There are many ways to lose weight quickly.They differ:
- degree of damage to health;
- “Body parts” due to which weight loss occurs;
- the necessary willpower to maintain the chosen weight loss strategy.
Below we look at four principles for proper weight loss, based on the latest scientific evidence.How quickly you can lose weight with their help depends on the individual characteristics of your body.
Ultra-rapid weight loss methods and associated RISKS
To avoid disappointment caused by the undue fascination of the title of this article, we should immediately sober up.
First, losing weight extremely quickly ALWAYS poses a health risk.By super fast we mean, for example, tens of kilograms per week.
Secondly, not everything we mean by losing weight has to do with reducing fat ballast in the body.
The most common question that arises is: “How to lose weight quickly?”is understood as “seeing a different number on the scale within a short period of time (usually a few days) or being able to fit into smaller pants/clothes from a young age.”
Body weight and the circumference of its individual parts may change when losing weight, at least due to:
- Reducing the amount of fat in the body;
- destruction of muscle mass;
- reduction in muscle cell volume;
- Removing fluid from the subcutaneous layers.
Which of these methods suits you?
Lose weight very quickly.(in the sense of a downward change in scale values) 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 are among the most dangerous sports chemicals.
The currently popular 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, there is destruction of muscle cells due to the almost complete absence of proteins in food and a reduction in their size due to a decrease in glycogen reserves in the muscles that “bind” water.
The same applies to losing weight with laxatives: using them increases the amount of fluid that is removed from the body.
We have listed three really working examples of very fast weight loss.Its main feature isThe effect is very short-lived, the fat content does not change and there is a major health risk: Weight returns to normal within a few days once you stop the diet.
From all of the above, it is important to understand the following:Rapid weight loss (e.g. 10 kg per week) due to fat mass is almost impossible.
In addition, the speed of weight loss largely depends on the individual parameters of the body.A person who weighs 150 kg and has 40% fat can tell you how he lost 7 kg in a week, but you, who weighs 65 kg and has 15% fat, can only achieve 7 kg in six months using the same methodology...
For this reason.
Below we will introduce you to the scientifically based principles of proper weight loss, with which you can lose weight as quickly as possible, taking your individual characteristics into account.In this case, our recommendations will help:
- do not harm your health, but improve it;
- maintain and even increase muscle mass;
- Develop a rhythm of life for yourself that you can stick to permanently.
Well-known methods for losing weight extremely quickly are associated with enormous health risks.In addition, they do not burn fat, but simply remove water from the body
How to lose weight quickly and without harm to your health?Main principles
1. Reduce calorie intake
Losing weight should always start with this.
According to scientists, too many calories are the number one cause of obesity in our society.But they persistently try to prove to us that we don't exercise enough...
Most often, it is the manufacturers of unhealthy foods that promote a healthy lifestyle with an emphasis on physical activity.In doing so, they divert our attention from the real cause of obesity - their products.
In a study of African tribes that move around all day, scientists found that the energy consumption of their representatives does not differ much from that of office workers in developed countries.
That doesn't mean Africans don't move around a lot.No.
SimplyThe calorie consumption during physical exercise is very low, only about ~20% of daily energy expenditure: For example, if hunters from Africa burn about 500 calories during the day (just for exercise), then an office worker burns about 200 calories.The difference of a few hundred calories is negligible.
So, the main rule of losing weight is: the body begins to burn fat when we consume fewer calories from food than we need to maintain life processes.This is the so-called calorie deficit.
With some qualifications, the following statement is true:The greater the calorie deficit, the faster you lose weight.
Main Disclaimer:The higher the calorie deficit, the higher the risk of health problems.
Recommended Calorie Restriction –300-500 calfrom basic metabolism.
The first rule of losing weight: reduce the number of calories you eat;The greater the calorie deficit, the faster you can lose weight
2. Cut carbohydrates from your diet
Carbohydrates (sugar and starch) stimulate the release of the hormone insulin, whose job is to control blood sugar levels.This occurs by transporting excess glucose to storage: glycogen and fat.
If you do not lead an active lifestyle, keep in mind that all desserts turn into fat completely.
When insulin levels in the body are low, conditions are created for the active use of fats for energy..To achieve this, all you need to do is eat fewer carbohydrates.
The vast majority of diets are based on this principle, including intermittent fasting, the ketogenic diet and the Dukan protein diet.
When insulin levels are low, another weight loss mechanism mentioned above is activated: the kidneys remove excess sodium from the body, which binds water.What impact does this have?The thickness of the skin fold decreases.
The effect of diuretics, which professional athletes use to dry out the body, is based on this principle: these drugs also remove sodium and allow a very strong relief of muscle mass.
While diuretics carry a high risk of very serious side effects, there is no risk with carbohydrate restriction because the body only eliminates the carbohydratesexcesssodium
Just remove carbohydrates from your diet and you will lose weight quickly;At the same time, appetite decreases and the thickness of the skin fold decreases
3. Eat more protein, healthy fats and fiber
So we figured out the main 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 provides the necessary 20-50 g of carbohydrates for rapid weight loss without the need for precise calculations with formulas and calculators, as well as the supply of sufficient vitamins and minerals.
Consuming protein is very important for weight loss for several reasons:
- The protein has a thermogenic effect, i.e.h.it increases the speed of internal metabolism by 80-100 calories.A little, but still.
- Protein-rich foods fill you up better and reduce appetite and cravings for snacks throughout the day.We talked about this in materials about the benefits of cottage cheese and eggs for weight loss.
- Protein prevents the loss of muscle mass during a calorie-restricted diet.
Protein sources:
- Meat (lean cuts): beef, chicken, pork, lamb;
- Fish and seafood: salmon, trout, shrimp, lobster;
- Eggs and dairy products.
Vegetables
Vegetables are a natural source of vitamins and minerals, are also rich in fiber and water, which fill the stomach and keep you full, and are very low in calories.You can eat them in any quantity without fear of gaining weight.This is your secret to avoiding debilitating hunger.
The only important thing is to avoid starchy vegetables such as potatoes.
Recommended Low Carb Vegetables:
- Broccoli;
- cauliflower;
- Spinach;
- Brussels sprouts;
- white cabbage;
- Lettuce;
- Cucumber;
- Celery.
Fats
If 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 - fats.
Recommended healthy fats:
- Olive oil;
- linseed oil;
- coconut oil;
- Avocado;
- Butter;
- Nuts.
Include the following types of fat in every meal and don't be afraid of gaining weight:Restricting carbohydrates and fats while dieting is a recipe for failure, as you do not receive enough energy and therefore cannot follow the diet described for a long period of time.
Build each meal around protein, non-starchy vegetables and healthy fats.
4. Exercise to boost your metabolism
No, you don't have to run.Over and beyondRunning is not the most effective sport for losing weight, as is generally believed.
In general, if you compare proper nutrition and exercise, the former is much more important for losing weight, as shown above.
-Which sports are best for losing weight quickly?
Those in whichthe speed of internal metabolism is activated to the maximum.
In principle, any physical activity is beneficial, but the most effective for losing weight are high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and strength training.They significantly stimulate the internal metabolism, which decreases when you lose weight.
The state of stimulated metabolism can last up to 2 days during both interval training and strength training.
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 there is, the more calories are needed to maintain it, the less of it is 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 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 proteins, healthy fats and non-starchy vegetables, and you should try to limit the amount of simple carbohydrates.
Sugar and fructose are particularly harmful to weight loss.Not only do they transport “empty” calories, but they also cause hormonal changes in the body that lead to overeating and cause a variety of diseases.
Do one fasting day per week
Fanaticism is rarely beneficial.Now that we've figured out how to lose weight quickly, it's important to realize that rare indulgences won't harm you.
With any diet, especially at the beginning when your usual lifestyle changes,You can treat yourself to a “fasting day”.if you can eat more carbohydrates and familiar foods.Of course without fanaticism.
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 when making food choices.
When it comes to carbohydrates, satisfy your appetite with whole, 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 slower the weight loss.
It is important to understand:A cheat meal day is allowed when losing weight, but is by no means necessary..A slight weight gain may occur, but this is mainly due to the fluid, which “disappears” over the next few days.
During weight loss, one fasting day per week is allowed, during which you can eat more carbohydrates and familiar foods.
How quickly 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 there have been 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 fasteras a low-fat diet (30% of total calories).Overweight women lost an average of 8 kg on a low-carb diet and 4 kg on a low-fat diet over the course of 6 months.
What's interesting is that in the experiment, those women who ate few carbohydrates were allowed to eat as many other permitted foods as they wanted.This.They didn't have to fight the crippling feeling of hunger.But this reduced the calorie content of their food by around 500 calories per day compared to normal.
The principle “eat as much as you want” is the basis of the Dukan protein diet.However, carbohydrates are excluded from the list of permitted foods.
Take a look at the graphic below: It's a good illustration of how quickly you can lose weight simply by eating fewer carbohydrates.
How quickly 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 shows the weight loss rate on a low-carb diet, the top graph shows the weight loss rate on a low-fat diet.
In the first few weeks, you may feel a lack of energy as your body needs time to switch from using carbohydrates for energy to fats.
Afterwards, your well-being and health will improve significantly.
Scientists say that a low-carbohydrate diet improves blood sugar levels, reduces the concentration of bad cholesterol, 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 rate is 1-4 kg per week