There are many ways to lose weight fast.They differ:
- degree of damage to health;
- "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.
Methods of ultra-fast weight loss and associated RISKS
To avoid disappointment from the unreasonable fascination of the title of this article, let's sober up right away.
First, losing weight extremely quickly is ALWAYS a health risk.By super fast we mean e.g.ten kilos a week.
Second, not everything we understand about losing weight has to do with reducing fat ballast in the body.
Most often the question is "how to lose weight fast?"is understood as "within a short time (usually a few days) seeing a different number on the scale or fitting into smaller pants/dresses from youth."
Body weight and the circumference of its individual parts when losing weight can change at least due to:
- reduce the amount of fat in the body;
- destruction of muscle mass;
- reduce the volume of muscle cells;
- removal of fluid from the subcutaneous layers.
Which of these methods suits you?
"Lose" very quickly(in the sense of changing the scale readings 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 when drying the body.
The price of the problem is the risk of serious side effects, including death.Diuretics belong to the class of one 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 protein in the diet and a decrease in their size due to a decrease in glycogen reserves in the muscles, which "bind" 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 features arethe effect is very short-lived, the fat percentage does not change, and there are great risks of health damage: The weight returns to normal within a few days as soon as you jump off the diet.
So from all the above it is important to understand the following:losing weight quickly (eg 10 kg in a week) due to fat mass is almost impossible.
In addition, the rate of weight loss is very much linked to the body's individual parameters.A person weighing 150 kg and a fat percentage of 40% can tell you how he lost 7 kg in a week, but for you, with your 65 kg and a fat percentage of 15%, a value of 7 kg can only be achieved in six months, using the same method...
Therefore.
Below we will introduce you to the science-based principles of correct weight loss, after which you can lose weight as quickly as possible, taking into account your individual characteristics.In this case, our recommendations help:
- do not harm your health, but improve it;
- maintain muscle mass and even increase it;
- develop a rhythm of life for yourself that you can stick to constantly.
Known methods of losing weight extremely quickly are associated with enormous health risks.In addition, they do not burn fat, but only remove water from the body
How to lose weight quickly and without harming your health?Main principles
1. Reduce calorie intake
Losing weight should always start with this.
Too many calories is the main cause of obesity in our society, according to scientists.But they persistently try to prove to us that we play too little sport...
Most often, it is the producers of unhealthy foods that promote a healthy lifestyle with an emphasis on the need to be physically active.Thus they divert our attention from the true cause of obesity - their products.
In a study of African tribes that spend the whole day on the move, the researchers found that the level of their representatives' energy consumption is not very different from office workers in developed countries.
This does not mean that Africans do not move a lot.No.
Justthe amount of calories burned during physical movements is very small, only about ~20% of the daily energy consumption: for example, if hunters from Africa use about 500 Cal during the day (only on movement), then an office worker uses about 200 Cal.The difference of a few hundred calories is negligible.
So the main rule for losing weight is this: the body starts burning fat when we eat fewer calories from food than we need to maintain life processes.This is the so-called calorie deficit.
With some caveats, the following statements are true:The bigger the calorie deficit, the faster you will lose weight.
Main disclaimer:The higher the calorie deficit, the higher the risk of health problems.
Recommended calorie restriction -300-500 Calfrom basal metabolism.
The first rule to lose weight: reduce the number of calories you eat;The bigger the calorie deficit, the faster you can lose weight
2. Remove carbohydrates 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 storage: glycogen and fat.
If you don't lead an active lifestyle, consider that all desserts go entirely to fat.
When the insulin level in the body is low, conditions are created for the active use of fats for energy..To achieve this, simply eat fewer carbohydrates.
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 binds water.What does this affect?The thickness of the skin fold decreases.
The effect of diuretics, which professional athletes use to dry the body, is based on this principle: these substances also remove sodium and allow you to achieve very lean muscle relief.
While diuretics have a high risk of very serious side effects, there is no risk with carbohydrate restriction, as the body only gets rid ofsurplussodium
Simply eliminate carbohydrates from your diet and you will lose weight quickly;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 have figured out the main principle of rapid weight loss.
The next step is to preserve muscle mass and avoid vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Each 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 exact calculations using formulas and calculators, as well as the supply of sufficient vitamins and minerals.
Eating protein is very important for weight loss for several reasons:
- The protein has a thermogenic effect, i.e. it increases the speed of internal metabolism by 80-100 calories.A little, but still.
- Protein foods fill you up better, which reduces appetite and the urge to snack throughout the day.We talked about this in materials about the benefits of cottage cheese and eggs for weight loss.
- Protein prevents muscle mass from breaking down during a calorie-restricted diet.
Protein sources:
- Meat (lean parts): beef, chicken, pork, lamb;
- Fish and shellfish: salmon, trout, shrimp, lobster;
- Eggs and dairy products.
Vegetables
Vegetables are natural sources of vitamins and minerals, and they also have a high fiber and water content, which fills your stomach and keeps you full and is 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 such as potatoes.
Recommended low-carb vegetables:
- Broccoli;
- Cauliflower;
- Spinach;
- Brussels sprouts;
- White cabbage;
- Salad;
- Cucumber;
- Celery.
Fats
When we remove carbohydrates from the diet, which are the primary source of energy in the body, it is important to increase the intake of another source of energy from nature – fat.
Recommended healthy fats:
- olive oil;
- linseed oil;
- coconut oil;
- avocado;
- butter;
- nuts.
Include the following types of fats in every meal and don't be afraid to gain weight:Restricting carbohydrates and fat during dieting is a recipe for failure, as you will not receive enough energy, and therefore will not be able to adhere to the described diet for a long time.
Build each meal around protein, non-starchy vegetables and healthy fats.
4. Exercise to increase your metabolism
No, you don't have to run.In additionRunning is not the most effective sport for losing weight, as is commonly assumed.
In general, if you compare a proper diet and sports, the first, as shown above, is much more important for losing weight.
-What are the best sports for fast weight loss?
Those in whichthe speed of the internal metabolism is maximally activated.
In principle, any physical activity is beneficial, but high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and strength training are the most effective for losing weight.They significantly stimulate the rate of internal metabolism, which decreases when you lose weight.
The state of stimulated metabolism, both during interval training and during strength training, can last up to 2 days.
According to scientific data, the metabolism accounts for about 70% of the daily calories: the higher the metabolism, 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 fewer of them are converted into fat.
The higher your internal metabolism, the faster you will lose weight;High-intensity interval training (HIIT) and strength exercises boost your metabolism for up to 2 days
Does counting calories make sense 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 not only carry "empty" calories, but also cause changes in the body at the hormonal level, which provokes overeating and causes a large 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 yourself.
On 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" - "cheat with food".
Always try to stay as healthy as possible in the foods you choose.
When it comes to carbohydrates, satisfy your appetite with all-natural foods: oatmeal, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, fruit.
And it is better to do this no more than once a week.The more often, the less fast the weight loss process will be.
It is important to understand:A cheat meal day is allowed during weight loss, but is by no means necessary..During it, your weight may increase slightly, but mainly due to the fluid that will "go away" over the next few days.
During weight loss, one fasting day per week is allowed, where 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 obese you areand the fewer attempts to lose weight earlier,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 low-fat diet (30% of total calories).Over 6 months, obese women lost an average of 8 kg on a low-carbohydrate diet and 4 kg on a low-fat diet.
The interesting thing is that in the experiment, the women who ate few carbohydrates were allowed to eat as much other permitted foods as they wanted.You.they didn't have to fight the debilitating feeling of hunger.But as a result, the calorie content of their food per day decreased by about 500 calories compared to normal.
The "eat as much as you want" principle is the basis of the Dukan protein diet.But carbohydrates are excluded from the list of permitted foods.
Look at the graph below: it's a good illustration of how quickly you can lose weight simply by eating fewer carbs.
How fast can you lose weight by limiting carbohydrates in your diet: the vertical axis is body weight, the 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 takes time to adjust from using carbohydrates as an energy source to fat.
After this, your well-being will improve significantly, and so will your health.
Scientists say that a low-carb diet improves blood sugar levels, reduces 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 weight loss is 1-4 kg per week