10 Effective Ways To Lose Weight Quickly
By Catherine M, Staff Editor
Last Updated on March 6th, 2023 / Published on February 27, 2018
Owing to the sedentary lifestyle that everyone is leading currently, it doesn’t come as a surprise that almost half of the population is struggling to maintain a healthy weight. Changes in lifestyle and hitting the gym or opting for Zumba classes can only benefit if you adhere to a proper diet. Haven’t we all come across the maxim- ‘we are what we eat’. Whatever we eat has a direct impact on our body. People have erroneous beliefs that crash diets or skipping meals would help them lose weight fast. However, contrary to such beliefs, a proper diet accompanied with a regular workout routine can help you lose weight really fast. We need to keep realistic expectations with our weight loss goals; there are diets which guarantee that you can lose 10 pounds in a week, which is possible only if you make drastic changes to your diet.
Studies indicate that if you follow a rich diet and workout regularly, you can lose up to 10 pounds in 2 weeks. If you wish to lose weight really fast, here are 10 tried and tested ways to do so.
Begin your day with coffee
Black coffee, not the regular one, is one of the best ways to lose weight fast. Start your day with black coffee since it is a natural diuretic and is a rich source of antioxidants, which are essential since they protect your cells from damage. Ensure that you have your cup of black coffee before your workout since it is energizing and helps burn calories faster than you could have anticipated.
Start your day with a healthy breakfast
The importance of a healthy breakfast has been imprinted on our minds since childhood; missing the first meal of your day is denying your body the fuel it needs to start its activities. Your breakfast should be heavy enough to keep you full so that you won’t give in to your cravings. Your ideal breakfast must be around 400 to 500 calories, anything more than that should be avoided. You can include the sources of lean protein with healthy fats such as eggs, beans, nuts, nut butter, or unsweetened Greek yogurt. Fiber must be a part of your breakfast since it keeps you full for a long time. So, include fruits, veggies, or whole-wheat grains to your breakfast. The best diets for weight loss would suggest the same thing.
Drink plenty of water
It is an established fact that the body often craves water which the brain mistakenly believes to be hunger. So, the next time you feel hungry after eating your lunch, it is water that your body needs. You need to drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water throughout the day in order to accelerate the process of ridding the body of the excess sodium. For fast weight loss, you can even include high-water content foods such as cucumbers, watermelon, tomatoes, grapes, celery, cranberries, asparagus, etc. to your diet, all of which contain diuretic properties, fiber, and high water content.
Go for a walk
Given the hectic lifestyle we lead, hitting the gym for an hour or two can seem quite troublesome and leave you drained for the rest of the day. Instead, make it a habit to go for a walk for at least 30 minutes in the morning or in the evening. Brisk walking reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases and helps you sweat it out as well. Increase the duration of your walk when you settle into the routine.
Make peace with cardio
If you wish to lose weight faster, then opting for a cardio routine would help you reach your desired weight goal. Any form of cardio exercise that increases the heart rate is instrumental in burning calories. Half an hour of spinning, running, cardio kickboxing and boot-camp workouts can help you burn around 200 to 300 calories and toning your arms, legs, and core muscles in that process. Performing cardio exercises is one of the best and fastest way to lose belly fat.
Strength training
Simply opting for cardio won’t help you reach your desired weight goal; strength training is equally important. Contrary to popular beliefs that strength training can cause women to bulk-up, it ensures that your muscles are toned and you become stronger over the period of time.
Limit your salt intake
An increase in the intake of salt is often related to hypertension and water retention. Thus, you can feel bloated on occasions. Though the very thought of consuming food without salt seems unpleasant, it is imperative that you limit the sodium intake in your diet. Opt for food products that have ‘low sodium’ printed on it and it should be less than 140mg.
Limit sugar intake
Sugar is the culprit when it comes to an increase in weight. Though you cannot completely eliminate sugar from your diet since it is essential to maintain appropriate sugar levels in the blood, you can definitely reduce your sugar intake if you wish to lose weight faster.
Make peace with veggies
Though certain food items do look delicious, for instance, people would often choose sandwich rolls over a bowl of salad, you need to realize that this would do more harm than good to your body. To satisfy food cravings, or if you need to lose weight faster, include more of vegetables in your diet and say no to refined carbs. So, gorge on the salad as much as you want, since it would help you lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks.
Sleep like a baby
We often overlook the importance of getting a good night’s sleep. Studies have revealed that sleep deprivation contributes to an increase in weight. So, you need at least 7 hours of sleep daily if you wish to lose weight faster and stay healthy and alert throughout the day.