There are many ways to lose weight quickly.They differ:
- degree of harm to health;
- “parts of the body” due to which weight loss occurs;
- the amount of willpower needed to maintain the chosen weight loss strategy.
Below, we look at four principles for 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-rapid weight loss methods and associated RISKS
In order to avoid disappointment due to unreasonable fascination with the title of this article, let's be sober right away.
First, losing weight extremely quickly ALWAYS carries a health risk.By ultra-fast, we mean, for example, tens of kilos per week.
Second, not everything we mean by losing weight necessarily relates to reducing fat ballast in the body.
Most often the question is "how to lose weight quickly?"means “within a short period of time (usually a few days) seeing a different number on the scale or fitting into smaller pants/dresses of youth”.
Body weight and the circumference of its individual parts during weight loss can change at least due to:
- reduce the amount of fat in the body;
- destruction of muscle mass;
- reduce the volume of muscle cells;
- remove fluid from the subcutaneous layers.
Which of these methods is right for you?
“Lose weight” very quickly(in the sense of reducing the scale readings) can be carried out 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 to pay is the risk of serious or even fatal side effects.Diuretics belong to the most dangerous class of sports chemicals.
The currently fashionable detox diet also belongs to the class of diets allowing 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 “retains” 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 rapid weight loss.Their main characteristic isthe effect is very short-lived, the fat percentage does not change and there are huge risks of health hazards: The weight returns to normal within a few days as soon as you stop the diet.
So, from all of the above, it is important to understand the following:losing weight quickly (let's say 10 kg in a week) because of body fat is almost impossible.
In addition, the rate of weight loss is closely related to individual body parameters.A person weighing 150 kg and a fat percentage of 40% can tell you how they 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, following the same methodology...
Therefore.
Below we will introduce you to the scientific principles of proper weight loss, following which you will be able to 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;
- maintain muscle mass and even increase it;
- develop for yourself a rhythm of life that you can stick to constantly.
Known methods for 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 your calorie intake
Weight loss should always start with this.
According to scientists, excess calories are the most important cause of obesity in our society.But they persist in proving to us that we do too little sport...
Most often, it is the manufacturers of unhealthy food products that promote a healthy lifestyle by emphasizing the need to be physically active.Thus, they divert our attention from the real cause of obesity: their products.
In a study of African tribes who 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 does not mean that Africans move little.No.
Justthe amount of calories burned during physical movements is very low, only about 20% of daily energy expenditure: if African hunters spend, say, about 500 Cal during the day (just for moving), then an office worker spends about 200 Cal.The difference of a few hundred calories is negligible.
So, the main rule for losing weight is: the body begins to burn fat when we consume fewer calories from food than we need to maintain vital processes.This is called a calorie deficit.
With some reservations, the following statement is true:The greater the calorie deficit, the faster you will lose weight.
Main warning:The higher the calorie deficit, the higher the risk of health problems.
Recommended Calorie Restriction -300-500 caloriesbasal metabolism.
The first rule for losing weight: reduce the number of calories you consume;The larger the calorie deficit, the faster you can lose weight
2. Eliminate Carbs From Your Diet
Carbohydrates (sugars and starches) stimulate the release of the hormone insulin, whose job is to control blood sugar levels.To do this, it transports excess glucose to storage: glycogen and fat.
If you don't lead an active lifestyle, be aware that all desserts are completely fatty.
When insulin levels in the body are low, conditions are created for the active use of fats as an energy source..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 action of diuretics, which professional athletes use to dry out the body, is based on this principle: these drugs also eliminate sodium and provide very lean muscle relief.
Although diuretics carry a high risk of very serious side effects, there is no risk when restricting carbohydrates since the body is only getting rid of theexcesssodium
Simply remove carbs 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 understood 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 will provide the 20-50 g of carbohydrates needed for rapid weight loss without the need for precise calculations using formulas and calculators, as well as sufficient intake of vitamins and minerals.
Eating protein is very important for weight loss for several reasons:
- Protein has a thermogenic effect, that is, increases the rate of internal metabolism by 80-100 calories.A little, but still.
- Protein foods fill you up better, reducing appetite and the desire to snack during 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 low-calorie diet.
Protein sources:
- Meat (lean parts): beef, chicken, pork, lamb;
- Fish and seafood: salmon, trout, shrimp, lobster;
- Eggs and dairy products.
Vegetables
Vegetables are natural sources of vitamins and minerals, and are also high in fiber and water, which fill your stomach and keep you full, and are very low in calories.You can eat any amount without fear of gaining weight.It’s your secret to avoiding crippling 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 constitute the body's main source of energy, 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;
- lawyer;
- butter;
- nuts.
Include the following types of fats in every meal and don't be afraid of gaining weight:Limiting Carbs and Fats While Dieting is a Recipe for Failure, because you will not receive enough energy and therefore will not be able to follow the described diet for a long 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.What's moreRunning is not the most effective sport for losing weight, as is generally believed.
In general, if we compare a good diet and sport, the former, as noted above, is much more important for losing weight.
-What are the best sports to lose weight quickly?
Those in whichthe internal metabolism rate is activated to the maximum.
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 internal metabolism rate, which decreases during weight loss.
The state of stimulated metabolism, both during interval training and during strength training, can last up to 2 days.
According to scientific data, metabolism accounts for approximately 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 greater the muscle mass, the more calories are required to maintain it, the less these are transformed into fat.
The higher your internal metabolic rate, 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 for weight loss.They not only carry "empty" calories, but also cause changes in the body at the hormonal level, which cause overeating and cause a large number of 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 rare indulgences will not harm you.
Whatever the diet, especially at the beginning, when your usual lifestyle changes,You can give yourself a day of “fasting”when you can eat more carbohydrates and familiar foods.Without fanaticism, of course.
Such a day is usually called a "cheat day" from the English "cheat meal" - "cheating with food."
Always try to stay as healthy as possible in the foods you choose.
As for carbohydrates, satisfy your appetite with whole natural foods: oatmeal, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, fruits.
And it’s best not to do it more than once a week.The more frequent the weight loss process, the slower it will be.
It is important to understand:A cheat meal day is allowed during weight loss, but is by no means necessary..During this time, your weight may increase slightly, but mainly 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 around 1 to 4 kg per week, sometimes more, sometimes less.
The more overweight you areand the fewer attempts to lose weight in the past,the faster you will lose weight.
A scientific experiment showed that a low-carb diet (~50 g per day)helps you lose weight much fasterthan a low-fat diet (30% of total calories).Over a 6-month period, obese women lost an average of 8 kg on a low-carb diet and 4 kg on a low-fat diet.
What's interesting is that in the experiment, women who ate low carbs were allowed to eat as many other allowed foods as they wanted.Those.they did not have to fight the debilitating sensation of hunger.But as a result, the calorie content of their daily food decreased by about 500 calories compared to usual.
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.
Take a look at the graph below: it's a good illustration of how quickly you can lose weight by simply eating fewer carbs.
How quickly can you lose weight by limiting carbohydrates in your diet: vertical axis represents body weight, horizontal axis represents time in weeks;The bottom graph represents the rate of weight loss on a low-carb diet, the top graph represents the rate of weight loss on a low-fat diet.
During the first few weeks, you may feel low in energy, as your body takes time to adjust to using carbohydrates for energy and fats.
After that, your well-being will significantly improve, as will your health.
Scientists claim 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 to 4 kg per week