How to Lose Weight Fast: 3 Simple Steps, Based on Science
How to Lose Weight Fast: 3 Simple Steps, Based on Science
That
said, many diet plans leave you feeling hungry or unsatisfied. These are major
reasons why you might find it hard to stick to a diet.
However,
not all diets have this effect. Low carb diets are effective for weight loss
and may be easier to stick to than other diets.
Here’s a
3-step weight loss plan that employs a low carb diet and aims to:
- significantly
reduce your appetite
- cause fast weight
loss
- improve your
metabolic health at the same time
1. Cut back on carbs
The most
important part is to cut back on sugars and
starches, or carbohydrates.
When you
do that, your hunger levels go down, and you generally end up eating
significantly fewer calories.
Instead
of burning carbs for energy, your body now starts burning stored fat for
energy.
Another
benefit of cutting carbs is that it lowers insulin levels,
causing the kidneys to shed excess sodium and water. This reduces bloating and
unnecessary water weight.
According
to some dietitians, it’s not uncommon to lose up to 10 pounds (4.5 kg) —
sometimes more — in the first week of eating this way. This weight loss
includes both body fat and water weight.
One study
in healthy women with obesity reported that a very low carb diet was more
effective than a low fat diet for short-term weight loss.
Research
suggests that a low carb diet can reduce appetite, which may lead you to eat
fewer calories without thinking about it or feeling hungry.
Put
simply, reducing carbs can lead to quick, easy weight loss.
SUMMARY Removing sugars and starches, or
carbs, from your diet can reduce your appetite, lower your insulin levels, and
make you lose weight without feeling hungry.
2. Eat protein, fat, and vegetables
Each one
of your meals should include a protein source, fat source, and low carb
vegetables.
As a
general rule, try eating two to three meals per day. If you find yourself
hungry in the afternoon, add a fourth meal.
Constructing
your meals in this way should bring your carb intake down
to around 20–50 grams per day.
To see
how you can assemble your meals, check out this low carb meal plan and
list of 101 healthy low carb
recipes.
Protein
Eating
plenty of protein is an essential part of this plan.
Evidence
suggests that eating lots of protein may boost calorie expenditure by 80–100
calories per day.
High
protein diets can also reduce cravings and obsessive thoughts about food by
60%, reduce the desire to snack late at night by half, and make you feel full.
In one study, people on a higher protein diet ate 441 fewer calories per day.
When it
comes to losing weight, protein is a crucial nutrient to
think about.
Healthy
protein sources include:
- Meat: beef,
chicken, pork, and lamb
- Fish and seafood: salmon,
trout, and shrimp
- Eggs: whole eggs
with the yolk
- Plant-based
proteins: beans,
legumes, and soy
Low carb
vegetables
Don’t be
afraid to load your plate with low carb vegetables. They are packed with
nutrients and you can eat very large amounts without going over 20–50 net carbs
per day.
A diet
based mostly on lean protein sources and vegetables contains all the fiber,
vitamins, and minerals you need to be healthy.
Many
vegetables are low in carbs, including:
- broccoli
- cauliflower
- spinach
- tomatoes
- kale
- Brussels sprouts
- cabbage
- Swiss chard
- lettuce
- cucumber
See a
full list of low carb vegetables here.
Healthy
fats
Don’t be
afraid of eating fats. Trying to do low carb and low fat at the same time can
make sticking to the diet very difficult.
Sources
of healthy fats include:
- olive oil
- coconut oil
- avocado oil
- butter
SUMMARY Assemble
each meal out of a protein source, fat source, and low carb vegetables. This
will generally put you in a carb range of 20–50 grams and significantly lower
your hunger levels.
3. Lift weights three times per week
You don't
need> to exercise to lose weight on this plan, but it will have extra
benefits.
By
lifting weights, you will burn lots of calories and prevent your metabolism
from slowing down, which is a common side effect of losing weight.
Studies
on low carb diets show that you can gain a bit of muscle while losing
significant amounts of body fat.
Try going
to the gym three to four times a week to lift weights. If you're new to the
gym, ask a trainer for some advice.
If
lifting weights is not an option for you, doing some cardio workouts like
walking, jogging, running, cycling, or swimming will suffice. Both cardio and weightlifting
can help with weight loss.
SUMMARY Resistance training, such as
weight lifting, may be the best option. If that’s not possible, cardio workouts
are also effective.
If you
need to, you can take one day off per week where you eat more carbs. Many
people choose to do this on Saturday.
It’s
important to stick to healthy carb sources like oats, rice, quinoa, potatoes,
sweet potatoes, and fruit. If you must have a cheat meal and eat something
unhealthy, do it on this day.
Limit
this to one higher carb day per week. If you aren’t reducing carbs enough, you
might not experience weight loss.
You might
gain some water weight during your refeed day, and you will generally lose it
again in the next 1–2 days.
SUMMARY Having one day each week where
you eat more carbs is acceptable, although not necessary.
What
about calories and portion control?
It’s not
necessary to count calories as long as you keep your carb intake very low and
stick to protein, fat, and low carb vegetables.
However,
if you want to count them, you can use a free online calculator like this one.
Enter
your sex, weight, height, and activity levels. The calculator will tell you how
many calories to eat per day to maintain your weight, lose weight, or lose
weight fast.
You can
also download free, easy-to-use calorie counters from websites and app stores.
Here is a list of 5 calorie
counters to try.
SUMMARY It’s not necessary to count
calories to lose weight on this plan. It’s most important to strictly keep your
carbs in the 20–50-gram range.
10 weight loss tips
Here are
10 more tips to lose weight faster:
1.
Eat a high protein breakfast. Eating
a high protein breakfast could
reduce cravings and calorie intake throughout the day.
2.
Avoid sugary drinks and fruit juice. These
are among the most fattening things you can put into your body.
3.
Drink water before meals. One study showed
that drinking water a half hour before meals increased weight loss by 44% over
3 months.
4.
Choose weight-loss-friendly foods. Some
foods are better for weight loss than others. Here is a list of 20 healthy
weight-loss-friendly foods.
5.
Eat soluble fiber. Studies show that soluble
fibers may promote weight loss. Fiber supplements like glucomannan can also help.
7.
Base your diet on whole foods. They are
healthier, more filling, and much less likely to cause overeating than
processed foods.
8.
Eat slowly. Eating quickly can lead to
weight gain over time, while eating slowly makes
you feel more full and boosts weight-reducing hormones.
9.
Weigh yourself every day. Studies show that
people who weigh themselves every day are much more likely to lose weight and
keep it off for a long time.
10.
Get good quality sleep. Sleep is important
formany reasons,
and poor sleep is one of the biggest risk factors for weight gain.
For more
tips on weight loss, read about 30 natural tips for
losing weight here.
SUMMARY Sticking to the three-step plan
allows for quick weight loss, and using other tips will make the diet plan even
more effective.
How fast will you lose weight?
You may
lose 5–10 pounds (2.3–4.5 kg) of weight — sometimes more — in the first week of
the diet plan, and then lose weight consistently after that.
If you're
new to dieting, weight loss may happen more quickly. The more weight you have
to lose, the faster you will lose it.
For the
first few days, you might feel a bit strange. Your body is used to running off
carbs, and it can take time for it to get used to burning fat instead.
Some
people experience the “keto flu,” or "low carb flu." It’s
usually over within a few days.
After the
first few days, most people report feeling very good, with even more energy
than before.
Aside
from weight loss, the low carb diet can improve your health in many ways:
- blood sugar levels
tend to significantly decrease on low carb diets
- triglycerides tend
to go down
- LDL (bad)
cholesterol goes down
- HDL (good)
cholesterol goes up
- blood pressure
improves significantly
- low carb diets can
be as easy to follow as low fat diets
SUMMARY Most
people lose a significant amount of weight on a low carb diet, but the speed
depends on the individual. Low carb diets also improve certain markers of
health, such as blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
The bottom line
By
reducing carbs and lowering insulin levels, you’ll likely experience reduced
appetite and hunger. This removes the main reasons it’s often difficult to
maintain a weight loss plan.
On this
plan, you can likely eat healthy food until you’re full and still lose a
significant amount of fat. The initial drop in water weight can lead to a drop
in the scales within a few days. Fat loss takes longer.
Studies
comparing low carb and low fat
diets suggest that a low carb diet might even make you lose up
to two to three times as much weight as a typical low fat, calorie-restricted
diet.
If you
have type 2 diabetes, talk to your healthcare provider before making changes,
as this plan can reduce your need for medication.
If you
want to try a low carb diet, check out these 7 healthy low carb meals that
you can make in 10 minutes or less.
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