There are basically 2 ways to lose weight fast.
To lose weight fast you will need to decrease your calorie intake or increase the rate at which your body is burning off the calories you consume.
To lose weight fast you need to perform some type of activity that will burn more calories than your usual daily routine.
This may be something you do not want to hear, but adding exercise to your daily routine is the fastest way to start burning more calories.
Altering or modifying your daily routine to include calorie burning activities will also help, but weight loss will be slower.
An example would be taking the stairs at work instead of the elevator.
Parking further away from your work place, so that you have to walk further coming and going.
The above are 2 simple adjustments in your day that will help you burn more calories and see a gradual decrease in your body weight.
However, if you want to lose weight fast you will need to increase the amount work you are doing by taking those walks multiple times per day, walking faster, or running into work and up the stairs.
Obviously, that is not a desirable activity first thing in the morning because we are typically dressed up for work and do not have the luxury of showering after we arrive at our place of work.
So some type of exercise that allows you to burn more calories in a short amount of time is the most desirable option if you want to lose weight fast.
Trying to lose weight fast by just dieting can actually slow your weight loss. When you decrease your calorie intake below what your body needs to maintain a healthy state your metabolism will start slowing down to help maintain the nutritional needs of your vital organs.
Basically, your body starts shutting down, so that it can survive on the amount of calories you are consuming. This is how bears and other animals hibernate in the winter and survive.
Adding exercise to your day will burn more calories and boost your metabolism by increasing your lean muscle mass. Increasing your lean muscle mass will help burn more calories even at rest by boosting your metabolism.
How much exercise is required to lose weight fast?
Consider that 3,500 calories equals one pound. So if you want to lose one pound per week you would have to burn off 500 calories a day for 7 days or decrease your calorie intake 250 calories and burn 250 calories.
If your goal is to lose two pounds per week, you will need to decrease your calorie intake 1000 calories or combine calorie reduction with activity that burns more calories and boost your metabolic rate.
Trying to lose weight fast with exercise and decreasing the calories you consume is the best option.
If you are consuming an average of 3000 calories per day, then decreasing your calorie intake by 500 calories and performing exercise that burns 500 calories should help you lose about two pounds per week.
Losing one pound per week or even two pounds per week does not seem like much; however, this is weight loss that you should be able to maintain as long as you stick with your diet and exercise plan.
If you have not been exercising for some time, trying to do too much too soon can lead to fatigue, sore muscles and even injury. This will just set you back and delay achieving your weight loss goals. Failure to quickly achieve your weight loss goals can result in frustration and the loss of motivation to keep exercising and watching your diet.
You did not gain that excess weight, overnight, and it will take some time lose it and keep it off in a healthy way.
The first step in your quest to lose weight fast is to know how much you want to lose and how much time you have to lose it. Some preparation in advance, will increase your success at losing weight in a short amount of time.
Losing 1-2 pounds per week is a reasonable goal for achieving healthy weight loss.
If you are wanting to lose 10 pounds for an upcoming event then you will need to start your weight loss program at least 10 weeks in advance.
Keeping a journal for 1-2 weeks of the foods you eat and how many calories those foods contain will give you a good picture of your average daily calorie intake. This will also make it easier to see where you can decrease portions or cut out snacks that are adding significant calories to your daily intake.
It may not take you long to see where you are consuming at least an extra 500 calories per day and did not realize it.
Include your daily activity in your journal. Write down what you did from when you got out of bed until you go to bed at night.
The objective is to look for ways to add calorie burning activity to your daily regimen without interfering with other daily task that demand your attention.
By keeping a journal, you will have a clearer picture of how adjustments can be made in how you eat, what you eat, and eliminating unhealthy calories that are keeping you looking fat and overweight.
You will be able to pinpoint activities that can be modified to burn more calories or finding time you didn't know you had that would allow you to walk, run, or workout for 15, 30 or 60 minutes per day.
To get healthy and stay healthy it is recommended you perform some type of activity that gets your heart rate up to about 70 percent of maximum predicted for at least 30 minutes three times per week. Your maximum predicted heart rate is 220 minus your age times 0.70 (220 - age in years x 0.70). So if you are 30 years old, then your goal heart rate would be 133.
The above is just a recommendation and is not something you should attempt to achieve the first day of your weight loss plan. Make it your long term goal.
The key is to just get started doing something and with time you will begin to experience gradual weight loss, you will look more toned, and feel healthier. This progress will keep you motivated and committed to sticking with your weight loss program.
By continuing some form of exercise program and monitoring your calorie intake you will be better prepared the next time something comes up that makes you want to lose an extra 10 pounds to fit into those clothes you have not worn in years. You will know what you need to do because you now know how your body is going to respond to changes in your diet and daily activity. Your body will already be accustomed to doing some exercise, so you will not be at risk of setbacks from injury and frustration.
Get started, today, by focusing on the following:
1.) Where are you now - journal to discover what your average day looks like as far as calories in, calories out and activity level.
2.) Get more active - where and how can you change your daily activity to burn more calories.
3.) Time management - look for a time you can add exercise to your day, even if you have to include family.
4.) Establish goals - how much weight do you want to lose and how much time do you have to do it.
5.) Plan - create your weight loss plan based upon your knowledge that decreasing your calorie intake 250 per day and burning 250 calories per day will help you lose one pound per week.
6.) Reward - stay motivated and reward yourself for even the smallest progress.
7.) Do it for the Health of it - there are many reasons each of us want to lose weight. Make it your primary focus to exercise and eat healthy everyday. Getting healthy and staying healthy will result in healthy weight loss that doesn't keep showing back up when you least expect it.
Before starting any exercise program, talk to your doctor.
Being overweight is a risk factor for heart disease and the last thing you want to do is start exercising or doing other activity that could cause you to have a heart attack.
On a more positive side, exercise and weight loss will help protect you from developing heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, or suffering a stroke.
If your primary care doctor approves, start your exercise routine by just walking briskly or some low impact exercise that is easy for beginners. Starting out slow will help build your confidence and decrease the muscle soreness you may experience when first starting out.
Remember, if you focus on just getting and staying healthy the weight loss will come.
