How to Lose Weight Fast and Keep It Off

Losing weight can be a challenge and keeping it off after you’ve lost it is often just as difficult. When it comes to weight loss, especially fat loss, there needs to be a combination of the right diet along with resistance training. There are many things that can help you and hurt you when it comes to weight loss, but here are 10 tips on how to lose weight fast that can help just about anyone.

1. Do NOT starve yourself – Many people think weight loss is strictly about creating a calorie deficit. This is true to some degree, but in order to lose weight and keep it off, you need to nourish your body with the right foods. When you put yourself through extreme, low calorie diets, your body goes into “starvation” mode and begins to store excess fat and slow your metabolism. It does this because it thinks you are going to STARVE if it continues to burn calories at a normal pace.

2. Limit your starchy carbs – Starchy carbs like white rice, white bread, tortillas, chips, etc make losing fat difficult. Help yourself by packing your diet with non-starchy carbs like vegetables! Brown rice and wheat bread are OK too, but don’t overdo it.

3. Consume more protein, fiber and water – Protein provides your muscles with the nourishment it needs to grow and stay healthy. Weight loss doesn’t do much good if you’re just losing muscle! Fiber has numerous benefits, and ironically, most people don’t eat enough fiber! Fiber helps you feel fuller, controls blood sugar, reduces the risk of stroke, improves skin, increases heart health, and more! Check out this article to learn more about the benefits of fiber.

4. Get a good night’s sleep – Your body does most of it’s growing and repairing during sleep, not while you’re at the gym or exercising outside. Without a good 7-9 hours of sleep every night, you’ll be stuck wondering how to lose weight. Allow your body the time it needs to get healthier. Go to bed!

5. Start a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) program – Countless studies have proven that HIIT is more effective in a shorter amount of time than steady state cardio. If you’re trying to lose weight for a wedding, reunion or just because, High Intensity Interval Training is the fastest way.

6. Limit your sweets – Obviously if you’re wondering how to lose weight, eating cookies, candy and cake isn’t the way to do it. However, the real key is to watch out for hidden sugars in places like juice, high sugar fruits, and yogurt. Avoid anything with a high sugar content. Some classic sugar risks are pop, candy, dried fruit, fruit yogurt, granola bars and cereal. Be sure to check the nutrition facts before you mow down on a “healthy” snack.

7. Don’t avoid weight lifting – People often avoid lifting weights because they’re so worried about their weight going up. Building muscle is a good thing, and an essential thing when it comes to how to lose weight and keep it off. Muscle naturally burns more calories than fat, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn throughout the day. You will see a drastic difference in how you look (which is typically what people care about when it comes to exercise) if you start focusing on building muscle and lowering your body fat percentage, rather than just looking at your weight.

8. Try to keep your stress LOW – Stress raises Cortisol levels which can increase hunger and cravings for things you shouldn’t be eating! Try some de-stressing activities like yoga or tai chi. Even things like a hot shower, reading, and meditation will help.

9. Consider working with a personal trainer – Personal trainers will ensure that you have an effective and efficient workout. They also work hard to provide the right motivation and encouragement while monitoring your form to keep you injury free. If you’re new to weight lifting or exercising, this is a very important step towards getting healthier and losing weight.

10. Pick a time you can exercise at consistently – Exercising requires a habit. The easiest way to stick to your work out is to find a time that works for you almost every day. Don’t try to just wing it whenever you’re available. Block off 30-60 minutes on your work out days and stick to those times. Make it a routine.

If you’re always wondering how to lose weight fast, this is a great place to start. There are many things that contribute to weight loss, and every person is different, however, if you stick to these guidelines, you will see results.