There are many ways to lose weight fast.They differ:
- degree of damage to health;
- "body parts" that cause weight loss;
- The willpower required to stick with your chosen weight loss strategy.
Below we discuss 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 associated risks
In order to avoid disappointment from the unfounded fascination with the title of this article, let's immediately wake up.
First of all, losing weight too quickly is always a health risk.By super fast, we mean, for example, tens of kilograms per week.
Secondly, everything that we understand about weight loss is not related to the reduction of fat ballast in the body.
The most common question is "how to lose weight quickly?"It is understood as "seeing a different number on the scale within a short period of time (usually a few days) or fitting smaller pants/dresses from youth."
The weight of the body and the circumference of its individual parts during weight loss 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;
- Removal of fluid from the subcutaneous layers.
Which of these methods suits you?
"Lose weight" very quickly(in the sense of changing the scale readings downward) can occur 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 issue is the risk of serious side effects, including death.Diuretics belong to one of the most dangerous classes of sports chemicals.
The currently fashionable detox diet also belongs to the class of fast weight loss diets.This is one of the reasons for its popularity.
But what causes weight change 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 their reduction in size due to the reduction of glycogen reserves in the muscles, which "binds" water.
The same applies to weight loss with laxatives: when using them, the amount of fluid removed from the body increases.
We have given three really effective examples of very fast weight loss.Their main characteristic isThe effect is very short-lived, the percentage of fat does not change, and there is a great risk of harm to health: Weight returns to normal in a few days once you go off the diet.
Thus, from all of the above, it is important to understand the following:Rapid weight loss (say 10 kg per week) due to fat mass is almost impossible.
In addition, the speed of weight loss is highly related to individual parameters of the body.A 150 kg person with 40% body fat can tell you how to lose 7 kg in a week, but for you at 65 kg and 15% body fat, 7 kg can be achieved in just six months with the same methodology...
therefore.
Below we will introduce you to the scientific principles of proper weight loss, according to which you can lose weight as quickly as possible, taking into account your individual characteristics.In this case, our recommendations will help you:
- Do not harm your health, but improve it;
- maintaining muscle mass and even increasing it;
- Develop a rhythm of life for yourself, which you will be able to constantly.
Popular methods of losing weight too quickly are associated with enormous health risks.Moreover, they do not burn fat, but only remove water from the body
How to lose weight quickly and without harming health?Basic principles
1. Reduce your calorie intake
Losing weight should always start with this.
According to scientists, too many calories are the most important cause of obesity in our society.But they insist on proving to us that we do very little sport...
Most often, it is the manufacturers of unhealthy food products 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.
When studying African tribes that spend the whole day in motion, scientists found that the level of energy expenditure of their representatives is not much different from that of office workers in developed countries.
This is not to say that Africans do not move around a lot.No.
justThe number of calories burned during physical movements is very smallOnly ~20% of daily energy expenditure: if hunters from Africa spend, say, about 500 calories during the day (only on movement), then an office worker spends about 200 calories.A difference of a few hundred calories is insignificant.
So, the main rule of thumb for weight loss is this: the body begins to burn fat when we eat fewer calories from food than we need to maintain life processes.This is the so-called caloric deficit.
With some caveats, the following statement is true:The greater 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 of weight loss: reduce the number of calories;The bigger the calorie deficit, the faster you can lose weight
2. Eliminate carbohydrates from the diet
Carbohydrates (sugars and starches) stimulate the release of the hormone insulin, whose job is to control blood sugar levels.It does this by transporting excess glucose for storage: glycogen and fat.
If you don't lead an active lifestyle, then consider that all desserts go entirely to fat.
When the level of insulin in the body is low, conditions are created for the active use of fats for energy..To achieve this, you simply need to eat less 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 earlier is activated: the kidneys remove excess sodium from the body, which binds to water.What effect does this have?The thickness of the skin fold decreases.
The action of diuretics, which professional athletes use to dry the body, is based on this principle: these drugs also remove sodium and allow you to achieve the relief of very lean muscles.
Although diuretics carry a high risk of very serious side effects, there is no risk of carbohydrate restriction because the body only releasesExcessof sodium
Just remove carbohydrates from your diet and you will lose weight quickly;At the same time, the appetite decreases and the skin fold thickness decreases
3. Eat more protein, healthy fats and fiber
So, we found out the main principle of rapid weight loss.
The next step is to maintain muscle mass and avoid vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Each 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 accurate calculations using formulas and calculators, as well as the supply of sufficient vitamins and minerals.
Protein intake is very important for weight loss for several reasons:
- Protein has a thermogenic effect, that is, it increases the rate of internal metabolism by 80-100 calories.A little, but still.
- Protein foods fill you up better, reduce appetite and the desire to eat during the day.We talked about this in the materials about the benefits of cottage cheese and eggs for weight loss.
- Protein prevents the breakdown of muscle mass 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 a natural source of vitamins and minerals, they're also rich in fiber and water, which fills your stomach and keeps you full, and they're very low in calories.You can eat them in any quantity without fear of weight gain.This is your secret to avoiding 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 - 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 to gain weight:Restricting carbohydrates and fats while dieting is a recipe for failure, because you will not get enough energy and, therefore, you will not be able to follow 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 away.moreoverRunning is not the most effective sport for weight loss, as they usually believe.
In general, if we compare proper nutrition and sports, the first, as shown above, is much more important for weight loss.
-What is the best sport for fast weight loss?
those in whichThe rate of 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 weight loss.They significantly stimulate the rate of internal metabolism, which falls during weight loss.
The state of stimulated metabolism, both during interval training and 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, exercise helps to strengthen and increase muscle mass: the more muscle mass, the more calories are needed to maintain it, the less they are converted into fat.
The higher your internal metabolism, the faster you will lose weight;High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and strength training boost metabolism for up to 2 days
Does it make sense to count calories when losing weight?
No.
It is important to understand which foods can be eaten 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 especially harmful for weight loss.They carry not only "empty" calories, but also cause changes in the body at the hormonal level, which provokes overeating and causes many diseases.
Have one fasting day per week
Fanaticism is rarely beneficial.Now that we have figured out how to lose weight quickly, it is important to understand that infrequent indulgences will not harm yourself.
On any diet, especially at the beginning, when your usual lifestyle changes,You can give yourself one "fast" dayWhen you can eat more carbohydrates and familiar foods.Without fanaticism, of course.
Such a day is usually called a "cheat meal" from English "cheat meal" - "cheating with food".
Always try to be as healthy as possible in the foods you choose.
As for carbohydrates, satisfy your appetite with whole natural foods: oatmeal, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, fruit.
And it is better to do it no more than once a week.The more often, the less fast the weight loss process will be.
It is important to understand:When losing weight, a cheat day is allowed, but in no case is it necessary..You may gain a little weight during it, but mostly because of 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 weight you haveand less effort to lose weight in the past,You will lose weight faster.
One 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, 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, the women who ate low carbohydrates were allowed to eat as many other permitted foods as they wanted.those.They didn't have to fight the nagging feeling of hunger.But as a result, the caloric content of their food was reduced by about 500 calories per day.
The principle "eat as much as you want" 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 less carbs.
How fast can you lose weight by restricting carbohydrates in the diet: vertical axis is body weight, horizontal axis is time per week;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 switch 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-carb diet improves blood sugar levels, lowers bad cholesterol and increases 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