Working on weight loss? Then you probably want results -- fast.
Let me save
you some time: skip the fad diets. Their results don't last. And you
have healthier options you can start on -- today!
You can safely
lose 3 or more pounds a week at home with a healthy diet and lots of
exercise, says weight loss counselor Katherine Tallmadge, RD.
How to Lose Weight Fast
If you burn 500 more calories than you eat every day for a week, you should lose about 1-2 pounds.
If you want to lose weight faster, you'll need to eat less and exercise more.
For instance,
if you take in 1,050 to 1,200 calories a day, and exercise for one hour
per day, you could lose 3-5 pounds in the first week, or more if you
weigh more than 250 pounds. It's very important not to cut calories any
further -- that's dangerous.
Limiting salt and starches may also mean losing more weight at first -- but that's mostly fluids, not fat.
"When you
reduce sodium and cut starches, you reduce fluids and fluid retention,
which can result in up to 5 pounds of fluid loss when you get started,"
says Michael Dansinger, MD, of NBC's
The Biggest Loser
show.
Diets for Fast Weight Loss
Dansinger
recommends eating a diet that minimizes starches, added sugars, and
animal fat from meat and dairy foods. For rapid weight loss, he
recommends focusing on fruits, veggies, egg whites, soy products,
skinless poultry breasts, fish, shellfish, nonfat dairy foods, and 95%
lean meat.
Here are more tips from Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, author of
The Flexitarian Diet
:
- Eat vegetables to help you feel full.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Get tempting foods out of your home.
- Stay busy -- you don't want to eat just because you're bored.
- Eat only from a plate, while seated at a table. No grazing in front of the 'fridge.
- Don't skip meals.
Keeping a food journal -- writing down everything you eat -- can also help you stay on track.
"Even if you
write it down on a napkin and end up throwing it away, the act of
writing it down is about being accountable to yourself and is a very
effective tool for weight loss," says Bonnie Taub Dix, MA, RD, author of
Read It Before You Eat It
.
Besides
jotting down what you ate, and when, you might also want to note how you
were feeling right before you ate it. Were you angry, sad, or bored? We
often focus so much on foods and calories, but our emotions are a huge
part of our eating habits.
If you see a
persistent pattern in your emotional eating, please consider talking to a
counselor about it. They can be a big help in finding other ways to
handle your feelings.
Exercising for Fast Weight Loss
It's time to move more! Losing weight requires close to an hour a day of moderate exercise, one study shows.
Plan to do cardio and strength training.
"Cardio burns
the most calories, so it is ideal for fast weight loss, but afterward
you need to include a few hours a week of strength training," Dansinger
says. To burn the most fat, try to break a sweat after your warm-up and
keep sweating for the entire hour, Dansinger says.
If you're not
exercising now, and you have a chronic condition or a lot of weight to
lose, it's wise to check in with your health care provider first.
They'll be rooting for you! And they'll make sure that you're ready to
work out.
Pace yourself. Don't do too much, too soon -- work your way up to help prevent injury.
One way to
step up the intensity is to do interval training -- brief bursts of
high-intensity, followed by a more mellow pace, and repeating that
pattern throughout your workout.
"Interval
training allows people to work harder without having to spend the entire
time at the higher level, and over time, the more you do it, the easier
it becomes to burn more calories," Blatner says.
Fad Diets and Crash Diets
I know how
tempting diet crazes can sound, especially if you have a lot of weight
to lose. You hear about stars who did it and look incredible.
But remember, if a diet plan sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Also, please
skip any programs that promote detoxification pills, laxatives, fasting,
or potions, and any that promise weight loss faster than 2-3 pounds per
week.
The truth is
that cutting calories below 1,050-1,200 per day is counterproductive,
because you need strong muscles to be able to exercise effectively.
"When you eat
too few calories, you lose fat but also precious muscle, which is the
worst thing you could do because it slows your metabolism and makes it
more difficult to increase exercise intensity or duration," Dansinger
says.
Fad diets also
set you up for failure by depriving you of what you want. You can't eat
like that for long, and it's too likely that you'll rebel and end up
back where you started. You deserve better than that!
So by all
means, attack your weight loss goal. Put it on the fast track. But
please, do it right so you set yourself up for lasting success.
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