Quick Weight Loss Techniques

Our bodies lose weight when we consume fewer calories than we burn. Many diets claim to provide rapid results, but the truth is that small changes to your daily routine and eating habits are the best way to lose weight quickly. If you stick to a plan that incorporates regular exercise and a healthy, balanced diet, you will enjoy quick and permanent weight loss.

Dieting Techniques

• First, avoid high-calorie foods. Fast food, pasta, heavy cream sauces, fatty meats and sugary beverages are examples of foods that will quickly ruin your weight loss program. Instead, choose low-fat, low-calorie foods that will provide your body with the nutrients it needs to build lean muscle and give you energy.

  Do not starve yourself. Instead, eat five or six small meals a day. SNAC, a UCLA health advisory committee, says that the best way to keep your body's metabolism steady is to spread out your caloric intake over the day. This fools your body into thinking it is eating as many calories as it usually does. If your body believes it is starving, it will lower its metabolism and try to increase fat stores.

  Eat a healthy balanced diet. For example, the U.S. Food Guide Pyramid diet supplies all the basic nutrients you need and minimizes the unhealthy foods that sabotage weight loss. A healthy, balanced diet will incorporate fruits, vegetables, lean meats, low-fat dairy, nuts, seeds and plenty of water.

Exercise Techniques

• High-intensity aerobic exercises will help you rapidly shed fat. But even if you can't get to the gym, you can still exercise a little bit every day and lose weight. The Harvard School of Public Health says that even 30 minutes of brisk walking a day will lead to noticeable changes in your weight and overall health. If you do not like to walk, you can choose any exercise that provides you with moderate-intensity aerobic activity---any exercise that makes you break a sweat but doesn't prevent you from being able to carry on a conversation.

  Also, consider adding some strength training to your workouts. Even in a resting state, muscle burns more calories than fat. The more muscular you are, the easier it is to create a calorie deficit and lose weight.

Other Weight Loss Techniques

• The Harvard School of Public Health recommends that dieters set reasonable goals. Aim for losing 1/2 a pound to a pound a week. Also, the Harvard researchers suggest paying careful attention to portion sizes. Restaurant meals typically supply two to three times more food than the average person needs in one meal.