Quick Weight Loss Ideas

Fast weight loss is rarely a good idea. In most cases, the weight loss is only temporary and side effects, such as weakness, dizziness, rapid heart rate and other problems can show up as a result of crash dieting. Still, if you need to lose weight fast for a special event, and you are in good health, there are some things you can do to speed up the process.

Crash and Fad Diets

• Many of the fad and low calorie diets out there have something in common: they all work for a very short period of time. Fad and crash diets, in which you consume a very small number of calories for a few days, are meant to help you reduce your weight quickly, usually for an event. Because weight that is lost quickly is usually water weight (fat is slow to disappear), most of the weight lost is likely to come back once you're off the diet and back to your normal eating habits. However, if you need a quick fix for an upcoming festivity, a crash diet done well can help.

  Crash diets are better known by names as the chicken soup diet, the grapefruit diet or the cabbage soup diet. Most of them consist of eating a single item throughout the day and then having a light dinner of lean protein and vegetables to end the day. These diets are extremely low in calories and usually restrict the consumption of salt and caffeine, which retain liquid. If you're taking a multivitamin and generally eating healthy, a crash diet of two or three days may help you break out of a plateau and lose water weight, get you motivated to keep going and make you feel less bloated. Just remember to drink lots of water and immediately stop if you're feeling weak or dizzy. Never follow an extreme diet for more than three days.

  Juice cleansers are a healthier version of a crash diet. Here, you're allowed to drink as many glasses of vegetable and fruit juice (except for high sugar fruits like oranges and grapes) throughout the day, but no solid foods, no caffeine and no artificial sugars or processed foods. Juice cleansers are good for clearing out your digestive system (they may cause diarrhea in some cases) and can result in weight loss if done for a few days.

Interval Training

• Quick is relative and if your goal is to lose fat rather than simply reduce the number on the scale, you're better off heading to the gym. Losing weight the healthy way will take longer, but you can end up losing up to two pounds a week if you lower your calorie intake while keeping an exercise routine going.

  Interval training is the best form of exercise for weight loss. It works by alternating short bursts of high energy with lower intensity but consistent exercise. This can be done with any activity, so you can still enjoy any form of exercise you like. For example, you can do one minute of running followed by three minutes of power walking. If you're an absolute beginner, you can start with one minute of power walking and then three minutes of regular stroll-like walking. Interval training speeds up your metabolism and helps you lose weight faster, even when you're at rest.

  To increase the effects of exercise even more, try adding a weight training routine. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so resistance training is important no matter your age or sex.