How To Lose Weight Fast

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By James S. Thornton

If you have gotten a little fatter over the years and are looking for a solution to your growing problem... don't feel too bad. You are not exactly alone.

Our modern lifestyles in combination with the easy access to all the food we want, have led to a world where obesity becomes a true pandemic. The pounds keep stacking up gradually over the years. It can be very distressing to wake up one morning, look in the mirror and all of a sudden realize you have gotten fat.

These days, everybody is trying to find out how to lose weight fast!

Your natural response is to want to fix the problem right here, right now. I understand completely.

I've been there myself. I have lived the weight loss lifestyle, so to speak.

While it is definitely possible to lose weight quickly, the question is... do you really want to?


How To Lose Weight Fast

Many people are asking themselves how to lose weight fast. But you do yourself a big favor by asking yourself how to lose weight healthily and permanently.

You see, losing weight fast can be hazardous to your health. The last thing you want to do is go on a crash diet where you simply cut half your calories and pretty much starve yourself to death.

This will cause your body to go into starvation mode, where it is trying to hang on to every calorie it can. The result is that you will stop getting results from a crash diet fairly quickly.

Also, once you start eating a normal amount of calories again, your body won't be able to cope with that because it was used to only half that amount.

The result is that the weight you have lost will come back right away. You can keep doing this forever, but you will achieve absolutely nothing.

This is called the yoyo-effect.

Fast Weight Loss

If you are serious about losing weight, you will want a permanent solution. One that doesn't cause you to lose all your energy and makes you unable to function in daily life.

The only solution is to cut your calories only slightly. Only by causing a small shortage of energy in your body, can you lose weight in a healthy and safe way.

You are going to need three basic ingredients in your life if you are going to lose weight successfully.

These are :

  1. Healthy Diet
  2. Regular Exercise
  3. Rest

Most people don't take the time to inform themselves and simply assume that exercising is the one miracle solution.

They figure, as long as they do plenty of exercise (say 6 days a week), they will lose weight and become slim and get those perfect six pack abs.

They think that if you do two hours of cardio per day, the fat will come flying off and stay off permanently.

Nothing is further from the truth. Do not make the mistake of relying to heavily on exercise.

Exercise is an absolute must, don't get me wrong. But straining your body beyond what it can take is going to work against you eventually.

Most people place to much emphasis on the exercise and not nearly enough on the diet!

You absolutely need to get informed about the nutrients in the various types of foods you eat. I cann't stress this enough!

Rapid Weight Loss

The calorie shortage you will be creating in your body, must come from your diet. Not from your exercise!

If only you make sure you are about 300-500 calories short per day, then you will lose weight gradually over time.

The exercise is there to make sure your metabolism is working optimally. You really need to have good metabolism so that your healthy diet does not go to waste on a suboptimal metabolism.

The calories you burn during exercise are nothing compared to what your body naturally burns daily just to keep everything on the inside going.

People totally overestimate the number of calories they burn while doing exercise. Don't think for one second that, if you take a walk around the block, you get to have a pizza and the effects of that are cancelled because of your walk.

It doesn't work that way.

When exercising, pay no attention to the number of calories you are burning. The numbers on the treadmill machine are just there to make it look all nice and shiny.

Exercise regularly, say 3 to 4 times per week, and start relying a little more on your diet.

As soon as I started doing that, I was getting way better results with much less effort.

When you are creating a shortage of a few hundred calories per day, the pounds will come off gradually over time.

Since one pound of fat equals around 3500 calories, you can burn one pound of pure fat in one week. Just as long as you make sure your daily calorie shortage is around 500.

Never go beyond that 500 calorie shortage. It will start working against you. One pound per week is as fast as you can realistically expect it to go!

Comments

RamonB profile image

RamonB 2 years ago

I'm always trying to loose a few pounds, so this is just the kind of Hub that interests me. Thanks for putting this info together.

James S. Thornton profile image

James S. Thornton Hub Author 2 years ago

You're welcome Ramon!

Always happy to help out other people whenever I can!

Joel Marison profile image

Joel Marison 2 years ago

You are right all those things above. Even if you are on an exercise program, you still need to watch your diet and this is particular true for obese people. Cut down on sugar and sweet (eliminate them if necessary). Carbs to the minimum. I have a student that lose fat by 30kgs in less than 6 months simply following my exercise plan and cut down sweet and sugar.

thefount profile image

thefount 2 years ago

I really appreciate this article. Thank you. Do you have a formula by which I can figure out my optimum caloric intake, and then subtract the 500 calories that you recommend?

James S. Thornton profile image

James S. Thornton Hub Author 2 years ago

@thefount:

Roughly speaking:

For sedentary people: Weight x 14 = estimated cal/day

For moderately active people: Weight x 17 = estimated cal/day

For active people: Weight x 20 = estimated cal/day

LondonGirl profile image

LondonGirl 2 years ago

Very low calories diets (600 or less a day) can and do work, though, contrary to the starvation idea you mention.

James S. Thornton profile image

James S. Thornton Hub Author 2 years ago

Yeah, they work for about a few days and you always bounce back.

The weight loss code has already been cracked. So why bother coming up with your diet & exercise plans?

My advice is free. Do with it what you will.

LondonGirl profile image

LondonGirl 2 years ago

The scientific research on VLCD doesn't support that.

James S. Thornton profile image

James S. Thornton Hub Author 2 years ago

Adverse effects of VLCD are mentioned here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Very_low_calorie_diet

Claudiazinc profile image

Claudiazinc 2 years ago

Hi there,

A lot of good information on your site. However I am an advocate for a contineous weight loss over a long time period. I work on 3 months at a time. Go for 5-10 pounds each 3 month period.

I reach my goal. I don't starve myself. And I eat Aunt Barb's carrot cake whenever I can, which is only every couple months.

I am starting a new nutrition/weight loss group on August 4th. Absolutely free. Yes I am a distributor but not trying to sell here. Trying to learn how to run a HUB.

Check me out at http://hubpages.com/profile/Claudiazinc

Keep going on your programs friends.

Whatever works, keep at it.

Claudia

Treadmill Traci 12 months ago

I am about 20 lbs over weight and have been on a controlled diet for 4 months now. I have cut 500 calories out each day and lost nearly 25 lbs.. I should be at my goald in no time! thanks for the tips!

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