Edited by James Quirk, Krystle C., Jack Herrick,
Brett Fechheimer and 491 others
Losing
weight is a challenge that is best approached with optimism and some solid
knowledge of the topic. While there are many things you can do to shed pounds, losing weight too quickly can be
dangerous. It is best to create a healthy eating plan and exercise schedule
that you can stick to for a long time. However, if you are generally healthy
and you're determined to drop several pounds quickly, there are some techniques
and tips you can adopt to help you reach your short-term goals. Scroll down to
Step 1 to learn more.
Method 1 of 4: Fad
Diets
The purpose
of most fad diets is to promote rapid weight loss that you can see almost
overnight. Fad diets are short-term solutions; they will help you shed some
pounds quickly but should be considered a gateway to a healthier lifestyle,
rather than a diet you can live on. In some cases, keeping a fad diet up for
more than a few days can actually cause your body serious harm. Instead, use a
fad diet to help kickstart yourself into living a healthier life.[1]
1
Try the water diet[2]. This diet involves drinking a daily
total of about 64 fluid ounces (8 cups) of cold water, at regular intervals
throughout the day. Drink a glass of water before each meal to suppress your
appetite. Doing this will help you get into the habit of limiting the portions
of food you consume during each meal. By drinking water, you will feel full
before a meal, thus helping you consume less calories.
·
Keep in mind that this is not a water only diet. Water-only diets can actually be
quite dangerous if done for too long a period of time. Your body needs
nutrients to stay healthy and maintain a strong metabolism. If you drink only
water for more than a couple of days, when you start eating again you run the
risk of gaining even more weight because your metabolism will have slowed
tremendously.[3]
2
Try a juice cleanse. This method is also known as the Hollywood diet.[4]. There are many different kinds of
juice cleanses out there. However, the main concept is to only consume juices
made from raw fruits and vegetables. The cleanse will remove toxins from your
system, helping you lose weight while also making you feel more alert and
healthy.[5]
·
Most juice cleanses last for one to
three days, though some will go up to seven days at a time. You can either buy
a cleansing package from a health store or company online, or you can buy your
own juicer.[6]
·
Some of the most popular cleanse brands
include Cooler Cleanse, BluePrint, and Life Juice.[7]
3
Consider the Master Cleanse. The master cleanse is a liquid-only diet that consists of a “lemonade”
(lemon, cayenne pepper powder, maple syrup, and water), a salt-water drink, and
herbal laxatives. The diet lasts for 16 days--three days of easing into the
diet by only eating raw fruits and veggies, 10 days of the liquid only diet,
and three more days easing back into solid foods.[8]
·
Be aware that this diet should only be
done for very short-term weight loss and is supposed to function as a
detoxifying cleanse rather than a strict weight-loss routine.
4
Go on the cabbage soup diet.This diet claims it
can help you lose up to 10 pounds in one week. The diet lasts for seven days
with each day’s eating regimen changing from one day to the next.[9] Each day, dieters eat
cabbage soup, along with a limited selection of fruits, vegetables, or a lean
meat.[10]
·
The soup is made up of green onions,
celery, tomatoes, mushrooms, carrots, one head of cabbage, and some low-sodium
bouillon. Dieters also have the option to add a can of V8 juice or some
spice-only soup mix.[11]
Try the fasting diet. The intermittent fasting diet has recently become a major fad diet. The
idea behind this diet is that our bodies were built to go through both times of
feasting and times of famine--as such, we should occasionally recreate the
‘famine’ part. This diet requires that for two days each week, you should only
eat 500 (if you’re a woman) or 600 (if you’re a man) calories. On those fasting
days, dieters should stick to eating only vegetables, seeds, legumes, and some
fruit.[12]
·
This diet requires that you continue
your exercise regimen on fasting days as well as on regular days.
6
Consider the HCG diet.This is a highly
controversial diet that combines injections or supplements of HCG (human
chorionic gonadotropin) with a severely restricted calorie intake.The calorie
restriction alone (only 500 to 800 calories per day) is enough to promote
weight loss in most people; it is significantly under the recommended daily
calorie allowance, even for people attempting to lose weight. People give
themselves doses of HCG via injections or in drop form.[13]
·
Many studies have been done on the value
of HCG, with the results being shaky at best. While some people swear that they
lost 25 pounds during the HCG diet, many scientists say there is absolutely no
value in injecting yourself with HCG and that it can in fact be dangerous to do
so.[14]
Method 2 of 4: Healthy
Eating Habits
While fad
diets might help you drop pounds in days, creating a healthy eating plan for
yourself will help you lose weight and keep it off. If you have undertaken a
fad diet, follow it up with an eating plan that highlights the suggestions
listed in this section.
Developing Your Meal Plan
1
Determine your daily calorie
needs. Knowing how the minimum amount of calories your body
needs to function correctly will help you define your own personalized healthy
eating plan. Your individual calorie needs will vary based on age, gender,
height, and activity level. There are online calculators you can use to
determine the amount of calories you should be consuming each day.[15]
·
You can also figure out how much you
should be eating by scheduling a consultation with a dietitian or a physician
to discuss your weight loss goals, special dietary needs, current eating
habits, and potential areas for improvement.
2
Develop a healthy and
personalized meal plan. Choose meals that have a healthy balance
of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean proteins. A
typical dinner plate should be filled with half vegetables or fruits, half
whole grains and lean protein. Planning your meals in advance can help you
limit your caloric intake and keep more nutritious foods on your plate. If you
need help coming up with a plan, there are many healthy meal plans you can
follow or get ideas from that have been deemed healthy by nutritionists.[16]These include:
·
The DASH diet; the TLC diet; the Mayo Clinic Diet; Weight
Watchers diet; and Volumetrics. Run an internet search on any of the diets and
meal plans to find out more.[17]
3
Keep a food diary. Write down every meal,
snack, and drink you consume as well as the approximate quantities for an
entire week. Writing down what you consume actually helps us to remain mindful
of what we put into our bodies and acts as a motivator to stay healthy. If you
can, write down the number of calories that go along with each meal or snack
you eat.
·
Don’t forget to include coffee mix-ins,
condiments, and other additions to your daily diet.
4
Identify your food
triggers and plan accordingly. Food triggers are the
activities we do that make us want to snack. For some people, its sitting down
to watch a movie at night; for others, its studying late at night. If you know
your food triggers, you can plan for them--fill your house with healthy snacks
or have them on hand.
·
If you don’t purchase the unhealthy
foods that you love to snack on, you will be less likely to sabotage your diet.
5
Watch your portion sizes. Incorporate appropriate portion sizes into your meal plan. For instance, a healthy snack of almonds and dried
cranberries can turn into a huge calorie source if you don’t pay attention to
quantities. Also, preparing pre-apportioned healthy snacks can help you avoid mindless
overeating and can make it convenient to grab a healthy snack.[18]
·
Make a list of what you'll need for
these meals, and don't stray from your list when you get to the grocery store.
Looking at market circulars can also give you ideas and even cut costs by
buying weekly sale items and seasonal produce.
6
Don’t skip meals. Eating a healthy breakfast increases your rest metabolic rate earlier in
the day, keeps your energy levels high, and may help you resist the urge of
high-calorie snacks throughout the day. Plan to eat a small snack or meal every
two to four hours to keep your metabolism active. Eating regularly also keeps
your blood sugar stable and reduces unhealthy calorie binges or deviations from
your meal plan.
7
Avoid tempting grocery
aisles. Avoid the areas in the grocery store
that stock sodas, cookies, ice cream, pizzas, and other fattening and highly
processed foods, so that you are less likely to purchase unhealthy options. If
you can’t see them, you can’t be tempted by them.
Picking Healthy Food Options
1
Make sure your meals
are balanced. It is important to eat balanced meals
everyday and get all of the nutrients our bodies need to keep going. Each day,
you should eat fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and
low-fat dairy products.[19]
·
Vegetables are generally very low in
calories, very high in fiber, and full of flavor and nutrition, but avoid fatty
dressings or dips.
·
Fruit provides a good source of soluble
fiber, releasing energy more slowly and keeping you feeling full longer.
·
Whole grain products like brown rice,
quinoa, and wheat berries, will help you maintain a lower weight, reduce your
risk of stroke, and lessen your risk of heart disease.[20]
·
Low-fat dairy products, such as yogurt
or cheddar cheese, are good sources of vitamin D and can make your bones
strong.
·
Lean meats like poultry and fish are naturally low in fat, and certain fish like salmon, sardines,
and fresh tuna are an excellent sources of antioxidants and Omega-3 fatty
acids, which are beneficial to your health.
2
Select smart
substitutes for unhealthy sources of fat, sugar, and calories.Most foods have
healthier counterparts that will allow you to enjoy your favorite foods without
unnecessary fat, sugar, and calories. Exchanging high-calorie and high-fat
foods and drinks for healthier alternatives can help you lose weight faster.
·
Ask your butcher for lean cuts of beef
or pork if you choose to buy them, and trim visible fat from meat before
cooking. Consider eating vegetarian a few days each week. By replacing meat
with nutritious foods like beans, tofu, or lentils, you can cut significant
amounts of your daily calorie intake while adding many nutrients to your diet.
·
Examples of this include cooking with
olive oil rather than butter, drinking natural fruit juices rather than soda,
and eating some delicious fruit for dessert rather than a processed cookie.
3
Snack smartly. Swap potato chips and
candy bars for snacks that are nutrient-rich and low in calories and fat. Avoid
processed and packaged foods when possible, or buy snacks that have
single-serving packets of 100 to 200 calories.
·
Healthy and easy snacks include nuts, rice
cakes, fresh or dried fruits, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, and so on. Try
combining string cheese with a handful of grapes, spreading peanut butter on a
few crackers, or dipping sliced red pepper into a few tablespoons of hummus.
4
Be mindful of what you
drink. Sip on low-calorie 100% fruit juice,
seltzer, or water instead of soft drinks, energy drinks, flavored coffees, and martinis.
Cutting calories with substitutions can be a lot easier than you might think.
For example, a tall latte in the morning may pack 500 calories. Since a pound
of body fat (lost or gained) is roughly equivalent to 3,500 calories, replacing
that rich beverage with black coffee can help you lose a pound per week[21]. If you eat salad frequently, try
substituting a low-fat vinaigrette for your ranch or blue cheese dressing[22]. Similarly, cook with a tablespoon
of olive oil instead of butter, for instance, or opt for skim milk instead of
whole.
5
Drink water. Drinking water instead
of soda, coffee, alcohol, juice, or milk may help you cut hundreds of calories
per day. Increasing your water intake can also help your body efficiently use
nutrients, keep you energized, get the most benefit from your exercise routine,
and feel full longer.
·
If you can handle substituting water for
all other drinks for a week, you can expect faster weight loss and see dramatic
improvement in energy levels and even appearance very quickly.
Method 3 of 4:
Exercising to Lose Weight
Weight loss
comes down to this simple fact: you will lose weight if you burn more calories
than you consume each day. Any weight-loss plan should include both eating
right and exercising. Creating an exercise regimen and making small changes to
activity level each day can start making an impact on your weight within as
little as a week.
1
Make time for exercise. Regardless of how busy you are, it is essential that you make time to
exercise each day if you actually want to lose weight and keep it off. Even
little things like walking instead of driving to the store can affect how
quickly you lose weight.[23]
·
Exercise while doing chores. Make as many trips upstairs as possible, walk the dog three times a day,
and dust, sweep, and mop with vigor.
·
Increase the amount of walking you do.
Choose the stairs over the escalator and park as far from the store as you
possibly can.
·
Start a hobby that involves moving
around a bit, even if it doesn't sound like "exercise." Gardening,
building small projects, working on cars, or playing with animals are all great
ways to burn calories.
2
Try out a circuit
training program. If you are trying to lose weight quickly
for a particular event and don’t care about keeping the weight off, you can try
a condensed workout routine. Many women’s and health magazines as well as
personal trainers offer similar condensed workout routines designed to maximize
weight loss and visible physical slimming within only a few days of beginning
the regimen.[24]
3
Be realistic about the
type of exercise you can do when starting a new program. If you are hoping to lose weight and keep it off, you will have to do more
than a condensed fitness program. The best way to get into exercising is by
picking exercises that you are actually going to do and, hopefully, enjoy. If
you hate running, don’t make it your main form of exercise--you will need much
more motivation each day than if you picked an exercise that you actually
enjoy. Instead, try out different exercises until you find a few that you
really love, like swimming, biking, or even Zumba.
·
Remember that games like volleyball,
tennis, and even Frisbee can help you burn calories while having a blast,
making exercise a social and fun activity you will want to enjoy everyday.
4
Take up cardio
training. While a combination of cardio and
resistance training are important for overall body health, cardiovascular
training is what will help you shed those pounds quickly. In particular, doing
aerobic base-building workouts--workouts that vary between moderate and high
intensity--are the best form of cardio training.[25]
·
Fat-burning cardio routines can help you
lose fat quickly, while weight and resistance training can trigger your
metabolism to use energy more efficiently.
5
Keep your exercise regimen
interesting. Variety is the key to both promoting a
healthier you and keeping you motivated. When you do the same exercise day in
and day out, you put yourself at a higher risk of injuring yourself. You are
also more likely to become bored, thus making it harder to find the motivation
to keep exercising. While at the gym, switch between machines, join a fitness
class, and add some resistance training into your schedule.[26]
·
Perform low impact aerobic activities.
Moderate aerobic workouts incorporating brisk walking, cycling, aerobic
machines, or swimming not only burn calories they also keep your heart healthy.
·
Pump some iron. Resistance training, weight training, can help both men and women stay
lean by building muscle and raising metabolism. Weight loss strategies that
incorporate both aerobic and weight training boost calorie burn significantly.
6
Choose workouts that
require your entire body to exert an effort. This way, you work every muscle group and burn calories with more muscles
at one time, like multi-tasking with your exercise. For instance, combine a
form of resistance training (try raising small dumbbells overhead as you work)
with your arms while you jog or cycle with your legs.[27]
·
Rest at least 24 to 48 hours between
strength training sessions on the same muscle group (for instance, work out
your biceps and abs on alternating days), and take one to two days off from
exercising each week.
7
Get enough rest. Being properly rested will help you maintain sufficient energy throughout
the day, making you less likely to overeat and less prone to injury during
physical activity. Sleep deficiency has actually been linked to an inability to
lose fat, so getting enough sleep can really help you on your path to losing
weight.[28]
Method 4 of 4: Weight Loss Spa
Treatments
Another easy way to get fast weight-loss results is to get beauty
treatments specifically designed to help slim down quickly. The results, if
any, will be temporary and shouldn’t take the place of a healthy diet and
exercise, but if you’re hoping to slim down for a specific event, this might be
the rapid weight loss method for you. By visiting a spa, sauna, or wellness
clinic offering weight loss beauty services and procedures, you can have your
pick of numerous beauty treatments and spa services that are designed to help
alter your appearance by reducing bloating, tightening your skin, or removing
body fluids.[29]
1
Go to a sauna. Saunas may result in a loss of a pint of sweat in just a quarter of an
hour. Again, this is just a way to drop water weight, making your slim down for
a day or so. This is not a permanent weight loss method. You should hydrate by
drinking a few glasses of water after spending time in a sauna to reduce the
risk of dehydration.
·
Keep in mind that time in saunas must be
limited, preferably to no more than one 15- to 20-minute session per day.
·
People with blood pressure or heart
problems should not use saunas, nor should young children.[30]
2
Ask about a mineral
body wrap. Some mineral wraps claim to help you
slim down by literally making you “lose” inches off of your waist, thighs, and
arms. The process involves a mineral-based cleanse that is supposed to detoxify
your body, helping you shed weight, reduce cellulite (fat near the surface of
your skin), and tone and firm your skin almost instantly.[31]
Consider other kinds
of wraps. While the mineral body wrap is the most
common, there are other kinds of wraps that claim to shed inches from your
waistline. Again, these are not permanent weight loss options but they could
help you slim down for that special day.
·
Get a lipase body wrap. Lipase body
wraps are another quick-slim beauty treatment that follow a two-step phase.
First, an enzyme wrap is applied to rid your body of fat tissue near the
surface of the skin. A second mineral wrap is then applied, designed to tighten
and smooth your skin. [32]
·
Get a European body wrap. European body
wraps are another potential option for spa services aimed at dropping inches
off of trouble spots. This procedure is supposed to firm and tone skin, reduce
the appearance of cellulite or stretch marks, and temporarily promotes weight
loss.
·
Get a hot body wrap. Heat-based body
wraps are perhaps a more well-known spa treatment, designed both to detoxify
your body and stimulate smooth, toned skin. The heat and massage involved in
most heat or steam treatments is targeted at improving circulation and helping
your body slim down quickly.
4
Get a colonic. Some spas offer
colonic irrigation treatments, which involve physically flushing your colon
with large amounts of water to remove fecal accumulation. This process may help
some people who suffer from bloating, gas, and constipation and claims to spur
weight loss in some individuals. However, some professionals state that
colonics can be harmful if done incorrectly or purely for the sake of weight
loss. Consult with a doctor before you consider getting a colonic.[33]
Liposuction can shed
pounds instantly. Liposuction is a surgical option for
fast, targeted weight loss, generally only recommended for people with one or
two specific areas of highly fatty tissue but otherwise relatively healthy body
weight. Because it is a surgical procedure, it carries significant health risks
and should only be performed by a licensed professional.
