Fast & Healthy Weight Loss

A successful weight-loss plan takes education, determination and will power. Reduce your size by learning which foods you should eat and which ones to avoid, which is the most effective workout for weight loss and how hydration plays an important role in dropping weight. Slash your caloric intake, and set your weight loss goal to get results fast.

Drink Water

• Water is a crucial component to weight loss because it promotes healthy kidney function. Your liver takes care of keeping your metabolism running, while at the same time, monitoring your kidneys. The liver converts stored fat into energy. However, when the kidneys are water-deprived, the liver has to take over kidney function because the kidneys aren't working as efficiently. This causes the liver to slow the metabolism and fat-conversion.

  How much water is enough to generate weight loss? The old standard 64 ounces of water each day is sufficient. This amount keeps your kidneys occupied so your liver can continue pumping your metabolism. If you get bored of drinking water, try adding a slice of lemon or drinking no calorie flavored water.

Lift Weights

• Strength and weight training develops lean muscle that burns calories---even during rest. Three pounds of muscle burns 120 calories during rest, and working out with light to medium weights burns up to 10 calories per minute.

  You don't have to be a bodybuilder to benefit from muscle. Just work out with weights or do strength-training through Pilates, or yoga three or four times a week will help to tone and tighten your muscles.

  Increase your results and include 45 minutes of cardio training into your strength training routine for maximum calorie burn. Run, walk or cycle your way to weight loss.

Eat Your Fruit and Vegetables

• Fiber-rich foods help you lose weight because many high-fiber foods are low in calories but fill you up faster.

  Fiber-dense foods include wheat bran, beans, broccoli, spinach, apples and grapefruit. Eat five to six fruit and vegetable servings per day, which means you need to get your greens (and reds, oranges and yellows) at every meal.

  Lose weight fast by steaming, roasting or eating your fruit and vegetables raw. Avoid topping them with sauces or deep-frying them because that will add unwanted fat and calories. A tasty way to eat cooked vegetables is with one teaspoon of olive oil and a dash of sea salt to bring out the natural flavor of the vegetable.