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Quick Weight Loss Help

To lose weight quickly, your first instinct may be to adopt a strict diet and severe exercise regime. But experts warn against this type of weight loss. Northwestern Health Sciences University says that "losing weight slow and steady is the healthiest way to go." If you pick unreasonable goals, you are less likely to fulfill them.

  1. The Dangers of Overdoing It

    • Some strict diets disrupt your metabolism by making your body think it is starving to death. Your body will begin to conserve a higher percentage of calories for the creation of fat stores---exactly what you do not want.

      Also, a lack of proper nutrients and an insufficient amount of calories will inhibit muscle growth. You might believe that muscles will make you look bulky, but they actually take up 1/3 the space that fat does, pound for pound. Plus, muscles burn 25 times more calories than fat, even while you are resting.

    A Balanced Diet

    • Researchers at UCLA recommend making small lifestyle changes that include regular, reasonable workouts and a healthy, balanced diet. Since the only way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories than you burn, choose low-calorie sources that still provide you with all the nutrients you need for muscle growth. The U.S. Food Guide Pyramid is a good example of a healthy balanced diet.

    Regular Exercise

    • The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) says that, to lose a pound of weight, the average person would have to walk 30 miles. If you walk a mile a day, you will lose a pound a month. Over the course of a year, that adds up to 12 pounds. For that reason, the NIH recommends at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day.

      UCLA recommends running, brisk walking and swimming for those who want to lose weight rapidly. Aerobic exercises burn calories quickly. They also develop lean muscle, which will tone your body and give you more energy. Strength training exercises are beneficial as well. They are the quickest way to gain muscle mass.

    Achievable Goals

    • Finally, avoid the common pitfall of setting an unreasonable goal and then giving up when you can't reach it. Aim for a loss of one to two pounds a week. This is a sustainable goal that will keep your body's metabolism steady and foster a lifestyle that will help make your weight loss permanent.

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