Rapid & Safe Weight Loss

As a general rule, you can either lose weight fast or you can lose it safely. Most crash diets or extreme weight loss programs that lead to rapid weight loss are not considered safe by medical professionals. If you're willing to give up your dreams of losing 10 pounds in a week, though, there are ways you can speed up weight loss or get your body losing again after you hit a plateau.

Give Up Carbs

• Low-carb diets cause weight loss by forcing your body to feed on fat to produce the energy that it would normally obtain from carbs. These diets also level your blood sugar, reducing the need for the body to produce insulin, which in turn leads to weight gain. Low-carb diets also cause weight loss because you're basically eating fewer calories--since proteins and fats are filling, you will eat less, thus reducing your overall daily intake of calories.

  Low-carb diets are not a good idea for long periods of time, as your body needs carbohydrates for energy production, which includes keeping not only your body going but also your brain alert, according to the Mayo Clinic. For short periods of time, however, low carb diets can be the answer to rapid weight loss. In general terms, low carb diets require you to give up all sweets, grain products, pasta, fruits and starchy vegetables (like corn, carrots and potatoes). Instead, you focus on proteins, including meats, dairy products and eggs. In some diets, like Atkins, dairy products are limited because they contain lactose, which is a form of sugar. Other diets, like the South Beach and GI (glycemic index) diet, allow whole grains and most vegetables.

Give Up Solids

• Extreme diets like the cabbage soup diet or a juice fast are not healthy and, though they cause weight loss, this loss is likely to be temporary and mostly water. As you go back to your regular diet, the weight will come back quickly. Instead, try diet or protein shakes, sold over the counter at pharmacies, health food stores or gyms. Shakes come in two forms: powder or liquid for mixing, or in ready-to-drink cans. The powder can be mixed with water or skim milk at home and usually comes in different flavors, such as chocolate and strawberry. To follow a safe, but effective, liquid diet, drink three to four shakes a day to replace breakfast, lunch and snacks. Then have a light dinner, focusing on non-starchy vegetables and lean protein, such as chicken or fish. Using a similar method of dieting on 301 test subjects over a 12-week period, doctors at the UCLA School of Medicine found that the male subjects lost an average of 18.4 lbs., while females lost 14 lbs.