat
When we eliminate carbohydrates (the body's main source of energy) from our diet, it is important to increase our intake of fat, another source of energy provided by nature.
Recommended healthy fats:
- olive oil;
- flaxseed oil;
- coconut oil;
- avocado;
- butter;
- nut.
Don't be afraid of gaining weight by including the following types of fat in every meal:Restricting carbs and fat when dieting is a recipe for failure, because you won't be able to get enough energy to stick to the diet described long-term.
Center each meal around protein, non-starchy vegetables, and healthy fats.
4. Exercise promotes metabolism
No, you don't have to run.andRunning is not the most effective exercise for weight loss, as is generally believed.
Generally speaking, if you compare proper diet and exercise, as shown above, the first one is more important for weight loss.
-What are the best exercises to lose weight quickly?
among thoseInternal metabolic rate is maximized activated.
In principle, any physical activity is beneficial, but high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and strength training are the most effective for weight loss.They significantly stimulate the internal metabolic rate, which decreases when losing weight.
Whether during interval training or strength training, the metabolically stimulated state can last up to 2 days.
According to scientific data, metabolism accounts for about 70% of daily calories: the higher the metabolic rate, the more calories are burned.
Additionally, training helps strengthen and increase muscle mass: the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you need to maintain your muscles, and the fewer calories you convert to fat.
The higher your internal metabolic rate, the faster you'll lose weight; high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and strength exercises can boost metabolism for up to 2 days
Does counting calories make sense when losing weight?
No.
It's important to know which foods to eat and which to exclude: the base should be protein, healthy fats and non-starchy vegetables, and the amount of simple carbohydrates should be limited as much as possible.
Sugar and fructose are especially harmful to weight loss.Not only do they carry "empty" calories, they also cause changes in hormonal levels in the body, which can trigger overeating and lead to a host of illnesses.
fast one day a week
Fanaticism rarely pays off.Now that we've figured out how to lose weight quickly, it's important to realize that you can't do yourself harm by a rare indulgence.
As with any diet, especially at the beginning when your usual lifestyle changes,You can give yourself a day to “fast”When you can eat more carbs and familiar foods.Of course, there is no fanaticism.
Such a day is often called a "cheat meal" day, derived from the English word "cheat meal" - "to cheat with food."
Always try to be as healthy as possible in the foods you choose.
When it comes to carbs, satisfy your cravings with whole foods: oatmeal, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, fruit.
And it’s best not to do this more than once a week.The more times you do it, the slower the weight loss process will be.
It is important to understand:Cheat meal days are allowed during weight loss, but are by no means necessary..You may gain a little weight during this time, but this is mostly due to the fluid "disappearing" over the next few days.
During weight loss, allow one fasting day per week when you can eat more carbohydrates and familiar foods.
How quickly can you lose weight?
About the above low carb dietYou can lose approximately 1-4kg per week, sometimes more, sometimes less.
the more overweight you areThere have been fewer and fewer attempts to lose weight in the past;The faster you lose weight.
A scientific experiment showed that a low-carbohydrate diet (about 50 grams per day)Help you lose weight fasterthan on a fat-restricted diet (30% of total calories).Over a 6-month period, obese women on a low-carbohydrate diet lost an average of 8kg, and obese women on a low-fat diet lost an average of 4kg.
Interestingly, in the experiment, those women who ate very few carbohydrates were allowed to eat as many other allowed foods as possible.Those ones.They don’t have to fight debilitating hunger pangs.But as a result, their daily food intake was about 500 fewer calories than usual.
The principle of "eat as much as you want" is the basis of the Dukan protein diet.But carbohydrates are excluded from the list of allowed foods.
Look at the image below: It’s a great illustration of how quickly you can lose weight by cutting back on carbs.
How quickly can you lose weight by restricting carbohydrates in your diet: weight on the vertical axis and time (in weeks) on the horizontal axis; weight loss rate on a low-carb diet (bottom) and weight loss rate on a low-fat diet (top).
You may feel low on energy during the first few weeks as your body takes time to adjust from using carbohydrates as a source of energy to using fat.
Thereafter, your well-being and health will improve dramatically.
Scientists say a low-carbohydrate diet can improve blood sugar levels, reduce concentrations of bad cholesterol, increase concentrations of good cholesterol and normalize blood pressure.
How quickly you lose weight on a low-carb diet depends on many factors.The average rate of weight loss is 1-4kg per week