There are many ways to lose weight fast.They differ:
- degree of health impairment;
- "parts of the body" due to which weight loss occurs;
- the necessary amount of willpower to maintain the chosen weight loss strategy.
Below we look at four principles of proper weight loss based on the latest scientific research.How quickly you can lose weight with their help depends on the individual characteristics of your body.
Ultra-fast weight loss methods and the associated RISKS
To avoid the disappointment of being unreasonably fascinated by the title of this article, let's sober up right now.
First, extremely rapid weight loss ALWAYS carries a health risk.By super-fast, we mean tens of kilograms per week, for example.
Second, not everything that we mean by weight loss is related to reducing fat ballast in the body.
Most often the question is "how to lose weight fast?"understood as "within a short period of time (usually a few days) seeing a different number on the scale or fitting into smaller pants/dresses than when you were young."
Body weight and girth of its individual parts when losing weight can change at least due to:
- reducing the amount of fat in the body;
- destruction of muscle mass;
- decrease in the volume of muscle cells;
- removing fluid from the subcutaneous layers.
Which of these methods suits you?
"Lose weight" very quickly(in the sense of changing the readings of the scale down) can be done by removing excess fluid from the body, for example, with the help of diuretics, which are actively used by professional athletes to dehydrate the body.
The cost of the issue is the risk of serious side effects, including death.Diuretics belong to the class of some of the most dangerous sports chemicals.
The currently fashionable detox diet also belongs to the class of diets for rapid weight loss.This is one of the reasons for its popularity.
But what causes weight changes on this diet?Due to the same loss of fluid from the body, the destruction of muscle cells due to the almost complete absence of proteins in the diet and the reduction of their size due to a decrease in glycogen reserves in the muscles, which "binds" water.
The same applies to losing weight with laxatives: when they are used, the amount of fluid removed from the body increases.
We have given three really working examples of very fast weight loss.Their main characteristic isthe effect is very short-lived, the percentage of fat does not change and there are huge risks of damage to health: Weight returns to normal within a few days as soon as you stop the diet.
So from all the above it is important to understand the following:rapid weight loss (say 10 kg in a week) due to fat mass is almost impossible.
In addition, the rate of weight loss is highly dependent on the individual parameters of the body.A person weighing 150 kg and body fat 40% can tell you how he lost 7 kg in a week, but for you, with your 65 kg and body fat 15%, a figure of 7 kg can be achieved in just six months, following the same methodology...
Therefore.
Below we will introduce you to scientifically based principles for proper weight loss, following which you can lose weight as quickly as possible, taking into account your individual characteristics.In this case, our recommendations will help:
- do not damage your health, but improve it;
- maintains muscle mass and even increases it;
- develop a rhythm of life for yourself that you can stick to constantly.
Well-known methods for extremely fast weight loss are associated with huge health risks.In addition, they do not burn fat, but only remove water from the body
How to lose weight quickly and without harm to health?Basic principles
1. Reduce your calorie intake
Losing weight should always start with this.
Too many calories are the most important cause of obesity in our society, according to scientists.But they persistently try to prove to us that we exercise too little...
Most often, it is the manufacturers of unhealthy food products that promote a healthy lifestyle with an emphasis on the need for physical activity.Thus they divert our attention from the real cause of obesity - their products.
When studying African tribes that spend all day in motion, scientists found that the level of energy expenditure of their representatives did not differ much from that of office workers in developed countries.
This is not to say that Africans do not move around a lot.no
Simplethe amount of calories burned during physical movements is very small, only about ~20% of daily energy expenditure: if African hunters expend, say, about 500 Cal during the day (just for movement), then an office worker expends about 200 Cal.The difference of a few hundred calories is negligible.
So, the basic rule of thumb for losing weight is this: the body starts burning fat when we take in fewer calories from food than we need to maintain vital processes.This is the so-called calorie deficit.
With certain caveats, the following statement is true:The bigger the calorie deficit, the faster you will lose weight.
Main disclaimer:The higher the calorie deficit, the greater the risk of health problems.
Recommended caloric restriction -300-500 calfrom basic metabolism.
The first rule of weight loss: reduce the number of calories you eat;The bigger the calorie deficit, the faster you can lose weight
2. Eliminate carbohydrates from your diet
Carbohydrates (sugars and starches) stimulate the release of the hormone insulin, whose task is to control blood sugar levels.This is achieved by transporting excess glucose to storage: glycogen and fat.
If you do not lead an active lifestyle, consider that all desserts go entirely to fat.
With low levels of insulin in the body, conditions are created for active use of fat for energy..To achieve this, you simply need to eat less carbohydrates.
The 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 binds water.What does this affect?The thickness of the skin fold decreases.
The action of diuretics, which professional athletes use to dehydrate the body, is based on this principle: these drugs also remove sodium and allow you to achieve very clean muscle relief.
While diuretics carry a high risk of very serious side effects, there is no risk with carbohydrate restriction because the body only gets rid ofexcesssodium
Just remove carbohydrates from your diet and you will lose weight fast;At the same time, the appetite will decrease and the thickness of the skin fold will decrease
3. Eat more protein, healthy fats and fiber
So, we understood the basic principle of rapid weight loss.
The next step is to maintain muscle mass and avoid vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Every meal should consist of protein, healthy fats and low-carb vegetables.This combination will provide the necessary 20-50 g of carbohydrates for rapid weight loss without the need for accurate calculations using formulas and calculators, as well as providing sufficient vitamins and minerals.
Eating protein is very important for weight loss for several reasons:
- Protein has a thermogenic effect, i.e.increases the rate of internal metabolism by 80-100 calories.A little, but still.
- Protein foods satiate better, reduce appetite and the desire to snack during the day.We talked about this in materials about the benefits of cottage cheese and eggs for weight loss.
- Protein protects muscle mass from breakdown during a calorie-restricted diet.
Protein Sources:
- Meat (lean parts): beef, chicken, pork, lamb;
- Fish and seafood: salmon, trout, shrimp, lobster;
- Eggs and dairy products.
vegetables
Vegetables are natural sources of vitamins and minerals, they're also high in fiber and water, which fill your stomach and keep you full, and they're very low in calories.You can eat them in any quantity without fear of gaining weight.This is your secret to avoiding crippling hunger.
The only important thing is to avoid starchy vegetables like potatoes.
Recommended low-carb vegetables:
- broccoli;
- cauliflower;
- spinach;
- Brussels sprouts;
- White cabbage;
- salad;
- cucumber;
- Celery.
fats
When we eliminate carbohydrates from the diet, which are the main source of energy in the body, it is important to increase the intake of another source of energy provided by nature - fat.
Recommended healthy fats:
- olive oil;
- linseed oil;
- coconut oil;
- avocado;
- oil;
- nuts.
Include the following types of fat in every meal and don't be afraid to gain weight:Restricting carbohydrates and fats while dieting is a recipe for failure, as you will not get enough energy and therefore you will not be able to stick to the described diet for a long time.
Build every meal around protein, non-starchy vegetables and healthy fats.
4. Exercise to boost your metabolism
No, you don't have to run.In additionRunning is not the most effective sport for losing weight, as is commonly believed.
In general, if you compare proper nutrition and sports, the former, as shown above, is much more important for weight loss.
-What are the best sports to lose weight fast?
Those in whichthe rate of internal metabolism is maximally activated.
In principle, any physical activity is useful, but the most effective for weight loss are high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and strength training.They significantly stimulate the rate of internal metabolism, which drops when losing weight.
The state of stimulated metabolism, both during interval training and during strength training, 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.
In addition, training helps to strengthen and increase muscle mass: the more muscle mass, the more calories are needed to maintain it, the less of them are converted into fat.
The higher your internal metabolism, the faster you will lose weight;High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and strength training boost your metabolism for up to 2 days
Does it make sense to count calories when losing weight?
no
It is important to understand which foods you can eat and which should be excluded: the basis should be protein, healthy fats and non-starchy vegetables, and you should try to limit the amount of simple carbohydrates.
Sugar and fructose are particularly harmful for weight loss.They carry not only "empty" calories, but also cause changes in the body at the hormonal level, which provoke overeating and cause a huge number of diseases.
Have one fasting day a week
Fanaticism is rarely beneficial.Now that we've figured out how to lose weight fast, it's important to realize that infrequent indulgences won't hurt you.
With any diet, especially in the beginning, when your usual lifestyle changes,You can give yourself a "fast" daywhen you can eat more carbohydrates and familiar foods.Without fanaticism, of course.
Such a day is usually called a "cheat meal" day from the English "cheat meal".
Always try to stay as healthy as possible in the foods you choose.
As for carbohydrates, satisfy your appetite with whole natural foods: oats, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, fruit.
And it is better to do this no more than once a week.The more often, the faster the weight loss process will be.
It is important to understand:During weight loss, a cheat day is allowed, but by no means mandatory..During it, your weight may increase slightly, but mainly due to the fluid that will "disappear" over the next few days.
During weight loss, one fasting day per week is allowed, when you can eat more carbohydrates and familiar foods.
How fast can you lose weight?
On the low-carb diet described aboveyou can lose about 1-4 kg per week, sometimes more, sometimes less.
The more overweight you areand the fewer attempts to lose weight in the past,the faster you will lose weight.
A scientific experiment showed that a low-carbohydrate diet (~50 g per day)helps you lose weight much fasterthan a fat-restricted diet (30% of total calories).Over 6 months, the obese women lost an average of 8 kg on the low-carb diet and 4 kg on the low-fat diet.
Interestingly, in the experiment, these low-carb women were allowed to eat as many other permitted foods as they wanted.These.they didn't have to contend with the debilitating feeling of hunger.But as a result, the calorie content of their food per day decreases by about 500 calories compared to usual.
The "eat as much as you want" principle is at the heart of the Dukan protein diet.But carbohydrates are excluded from the list of permitted foods.
Check out the graph below: it's a good illustration of how quickly you can lose weight just by eating less carbs.
How fast can you lose weight by limiting carbohydrates in your diet: vertical axis is body weight, horizontal axis is time in weeks;The bottom graph is the rate of weight loss on a low-carb diet, the top is the rate of weight loss on a low-fat diet.
During the first few weeks, you may feel low on energy as your body needs time to adjust from using carbohydrates as an energy source to fat.
After that, your well-being will improve significantly, as well as your health.
Scientists say that a low-carbohydrate diet improves blood sugar levels, lowers the concentration of bad cholesterol and increases the concentration of good cholesterol and normalizes blood pressure.
How quickly you can lose weight on a low-carb diet depends on many factors.The average rate of weight loss is 1-4 kg per week