A lot of people in a lot of places continue to struggle with their weight. While some are concerned with how to put on some pounds, many continue in their search for effective ways on how to shed them. And for many, it’s not just a matter of how to lose weight, but more importantly, how to lose weight fast.

To lose or not to lose?

So, how does one lose weight? Experts say that before you entertain the idea of “how to lose weight really fast”, you first need to decide if you really want to lose weight. You will have to psyche yourself to the fact that this will greatly affect your lifestyle and, as with other changes in life, it will be difficult… but not impossible.

Once you have successfully convinced yourself to lose weight, the battle is half won.

How much, how long?

The next decision you have to make next is how much weight you want to lose over how long a period.

You can lose up to 10 pounds in as short as three days, but this is just “water weight”, or the amount of stored water in your body. As such, this is temporary and the lost pounds will return as soon as you are fully rehydrated and have replenished your stores to normal levels.

You can also lose a significant amount of weight in a span of 30 days. The weight lost in this period is more body fat that water weight, so the loss is also more noticeable.

While many rely on self-help books or the word of friends and loved ones who have had experience in losing weight, it would also be wise to consult health professionals, like your family physician or a nutritionist, for safe and effective ways of how to lose a lot of weight fast.

Ready? Go!

So, now that you’ve decided to lose weight and set your sights on how much to lose and the amount of time to work on losing your excess weight, it’s time to take the next step: STARTING the weight loss process.

Here are some tips on how to lose weight fast:

• Be mindful of your calorie intake. You need to burn more calories than your intake. For example, if you burn 500 calories more than your intake, you will lose a pound of fat every seven days. If you limit your calorie intake to 1, 200 a day while exercising for about an hour daily, you can say goodbye to about 3-5 pounds during the first week, probably more if you’re over 250 pounds.
• Keep salt and starches to a minimum. If you want to know another good way how to lose weight super fast, consider this: limit your intake of starches and salt. This will significantly reduce your body’s ability for fluid retention. This will translate to an additional loss of about 5 pounds in water weight.
• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Optimal water intake improves body metabolism. That means, drinking more water triggers the body to burn more fat at a faster rate. So, drink up and drink more.
• Choose a diet plan and stick to it. There are many popular ready-made diet plans available. They vary in approaches to weight loss but are all well researched. These come in handy if you do not have enough time to do your own diet plan to meet your expectations. However, it is encouraged that you work on designing your personal diet plan as this gives you the advantage of knowing how and why you lose weight when you eat certain foods or do a particular activity. A personal plan, if done properly, also reinforces your motivation to keep good on your decision to shed those unwanted pounds.
• Don’t starve yourself. Contrary to popular belief, skipping meals or starving yourself will not make you lose weight faster. What it does, actually, is signal the body to ease up on the calorie burn and avoid using up your body’s fat reserves. Instead, eat small portions spread throughout the day. This will boost your metabolism, signaling the body to use up its energy reserves (read: fats) as there is a sufficient energy source available.

  Also, you tend to overeat when you skip a meal as your hunger pangs will make you think that you need more food to compensate for the missed meal. An erratic calorie intake will definitely screw up your body’s metabolism.

• Always have breakfast. It is often said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The reason for this is that it makes sure that energy is immediately resupplied to the body after sleeping, thus preventing the body from starving.
• Eat smart. If you’re still looking for ideas how to lose weight fast and easy, one sure way is to eat healthy and smart. For example, instead of eating a bag of potato chips for snack time, why not munch on your favorite fruit? Or instead of drinking soda or beer with your meal, why not have some water or a fresh fruit juice to wash it all down? Also, eat at least a serving of vegetables with your meat dish. You can also eat healthy by avoid processed foods and fast food joints. Instead, look for places that serve home-cooked meals.
• Combine some form of regular exercise with your diet. While you can lose weight by following a certain form of diet plan, you stand to lose a more substantial amount and at a much faster rate if you include a form of regular exercise to your weight loss plan. Experts suggest cardio, high intensity interval training, and/or strength training workouts, by themselves or when combined, can zap the fat faster than other workouts, especially when done regularly.
• Find a weight loss partner. It can be your spouse, girlfriend, boyfriend, partner, parent, child, sibling, BFF, officemate, boss, or subordinate. Just make sure that this you can trust this person to hold you accountable for your weight loss efforts and be comfortable with it. Having someone to support you through this rigorous life change can make the whole process bearable. And that for some might just make a difference.

  If you think this set-up will strain your relationship with your loved one, or make thing weird at work, it’s time to look for a professional trainer or weight loss coach in your vicinity. Having one can ease the difficulty of coming up with your personal weight loss plan. They not only push you to more reps on your exercises, but can help with your food preparations as well.

• Allow yourself a “cheat” day. To be realistic with your diet plan, allow for one day a week to indulge a bit. While it is easy for some to maintain their strict dietary regimen, the rest of the world finds it really difficult to stick to the diet plan. Also, a cheat day acts like an emotional release valve for when the pressure of keeping your diet and counting your calories builds up to dangerous levels. Having a cheat day, however, does not give you a license to binge on junk food. The idea is to merely satisfy a craving, all in moderation, of course.
• Chew, don’t gobble. Chewing your food makes sure the body will be able to properly digest it. This also gives your body enough time to realize that it is full.
• Make a list. Keeping a daily diet journal can be a big help in keeping track of your calorie intake.

Will this really work?

Okay, so you probably are thinking how much work is involved in losing weight, or if these ideas would really work. Well, many, if not all, of these suggestions have been either made by a weight loss expert or were taken from experiences of various individuals.

Of course, there are other “easier” ways to lose weight fast, like taking detoxification pills, surgery, laxatives, or suspicious herbal brews; or, one that relies on fasting or food deprivation. Be warned: these can be hazardous to your health and well-being. Health care professionals say that going lower than the normal range of 1, 050 to 1, 200 daily caloric intake will not really help. While it eliminates fat, you also end up losing precious muscle tissue. This is not good because muscle tissue loss slows down your metabolism and makes it difficult for you to intensify and sustain your exercise routines.

The time spent ridding yourself of the targeted amount of unwanted body fat is relative: it is faster for some, slower for others. It actually depends on a lot of things, most significant to consider would be safety, sustainability, and motivation. Weight loss programs that seem too good to be true probably are. In the off chance that it delivers on its promise of your desired weight loss, try looking at what it cost you to get it. Maybe you’ll even regret doing it in the first place.

It will take some discipline, determination and hard work on your part. It will be difficult, but not impossible. It will be worth it. So, if you want to know how to lose weight very fast, consider taking these steps towards better health and a lighter you.

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