Sunday 16 March 2014

Loose Weight Fast

How to Lose Weight Fast



Losing weight is a challenge that is best approached with optimism and some solid knowledge of the topic. While there are many things you can do to shed pounds, losing weight too quickly can be dangerous. It is best to create a healthy eating plan and exercise schedule that you can stick to for a long time. However, if you are generally healthy and you're determined to drop several pounds quickly, there are some techniques and tips you can adopt to help you reach your short-term goals. Scroll down to Step 1 to learn more.


Steps

Fad Diets The purpose of most fad diets is to promote rapid weight loss that you can see almost overnight. Fad diets are short-term solutions; they will help you shed some pounds quickly but should be considered a gateway to a healthier lifestyle, rather than a diet you can live on. In some cases, keeping a fad diet up for more than a few days can actually cause your body serious harm. Instead, use a fad diet to help kickstart yourself into living a healthier life.
  1. Try the water diet.This diet involves drinking a daily total of about 64 fluid ounces (8 cups) of cold water, at regular intervals throughout the day. Drink a glass of water before each meal to suppress your appetite. Doing this will help you get into the habit of limiting the portions of food you consume during each meal. By drinking water, you will feel full before a meal, thus helping you consume less calories.
    • Keep in mind that this is not a water only diet. Water-only diets can actually be quite dangerous if done for too long a period of time. Your body needs nutrients to stay healthy and maintain a strong metabolism. If you drink only water for more than a couple of days, when you start eating again you run the risk of gaining even more weight because your metabolism will have slowed tremendously.
  2. Try a juice cleanse. This method is also known as the Hollywood diet.There are many different kinds of juice cleanses out there. However, the main concept is to only consume juices made from raw fruits and vegetables. The cleanse will remove toxins from your system, helping you lose weight while also making you feel more alert and healthy.
    • Most juice cleanses last for one to three days, though some will go up to seven days at a time. You can either buy a cleansing package from a health store or company online, or you can buy your own juicer.
    • Some of the most popular cleanse brands include Cooler Cleanse, BluePrint, and Life Juice.
  3. Consider the Master Cleanse. The master cleanse is a liquid-only diet that consists of a “lemonade” (lemon, cayenne pepper powder, maple syrup, and water), a salt-water drink, and herbal laxatives. The diet lasts for 16 days--three days of easing into the diet by only eating raw fruits and veggies, 10 days of the liquid only diet, and three more days easing back into solid foods.
    • Be aware that this diet should only be done for very short-term weight loss and is supposed to function as a detoxifying cleanse rather than a strict weight-loss routine.
  4. Go on the cabbage soup diet.This diet claims it can help you lose up to 10 pounds in one week. The diet lasts for seven days with each day’s eating regimen changing from one day to the next.Each day, dieters eat cabbage soup, along with a limited selection of fruits, vegetables, or a lean meat.
    • The soup is made up of green onions, celery, tomatoes, mushrooms, carrots, one head of cabbage, and some low-sodium bouillon. Dieters also have the option to add a can of V8 juice or some spice-only soup mix.
  5. Try the fasting diet. The intermittent fasting diet has recently become a major fad diet. The idea behind this diet is that our bodies were built to go through both times of feasting and times of famine--as such, we should occasionally recreate the ‘famine’ part. This diet requires that for two days each week, you should only eat 500 (if you’re a woman) or 600 (if you’re a man) calories. On those fasting days, dieters should stick to eating only vegetables, seeds, legumes, and some fruit.
    • This diet requires that you continue your exercise regimen on fasting days as well as on regular days.
  6. Consider the HCG diet.This is a highly controversial diet that combines injections or supplements of HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) with a severely restricted calorie intake.The calorie restriction alone (only 500 to 800 calories per day) is enough to promote weight loss in most people; it is significantly under the recommended daily calorie allowance, even for people attempting to lose weight. People give themselves doses of HCG via injections or in drop form.
    • Many studies have been done on the value of HCG, with the results being shaky at best. While some people swear that they lost 25 pounds during the HCG diet, many scientists say there is absolutely no value in injecting yourself with HCG and that it can in fact be dangerous to do so.
Healthy Eating Habits While fad diets might help you drop pounds in days, creating a healthy eating plan for yourself will help you lose weight and keep it off. If you have undertaken a fad diet, follow it up with an eating plan that highlights the suggestions listed in this section. Developing Your Meal Plan
  1. Determine your daily calorie needs. Knowing how the minimum amount of calories your body needs to function correctly will help you define your own personalized healthy eating plan. Your individual calorie needs will vary based on age, gender, height, and activity level. There are online calculators you can use to determine the amount of calories you should be consuming each day.
    • You can also figure out how much you should be eating by scheduling a consultation with a dietitian or a physician to discuss your weight loss goals, special dietary needs, current eating habits, and potential areas for improvement.
  2. Develop a healthy and personalized meal plan. Choose meals that have a healthy balance of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean proteins. A typical dinner plate should be filled with half vegetables or fruits, half whole grains and lean protein. Planning your meals in advance can help you limit your caloric intake and keep more nutritious foods on your plate. If you need help coming up with a plan, there are many healthy meal plans you can follow or get ideas from that have been deemed healthy by nutritionists.These include:
    • The DASH diet; the TLC diet; the Mayo Clinic Diet; Weight Watchers diet; and Volumetrics. Run an internet search on any of the diets and meal plans to find out more.
  3. Keep a food diary. Write down every meal, snack, and drink you consume as well as the approximate quantities for an entire week. Writing down what you consume actually helps us to remain mindful of what we put into our bodies and acts as a motivator to stay healthy. If you can, write down the number of calories that go along with each meal or snack you eat.
    • Don’t forget to include coffee mix-ins, condiments, and other additions to your daily diet.
  4. Identify your food triggers and plan accordingly. Food triggers are the activities we do that make us want to snack. For some people, its sitting down to watch a movie at night; for others, its studying late at night. If you know your food triggers, you can plan for them--fill your house with healthy snacks or have them on hand.
    • If you don’t purchase the unhealthy foods that you love to snack on, you will be less likely to sabotage your diet.
  5. Watch your portion sizes. Incorporate appropriate portion sizes into your meal plan. For instance, a healthy snack of almonds and dried cranberries can turn into a huge calorie source if you don’t pay attention to quantities. Also, preparing pre-apportioned healthy snacks can help you avoid mindless overeating and can make it convenient to grab a healthy snack.[18]
    • Make a list of what you'll need for these meals, and don't stray from your list when you get to the grocery store. Looking at market circulars can also give you ideas and even cut costs by buying weekly sale items and seasonal produce.
  6. Don’t skip meals. Eating a healthy breakfast increases your rest metabolic rate earlier in the day, keeps your energy levels high, and may help you resist the urge of high-calorie snacks throughout the day. Plan to eat a small snack or meal every two to four hours to keep your metabolism active. Eating regularly also keeps your blood sugar stable and reduces unhealthy calorie binges or deviations from your meal plan.
  7. Avoid tempting grocery aisles. Avoid the areas in the grocery store that stock sodas, cookies, ice cream, pizzas, and other fattening and highly processed foods, so that you are less likely to purchase unhealthy options. If you can’t see them, you can’t be tempted by them.

Picking Healthy Food Options

  1. Make sure your meals are balanced. It is important to eat balanced meals everyday and get all of the nutrients our bodies need to keep going. Each day, you should eat fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products.
    • Vegetables are generally very low in calories, very high in fiber, and full of flavor and nutrition, but avoid fatty dressings or dips.
    • Fruit provides a good source of soluble fiber, releasing energy more slowly and keeping you feeling full longer.
    • Whole grain products like brown rice, quinoa, and wheat berries, will help you maintain a lower weight, reduce your risk of stroke, and lessen your risk of heart disease.
    • Low-fat dairy products, such as yogurt or cheddar cheese, are good sources of vitamin D and can make your bones strong.
    • Lean meats like poultry and fish are naturally low in fat, and certain fish like salmon, sardines, and fresh tuna are an excellent sources of antioxidants and Omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial to your health.
  2. Select smart substitutes for unhealthy sources of fat, sugar, and calories. Most foods have healthier counterparts that will allow you to enjoy your favorite foods without unnecessary fat, sugar, and calories. Exchanging high-calorie and high-fat foods and drinks for healthier alternatives can help you lose weight faster.
    • Ask your butcher for lean cuts of beef or pork if you choose to buy them, and trim visible fat from meat before cooking. Consider eating vegetarian a few days each week. By replacing meat with nutritious foods like beans, tofu, or lentils, you can cut significant amounts of your daily calorie intake while adding many nutrients to your diet.
    • Examples of this include cooking with olive oil rather than butter, drinking natural fruit juices rather than soda, and eating some delicious fruit for dessert rather than a processed cookie.
  3. Snack smartly. Swap potato chips and candy bars for snacks that are nutrient-rich and low in calories and fat. Avoid processed and packaged foods when possible, or buy snacks that have single-serving packets of 100 to 200 calories.
    • Healthy and easy snacks include nuts, rice cakes, fresh or dried fruits, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, and so on. Try combining string cheese with a handful of grapes, spreading peanut butter on a few crackers, or dipping sliced red pepper into a few tablespoons of hummus.
  4. Be mindful of what you drink. Sip on low-calorie 100% fruit juice, seltzer, or water instead of soft drinks, energy drinks, flavored coffees, and martinis. Cutting calories with substitutions can be a lot easier than you might think. For example, a tall latte in the morning may pack 500 calories. Since a pound of body fat (lost or gained) is roughly equivalent to 3,500 calories, replacing that rich beverage with black coffee can help you lose a pound per week. If you eat salad frequently, try substituting a low-fat vinaigrette for your ranch or blue cheese dressing. Similarly, cook with a tablespoon of olive oil instead of butter, for instance, or opt for skim milk instead of whole.
  5. Drink water. Drinking water instead of soda, coffee, alcohol, juice, or milk may help you cut hundreds of calories per day. Increasing your water intake can also help your body efficiently use nutrients, keep you energized, get the most benefit from your exercise routine, and feel full longer.
    • If you can handle substituting water for all other drinks for a week, you can expect faster weight loss and see dramatic improvement in energy levels and even appearance very quickly.