How To Lose Weight Fast

Everyone wants to lose weight fast, but the fact is, rapid weight loss is not always the best kind. Weight that comes off slowly is more likely to stay off, and what’s more, losing weight slowly tends to result in the kind of permanent lifestyle changes that insure that weight will stay lost.

In spite of all that common sense advice, sometimes you just need to drop five or ten pounds in a hurry.

You have your reasons. Maybe a high school reunion is looming a few weeks off and you have a dress that doesn’t quite zip all the way up. Maybe you are trying to qualify for a sporting event and you have a weight limit that you are just missing. Maybe you just need to start a permanent weight loss regimen with a week or two of wild success that will inspire you to stick with the slower loss that comes after.

Whatever your reasons, you can lose weight five to ten pounds quickly if you put your mind to it. You can’t (and shouldn’t) sustain rapid weight loss for any length of time, and few experts would recommend you try, but for a week or two, most people can take some drastic measures and see results.

Here are some ideas for how to lose weight fast. Always clear any crash weight loss program with a physician before starting, and never maintain any crash program for more than two weeks tops:

• Go on a strict protein diet. During harsh winters in bygone times, a phenomenon called ‘rabbit starvation’ was observed. ‘Rabbit starvation’ happened when people had nothing to eat but rabbits, deer, and other lean meat sources. They ate and ate and yet they lost weight. Protein-only diets like Atkins work because the body can’t metabolize protein with carbohydrates. Most people will drop between five and ten pounds after a single week on such a regimen, but after that the body shifts into starvation mode and weight loss slows considerably.
• Go on a liquid diet. Diets that consist of two protein shakes and a normal dinner can result in rapid weight loss. Like protein diets, such meal plans are hard to sustain. They also tend to be expensive. If you just need to drop a quick eight pounds so you can fit into your skinny jeans, they are a safe way to do that.
• Add a brisk daily walk to any diet. Any moderate calorie-restricting diet will turn into a fast weight loss diet if you add in a 45 to 60 minute daily walk while dieting. You can break the walk up into two parts and get the same benefit: 20 to 30 minutes morning and night. Walk fast enough that you can carry on a conversation but with slight difficulty. To get even more out of walking add in three or four two-minute bursts of jogging or running, just enough to leave you winded, then slow your pace back to a walk.
• Drink lots of water. Whatever you do, drink lots of water while doing it. If your body is dehydrated, it will lead to bloat and make you feel fatter and cause you to retain fluid.
• Cut out salt completely. Most people don’t realize how much hidden salt is in the foods they eat. Anything that comes out of a can, a box, or the frozen food section is loaded with salt nine times out of ten. Focus on fresh foods during your one or two week fast weight loss program and you’ll have much greater success.
• Get lots of rest. Did you know that stress actually makes you fat? When the body is stressed through lack of sleep and/or a hectic, high-pressure lifestyle, it releases a substance called ‘cortisol’ that causes fat to accumulate around your middle. Recent studies have shown that people who made no major changes except adding an hour of sleep a night actually lost weight over the course of a year.

Learning how to lose weight fast is a useful skill and it can give anyone a little boost of both confidence and energy. However, sustained rapid weight loss can lead to eating disorders and a variety of other health problems and is not recommended for that reason.

Another good reason not to attempt long-term rapid weight loss however is that such a drastic attempt usually changes metabolism to hoard calories as if the dieter were starving. Weight loss slows to a crawl, and when the dieter resumes normal eating more pounds are gained than were lost in the crash diet.

A sane compromise is to lose a little weight fast for inspiration or better fitting clothes, and then switch to more moderate, sustainable changes for the long haul. That way you get the best of both worlds while staying healthy, strong, and energetic.

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