If you wish to lose weight, you are
not alone. Approximately half of the world’s population is facing the problem. The
first thing to notice is that every one wants to get rid of extra weight as
soon as possible. But one thing to remember is that healthy and overweight are
two different things. If you are healthy and fit, just forget about losing
weight.
If generally you are healthy and
just want to lose some fats. Then it is quite simple. Following few steps you
can get rid of extra fats.
Fad Diets
The purpose of most fad diets is to promote rapid weight loss that you
can see almost overnight. Fad diets are short-term solutions; if you stay on a
fad diet for more than a few days, you could cause your body serious harm. You
should always consult your healthcare provider before beginning any kind of
weight loss program to make sure your body can take the added strain to its
system. Here are some popular fad diets with simple instructions that claim to
result in fast, short-term weight loss.
The Water Diet: This diet involves
drinking a daily total of about 64 fluid ounces (8 cups) of cold (preferably
refrigerated) water, at regular intervals.
- Drink a glass of water before each meal and before each snack to suppress your appetite by making you feel fuller.
- Do not add sweeteners or flavorings to your water.
- Do not replace meals with water.
- Take a daily multivitamin to replenish the nutrients lost through more frequent urination.
Juice Detox Diet, Juice
Fast, or Hollywood Diet: Although there are many variations on a juice
detoxification fast or crash diet, they generally last for one to three days.
- You can only drink fruit and vegetable juices on this type of fad diet.
- Some variations of this diet involve taking vitamins or nutrients along with the juices, while others let you have a single meal per day.
- The juices are meant to help your body flush out toxins and eliminate several pounds of (mostly) water weight from your system.
The Master Cleanse,
Maple Syrup Diet, or Lemonade Diet: This fad diet is a
liquid-only diet.
- Drink approximately 6 to 12 glasses of a special mixture of lemonade, cayenne pepper, water, and maple syrup each day.
- You will also drink a cup of herbal laxative tea twice a day.
- There is an optional period of easing into this fad diet, as well as an easing-out process.
- It should only be done for very short-term weight loss and is supposed to function as a detoxifying cleanse rather than a strict weight-loss routine.
- There is also an optional salt-water flush that can be incorporated into this diet.
The Cabbage Soup Diet: This diet claims it
can help you lose up to 10 pounds in one week.
- It involves eating a low-fat, high fiber diet.
- You mainly eat a special type of cabbage soup, but you can also have moderate portions of certain fruits and vegetables, occasional meats and rice, a minimum of 4 glasses of water and a multivitamin each day.
- This diet lasts 7 days and is not recommended as a permanent solution for long-term weight loss because of the lack of nutrients you consume on it.
The Salt-Free Diet: This diet helps you
lose water weight by eliminating water retention in the body.
- On this diet, you cannot have any salt, which includes not only table salt, but also all the added sodium found in pre-packaged and prepared foods.
- This involves preparing sodium-free products at home or avoiding processed foods all together, which also means avoiding eating out at restaurants.
- It also involves drinking up to 2 liters (about 8 cups) of water each day to replenish essential bodily fluids, although green tea is also allowed in moderation.
- Many prepared foods have as much as 30% of your daily value. You get your daily requirement of sodium from a healthy diet; too much can cause you to retain water weight.
- Because some dietary salt is essential for good health, the Salt-Free Diet should not be followed for more than one to two weeks.
- It's important to note that this diet is more effective for those people who tend to retain water more easily than others. If you're not sure whether you're particularly prone to water retention, pay attention to your hands and feet the next time you eat something salty. If your rings are more difficult to take off, or your shoes become tighter after a salty meal, those are signs that your body is sensitive to sodium.
The HCG Diet: This diet combines
injections or supplements of HCG (human chorionic gonaotropin) with a severely
restricted calorie intake.
- The calorie restriction alone (only 500 to 800 calories per day) is enough to promote weight loss in most people; it is significantly under the recommended daily calorie allowance, even for people attempting to lose weight.
- HCG is not monitored by the FDA, and can have unpleasant side effects in many people.
- Those who follow this diet typically gain the weight back immediately after stopping it
Change
general nutrition and lifestyle habits. Adopting a number of simple but
significant dietary and behavioral changes can be enough to jump-start weight
loss for many people. Combining the suggestions below with your short-term diet
plan will enhance your chances of reaching your weight-loss goals faster and
maintaining those results in the long-term.
Develop a healthy and personalized meal plan. Figure out how much you should be
eating by scheduling a consultation with a dietitian or a physician to discuss
your weight loss goals, special dietary needs, current eating habits, and
potential areas for improvement.
- Choose meals that have a healthy balance of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean proteins. A typical dinner plate should be filled with half vegetables or fruits, half whole grains and lean protein.
Plan your meals in advance. This can help you incorporate more
nutritious foods into your diet and limit your calorie intake.
Determine your daily calorie needs. Your individual calorie needs will
vary based on age, gender, height, and activity level. Knowing exactly how much
your target daily intake is will help you stick to your diet.
- Monitor the number of calories and grams of fat you consume each day and try not to exceed USDA guidelines.
Keep a food diary. Write down every meal, snack, and drink you consume as
well as the approximate quantities for an entire week.
- When possible, write down the number of calories in each food you eat as you eat it.
- Keep in mind that the recommended serving size is often considerably smaller than the serving you actually eat.
- Don’t forget to include coffee mix-ins, condiments, and other additions to your daily diet.
- Once you have done this, you should be able to estimate your typical daily calorie intake and compare it to your goal with an online calorie calculator.
Identify your food triggers and plan accordingly. Careful planning can help you
avoid trigger foods and empty calorie traps you may have identified in your
food journal. If you don’t purchase these foods or if you plan meals in
advance, you will be less likely to sabotage your diet when pressed for time.
Watch your portion sizes. Look for healthy, delicious meal
and snack ideas online or in cookbooks, and create a menu for the week. Make a
list of what you'll need for these meals, and don't stray from your list when
you get to the grocery store. Looking at market circulars can also give you
ideas and even cut costs by buying weekly sale items and seasonal produce.
- Incorporate appropriate portion sizes into your meal plan. For instance, a healthy snack of almonds and dried cranberries can turn into a huge calorie source if you don’t pay attention to quantities. Also, preparing pre-apportioned healthy snacks can help you avoid mindless overeating and can make it convenient to grab a healthy snack.
Don’t skip meals. Eating a healthy breakfast increases your rest
metabolic rate earlier in the day, keeps your energy levels high, and may help
you resist the urge of high-calorie snacks throughout the day. Plan to eat a
snack or meal every 2 to 4 hours to keep your metabolism active. Eating
regularly also keeps your blood sugar stable and reduces unhealthy calorie
binges or deviations from your meal plan.
Select smart substitutes for unhealthy sources of fat,
sugar, and calories. Most foods
have healthier counterparts that will allow you to enjoy your favorite foods
without unnecessary fat, sugar, and calories. Exchanging high-calorie and
high-fat foods and drinks for healthier alternatives can help you lose weight
faster.
Snack smartly. Swap potato chips and candy bars for snacks that are
nutrient-rich and low in calories and fat. Avoid processed and packaged foods
when possible, or buy snacks that have single-serving packets of 100 to 200
calories. Healthy and easy snacks include nuts, rice cakes, fresh or dried
fruits, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, and so on. Vegetables are generally very
low in calories, very high in fiber, and full of flavor and nutrition, but
avoid fatty dressings or dips. Fruit provides a good source of soluble fiber,
releasing energy more slowly and keeping you feeling full longer. Low-fat dairy
products, such as yogurt or cheddar cheese, can also be healthy snacks in
moderation. Try combining string cheese with a handful of grapes, spreading
peanut butter on a few crackers, or dipping sliced red pepper into a few
tablespoons of hummus.
Sip on low-calorie 100% fruit juice, seltzer, or water
instead of soft drinks, energy drinks, flavored coffees, and martinis. Cutting calories with
substitutions can be a lot easier than you might think. For example, a tall
latte in the morning may pack 500 calories. Since a pound of body fat (lost or
gained) is roughly equivalent to 3,500 calories, replacing that rich beverage
with black coffee can help you lose a pound per week. If you eat salad
frequently, try substituting low-fat vinaigrette for your ranch or blue cheese
dressing. Similarly, cook with a tablespoon of olive oil instead of butter, for
instance, or opt for skim milk instead of whole.
Choose lean meats. Poultry and fish are naturally low in fat, and
certain fish like salmon, sardines, and fresh tuna are excellent sources of
antioxidants and Omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial to your health. Ask
your butcher for lean cuts of beef or pork if you choose to buy them, and trim
visible fat from meat before cooking. Consider eating vegetarian a few days
each week. By replacing meat with nutritious foods like beans, tofu, or
lentils, you can cut significant amounts of your daily calorie intake while
adding many nutrients to your diet.
Replace high-calorie side dishes with healthier
alternatives. For
instance, exchange cheesy pasta or mashed potatoes with steamed vegetables or
salad.
Drinking water instead of soda, coffee, alcohol,
juice, or milk may help you cut hundreds of calories per day. Increasing your water intake can
also help your body efficiently use nutrients, keep you energized, get the most
benefit from your exercise routine, and feel full longer. If you can handle
substituting water for all other drinks for a week, you can expect faster
weight loss and see dramatic improvement in energy levels and even appearance
very quickly.
Avoid tempting grocery aisles. Avoid the areas in the grocery
store that stock sodas, cookies, ice cream, pizzas, and other fattening and
highly processed foods, so that you are less likely to purchase unhealthy
options.
Prepare your meals at home instead of buying fast food.
The Mayo Clinic Diet: This plan was developed by the
world-renowned medical research and treatment clinic to jump-start weight loss
and promote a long-term plan for healthy and sustainable weight loss. It
advertises a possible weight loss of up to 10 pounds in the first week,
although results slow afterwards. This is one of the few diet plans with
immediate weight loss results that are healthy to maintain in the long-term. It
focuses on breaking unhealthy habits, creating healthy habits, and learning to
eat and exercise well for life.
Remember,
you can lose weight either by decreasing your calorie intake or increasing the
number of calories you burn. Any health strategy should include both, but if
you want to lose weight fast, exercise is essential. Small changes to your
activity level can add up over the course of a day, and can start making an
impact on your weight within as little as a week.
Make time for exercise. By making time for exercise and
other healthy, productive activities, you can avoid temptation to overeat.
- Make chores exercise opportunities. Do your own gardening; wash your car to burn calories and get things done around the house.
- Don't pick the most convenient parking spot. Park further from the entrance when you go shopping.
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Be realistic about the type of exercise you can do
when starting a new program.
- Don’t be discouraged if you have to start out slowly; you can always adjust your routine as you gain skills and confidence.
- Even short time intervals of circuit training that combine cardio and fat-burning activities can trim inches off of your waist, arms, and thighs in 2 weeks or less. Participants in Chris Freytag’s 2 week trial lost up to 10 pounds and as many inches when tested by Prevention magazine readers, with up to 5 pounds lost in the first week after only 6 sessions of 20 minutes each. Many women’s and health magazines as well as personal trainers offer similar condensed workout routines designed to maximize weight loss and visible physical slimming within only a few days of beginning the regimen.
Adopt a targeted exercise program.
- Fat-burning cardio routines can help you lose fat quickly, while weight and resistance training can trigger your metabolism to use energy more efficiently.
- Fat-burning exercise routines help you drop fat quickly by targeting fat loss. Having a healthy and balanced diet in combination with moderate fat-burning exercise is essential to prevent muscle loss. Try routines that are heavy on cardio. In order to lose a pound of fat, you must burn 3,500 calories. The most effective fat-burning routines contain short bursts of high-intensity workouts with interspersed periods of rest. These are also called interval workouts.
Variety in an exercise regimen is especially
important, and can help both those who have reached a weight plateau and those
who are just beginning the weight loss process stick with it.
Choose workouts that require your entire body to exert
an effort. This way,
you work every muscle group and burn calories with more muscles at one time,
like multi-tasking with your exercise. For instance, combine a form of
resistance training (try raising small dumbbells overhead as you work) with
your arms while you jog or cycle with your legs.
Perform low impact aerobic activities. Moderate aerobic workouts
incorporating brisk walking, cycling, aerobic machines, or swimming not only
burn calories they also keep your heart healthy. Swimming is great, especially
if you are quite overweight or have joint problems, because you can get the
same benefits of running typically burning even more calories with much less
stress on your joints. Try to get at least 30-40 minutes of aerobic exercise at
least three or four days per week.
Pump some iron. Resistance training, weight training, can help both
men and women stay lean by building muscle and raising metabolism. Weight loss
strategies that incorporate both aerobic and weight training boost calorie burn
significantly. If you gain muscle, your body's resting metabolism (the amount
of calories you burn when you're just sitting still) increases. Studies have
shown consistent weight training to raise the body's metabolism by 15%. This
means an average woman might burn 200-300 more calories at rest every day.
Weight training can also tone flabby “trouble” spots, giving the appearance of
weight loss by simply tightening and slimming your body.
Make exercise enjoyable. Choosing physical activities that
you like to do will make you much luckier to succeed at maintaining your
exercise regimen.
- Start a hobby that involves moving around a bit, even if it doesn't sound like "exercise." Gardening, building small projects, working on cars, or playing with animals are all great ways to burn calories.
- Remember that games like volleyball, tennis, and even Frisbee can help you burn calories while having a blast, making exercise a social and fun activity you will want to enjoy every day.
- Find what you like and don’t be afraid to try new things. Many forms of exercise can help you reach your weight loss goals, even home-training programs such as Wii Fit, which guides you through yoga, aerobics, strength training, and balance exercises in the comfort of your own home.
- For more adventurous athletes, programs such as P90-X can also provide dramatic weight loss benefits through exercise.
Get enough rest. Being properly rested will help you maintain
sufficient energy throughout the day, making you less likely to overeat and
less prone to injury during physical activity.
- Rest at least 24 to 48 hours between strength training sessions on the same muscle group (for instance, work out your biceps and abs on alternating days), and take one to two days off from exercising each week.
- Know how much sleep you need, since sleep deficiency impairs your ability to lose fat.
Try cooking with olive oil instead of other unhealthy
types of oils if possible. One of the major benefits of olive oil is that it's a great source for
monounsaturated fats which can help lower Low Density Lipoprotein also known as
LDL. This can help protect against atherosclerosis. In addition to this,
monounsaturated fats can actually lower the risk of heart disease. The reason
for this is because these types of fats do not affect the levels of High
Density Lipoprotein (HDL), which are also called “good cholesterol”.
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