Everyone wants to know how to lose weight fast. We know the usual
"watch your diet and exercise regularly" routine. But if it is as
simple as that, then there wouldn't be so many fat people in this world!
Amidst
all the lies and hype surrounding the weight loss industry, it can be
hard to separate the hype and lies from the truth. That's why in today's
article, I'm going to share with you 14 things you must do to lose
weight fast. Following these 14 tips will help you to lose weight safely
and stay lean all year-round.
WARNING: SOME OF THE INFORMATION YOU ARE ABOUT TO READ MAY CONTRADICT WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT WEIGHT LOSS.
How To Lose Weight Fast Tip #1: Stop eating only salads
This
is a well-known habit especially among female office workers. You order
a big salad with nothing but greens. Your colleagues see what you eat
and applaud your efforts to lose weight. But before 2pm, you get hungry
and start looking for cookies and chocolates to snack. How's that for
one step forward and two steps back in your fat loss attempt? While
there's nothing wrong with having salads for lunch, you should add some
good clean protein such as eggs and chicken breasts and also good fats
such as avocados or guacamole into your salads as well. Remember this:
Every meal should have a protein element. These protein and fat make you
feel more satisfied after the meal and will sustain your blood sugar
levels for a longer period so you won't be looking for unhealthy snacks
around the office right after lunch.
How To Lose Weight Fast Tip #2: Replace all the unhealthy snacks at home and in your office
Contrary
to popular belief, snacking is actually productive for fat loss.
Snacking on healthy snacks in between meals will help maintain a steady
blood glucose level and also keep your metabolism elevated. Since people
snack on convenience and the general availability of food around them,
it is important to keep only healthy snacks such as dark chocolate,
nuts, trail mixes, fruits or even beef jerky within easy reach. Throw
all the others away. Or give them to a colleague you hate.
How To Lose Weight Fast Tip #3: Start a simple exercise routine
Every
fat loss program needs to have an exercise component. It doesn't even
have to an actual exercise like jogging or swimming. If you have never
exercised before in your life, you can even start something as simple as
brisk walking every day for 20 minutes and work up the intensity from
there. The main objective is staying active and turning up your
metabolism. As you get fitter (and you will), crank up the intensity and
challenge your body to reach new heights of fitness.
How To Lose Weight Fast Tip #4: Stop the steady state jogging
If
you have been jogging for some time and haven't seen any significant
weight loss results, then it's time for you to move on to more
challenging exercises. Jogging is a good exercise to build your
cardiovascular endurance, but not the best for fat loss. To effective
burn fat, you need a workout that elevates your heart rate to at least
80% of your maximum heart rate and burns the most number of calories in
the shortest period of time. Full body exercises such as burpees,
squats, deadlifts, shoulder presses and rows gives you the most bang for
your time spent on exercising. Perform each exercise for 30 seconds
with a 30 second break in between for 3 sets before moving onto the
next. Do this for 10 - 15 minutes a day and you will see results beyond
what you have experienced from months of jogging.
How To Lose Weight Fast Tip #5: Don't avoid carbohydrates completely
When
carbs replaced fats as the main contributor of weight gain, many people
are avoiding all known types of carbs completely. I personally have a
colleague who shuns carbs like the plague. Let me set the record
straight. Not all carbs are bad. Our bodies need carbs to function
properly. Carbs are our bodies' main source of energy. In fact, our
brain functions primarily on carbs. Depriving your body of carbs can
have detrimental effects on your body. Every type food has its time and
place to be consumed. As a general rule, you should only consume low
glycemic carbs such as brown rice, dark leafy vegetables, multi-grain
bread, oatmeal, etc. High glycemic foods such as bananas, juices, white
rice, potatoes and other processed foods are best consumed only right
after an intense exercise.
How To Lose Weight Fast Tip #6: Set realistic and measurable goals
A
lot of people give up on a training or fat loss program after a week or
so because they did not see the results they were expecting. First of
all, you have to remember that you didn't get fat overnight. So you
should not expect a miracle weight loss to happen as well. Setting
realistic and measurable goals will help keep you motivated and continue
towards your ultimate weight loss goal. So what considered as a
realistic goal? Losing 0.5-1kg (1-2 lbs) a week is a realistic. Losing
half an inch on your waist after two weeks is realistic. Of course, you
have to be completely honest with yourself when you are accessing these
goals. Ask yourself if you are really following the exercise program
religiously? How many times did you cheat on your diet?
How To Lose Weight Fast Tip #7: Focus on building muscle
Some
people may disagree with me that exercising and muscle-building is
important for fat loss. To me, fat loss is all about changing our body
composition - reducing the fat mass and increasing fat-free mass
(muscles). Increasing fat-free mass will invariably contribute to the
lowering of fat mass. For each pound of muscle your body has, you burn
an extra 35-50 calories a day. Fat on the other hand burns only 2
calories per pound. So the more muscle you have, the higher your
metabolic rate will be. And contrary to popular belief, having more
muscles is what will give your body those sexy curves that the opposite
sex desires.
How To Lose Weight Fast Tip #8: Invest in a whey protein or meal replacement supplement
Having
3 meals a day with 3 snacks times in between is not always easy to
prepare. That's why for convenience purposes, it's recommended that you
purchase a good whey protein or meal replacement supplement. Just add
water or milk and you have one serving of quality protein.
How To Lose Weight Fast Tip #9: Make small changes and stick with them for 21 days
Let's
be honest with ourselves. Fat loss involves some behavioral and
lifestyle change. Your current lifestyle got you to the state that you
are now. Continuing down this path obviously is not the quickest way to
lose weight. We all know behavioral change is the hardest thing. This is
why we need to make little changes every day that is more acceptable to
our bodies. For example, if you currently drink two cans of soda every
day, cut down to one can a day. Then next week, cut down to one can
every two days. You get the picture. And for any program that you decide
to get started, stick with it for 21 days. Statistics have shown that
any behavioral change takes 21 to accept and approximately 60 days to
form into a habit. So no matter how much you hate a current diet or
exercise program, persevere for 21 days. You will be glad you did.
How To Lose Weight Fast Tip #10: Surround yourself with like-minded people
Some
people are very dependent on social support, while others not so much.
If you belong to the former group, it is important that you factor this
aspect of motivation especially when you are starting out on a fat loss
program. During the initial 21 days, it is important to stay motivated
and focused on the goals you have set for yourself. You are bound to
encounter challenges and struggles as you go through the program. Such
as days when your thighs are so sore after doing full body squats or
even good news like when you succeed in losing an inch off your waist.
If you have friends who are doing the fat loss program with you, great!
Share your results and how you feel about the program with them. Talk to
fitness professionals; join online communities or Facebook groups to
share experiences and gain knowledge. Also, don't just focus on the fat
loss part. Get into the whole health and fitness experience. Buy fitness
magazines, visit fitness websites. Look at physiques you desire to
achieve and set them as your desktop wallpaper. Do whatever you need to
stay motivated.
How To Lose Weight Fast Tip #11: Train your legs
I'm
not just talking about jogging here; I'm referring to doing heavy
squats, lunges, deadlifts, etc. If you have ever done squats before, you
will know that it is one of the most demanding exercises in the world.
You pant and sweat like a dog as if you have sprinted a mile. But it is
also one of the best exercises for building overall strength and of
course burning calories. Leg exercises such as squats are usually
compound exercises and as such burns more calories. Even if you are not
doing weighted squats, just doing body weight squats alone can be just
as challenging. To be honest, in my first 5 years of training, I never
once trained my legs. I always thought the upper body is more important
and doing squats could stunt your vertical growth. That is all a
fallacy. Ever since I started doing squats, my strength went through the
roof and my body fat levels have remained consistently low all
year-round. Now I do squats at least once a week otherwise my workout is
never complete. If you have never trained your legs before, trust me,
start your workouts with squats and you will be amazed by the results
you see. And yes, you can thank me later.
How To Lose Weight Fast Tip #12: Keep a meal diary
Many
people don't realize how many calories they consume every day. You
think you are eating less by skipping a meal here and there. But you
never consider those sodas, grande Frappuccinos or those cookies
distributed by your colleagues that you so casually put in your mouth
during the day. If you take down everything (and I mean every single
thing including those mentos) that you eat into a meal diary, you will
be surprised how many calories you are taking. Yes, I know it's quite a
pain to record down everything. But do yourself a favor and just do it
for one day. It will be an absolute eye opener.
How To Lose Weight Fast Tip #13: Learn to love water
Perhaps
the most overlooked causes of weight gain, the liquids you consume can
deceptively pack on a ton of calories. Just a can of soda contains close
to 150 calories. A grande mocha Frappuccino contains a whopping 420
calories. Drink a soda and a Frappuccino every day and you will gain a
pound a week.
Because we can so easily and carelessly gulp down
beverages without a second thought, liquid calories are more harmful.
Fruit juices are no better. They all contain naturally occurring fruit
sugar, fructose, which like all other sugars if consumed in excess will
result in weight gain. One of the quickest ways to lose weight is to
always choose water over all other beverages. Water has zero calories
and is a natural source of hydration for our bodies. By simply replacing
all your other sugary laden beverages with water, you will quickly be
able to see weight loss results.
How To Lose Weight Fast Tip #14: Limit alcohol consumption
I
know it is almost impossible to completely abstain from alcohol. But if
your goal is to find the fastest way to lose weight, then you have to
cut down on your happy hours. Alcohol is a toxic substance with
absolutely no nutritional benefit whatsoever. What's more, each gram of
alcohol contains 7 calories. A few glasses of cocktails with its sugary
mixers can easily pile on at least 1000 or more calories a night. You
should also know that alcohol is an appetite stimulant. So don't be
surprised if you feel hungry after a night of partying. Of course this
leads to additional calories into your body that you don't need. If you
are focusing on building muscle, excessive alcohol lowers your
testosterone and increases cortisol levels (stress hormone) thereby
reducing your body's ability to build muscle effectively.
With so many disadvantages to your fat loss goals, do you still need another reason not to drink?
