Have you ever heard someone say I am having a fat day today? Well apart from the psychological aspect of a ‘fat day’ there are other reasons which can influence how we fit in our clothes and how our body feels. So if one day you fit just right in your jeans and the next they feel claustrophobic it could be that you have water retention.

What is water weight?

Water retention (water weight) or fluid retention is when your body will retain excess fluid in the tissues and/or the cavities of the body beyond the normal standards. There are a number of different reasons why your body will retain water. Water retention can be visible such as oedema which is associated with the retention of fluids beneath the skin or in one or more cavities of the body and it usually causes swelling.

As there are a number of different reasons why your body will accumulate excess fluids there are different ways to lose the excess fluids and water weight.

1. Fast very low calorie diets

Not a recommended way to lose water weight. People on fast low calorie diets which usually last one week tend to lose mostly water. However, that is not a recommended way to go about losing water weight. If you haven’t really got water retention and you just need to look good in that dress for one night you may just achieve that with following a fast diet. However, you will have most probably dehydrated your body and as soon as you start eating normally it will all come back on.

This is without saying that you will most probably be stressing out your body and could have health risks. In addition a weight loss diet is not always what your body needs. Water retention can be cause due to malnutrition and very low calorie intake (especially if consuming less than 1200 kcal). In other words you could be just exacerbating the problem. Most of all water retention could be the symptom of an underlying health condition and it may need medical attention.

2. Consult a medical professional

As mentioned above water retention could be a symptom of a health condition so it is very important that you consult a medical professional first before you look at any option. Some of the medical reasons which can lead to water retention include:

·            Diabetes

·            Kidney disease

·            Cardiovascular disease

·            Thyroid dysfunction

·            Hormonal imbalances

·            Pre-menstrual Syndrome

There are a number of other health reasons why your body may retain water and it is most important to follow a correct medical investigation. It is always highly recommended not to try to home remedy or follow box standard diets designed for losing water if are suffering or have concerns that you may be suffering from any health conditions as it could have detrimental effects for health.

3. Drink plenty of water

You wouldn’t think of it but dehydration itself can lead to water retention. Your body is designed for survival and if you deprive it from what it needs it will hold on for dear life in what it’s got. Drinking plenty of water will also help circulation and clearance of fluids from the body.

It is a misconception to think that since your body holds on to water is better to avoid water.

4. Low salt diets

Eating too much salt can lead or exacerbate water retention. Although it is suggested that excess consumption of salt is unlikely to cause a massive amount of water retention, it definitely will not help with the problem and it is also not recommended for health. It could also exacerbate other health conditions responsible for water retention such as kidney disease and cardiovascular diseases.

Sodium, which is a component of salt, tends to regulate water balance in the body. Sodium is necessary for a number of functions in the body, but as with everything else when in excess can lead to dysfunctions.

A large amount of salt consumed from the diet does not necessarily come from the salt shaker. Processed foods, takeaways, tin food and junk food in general contain large amounts of sodium and salt. Cutting down on such foods, or reading the labels on foods and making healthier choices will decrease your salt intake by a lot more than just not adding salt in your food.

5. High protein diets

Water retention can be a symptom indicating that the body lacks of protein. Usually very low calorie diets followed for long period of times and vegetarian or vegan diets inadequate in good quality protein can lead to protein deficiencies.

Being protein deficient does not necessarily mean that someone will be underweight as protein deficiency does not always reflect body weight but quality of everyday diet. Someone who is obese could be protein deficient if the everyday diet they follow is high on carbohydrates and sugars and very low on protein.

6. Low GL diets

As mentioned earlier water retention can be a reflection of the quality of the diet someone follows. Diets high in carbohydrates and Glycemic Load have been associated with increased risk of inflammation, obesity and high risk of development of conditions such as metabolic syndrome, and diabetes.

Such conditions can lead in water retention and oedema. On the other hand diets low in carbohydrates, sugars and glycemic load have in general been associated with promoting positive health outcomes. In particular Mediterranean dietary patterns have been suggested by a number of studies as providing a healthy balanced dietary style and decreasing the risk of developing such health conditions as mentioned above, and/or helping to improve health outcomes. Mediterranean style diets constitute of ample fruit and veg, moderate protein intake and fats such as olive oil and fish oils. Such components are rich in antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and omega fats.

7. Ample of fruit and vegetables

As mentioned above, fruit and vegetables contain a number of antioxidant components, minerals and vitamins which help to improve the body’s functions and promote health. They also contain a large amount of water which will further help in keeping hydrated.

Inflammation and obesity largely constitute in water retention. Aiming for weight loss with a healthy balanced diet can make miracles for your body.

8. Monitor your diet for food intolerances and allergies

Do you feel bloated after you have eaten certain foods? The problem may simply come from an intolerance or allergy to specific foods. Intolerances and/or allergies do not necessarily lead to big allergic reactions but it could be subtle symptoms such as bloating, feeling sick or water retention amongst others.

Allergies and intolerances if unnoticed can lead into chronic inflammations and high amounts of histamine in the body. Apart from the fact that it is not good for your health and can lead to other serious problems, it could lead to water retention. Avoid the foods which irritate your digestive system, make you bloat or just don’t agree with you. If unsure and you have concerns consult a medical professional who can properly assess you for food intolerances and allergies or other metabolic functions.

9. Exercise

Lack of movement will affect blood circulation amongst others and can lead in water retention and oedema. Exercise will improve blood circulation and aid with lymphatic function which in result can help in reducing water retention.

You don’t have to rush and join the gym, but you can take a walk, pilates, or use the stairs, cycle or swim. In simple words start moving around.

10. Elevate your legs

If you spend a lot of time standing up (in your job for example) or after a long flight you may noticed that your legs feels swollen. Elevating your legs preferably above the heart can help to alleviate the swelling and oedema. Just put your feet up after a long day and place your legs on a stool when you are sitting down.

This may also be helpful for people who suffer with bad circulation. Think of gravity.

11. Medication

Medication can have a dual effect. There are certain types of medication which encourage water excretion such as anti-diuretic tablets. These are usually prescribed by a medical professional as part of treatment for certain health conditions. It is not advised to source the internet to try to find them in the black market in order to help you lose water weight. As with every medication they carry risks and they can have serious complications if taken inappropriately.

On the other hand there are some types of medications which could lead to water retention. Your medical professional should be the one to advise you regarding medications and how to deal with side effects. Always read the leaflets provided with the tablets for side effects or other information provided and if you have any further concerns advise your doctor.

How to do you lose weight fast? Search no more, find all the information you need in one place. The guide includes step-by-step instructions, a diet, lifestyle tips, exercise advice and everything you need to learn how to lose weight fast but healthy.

Losing weight fast is not something bad provided that you do it healthy. There are many ways to lose weight quickly but most of them generate short term results. The requirement in this case is not just to lose the pounds fast and gain them back as soon as you terminate your efforts but to lose them and keep them off. The only way to achieve fast but permanent weight loss is the healthy way; healthy does not mean that it cannot be fast, it simply means that you are not going to engage into any fad diets or products that are not safe.

Our comprehensive guide is divided into four sections with each section representing a crucial stage in weight loss. In particular: the preparation, implementation, post-implementation and maintenance stage.

The preparation stage is about the principles of how to lose weight fast and how to get your body and mind ready for this task, the implementation is the stage that explains what to do to actually save calories and accelerate weight loss. The post-implementation stage explains the lifestyle changes you need to make to ensure that you will not get the weight back and the maintenance stage will help you stay on your new weight forever.

How to lose weight fast – The 4 basic principles
15 Tips to lose weight fast and healthy
Lose weight fast – The Diet
How to lose weight fast and keep it off
How to lose weight with exercise

How to lose weight fast – The 4 basic principles

Step 1: Set your SMART weight loss goals

Define in your mind what you mean by “I want to lose weight fast”. Do you want to lose 10 pounds in a week, 20 pounds in a month? What is your real goal? Write it down on a piece of paper and then make sure that it is a SMART goal, for example:

Specific: I want to lose the weight by the end of this year

Measurable: I want to lose 20 pounds

Attainable: Is it possible to lose 20 pounds by the end of this year provided that the maximum amount of weight you can safely lose in a week is 2-3 pounds?

Realistic: Are you willing to make the effort? Losing weight fast is not the easiest thing to do and will require a lot of sacrifices. Are you ready to change your lifestyle, habits, eating pattern, exercise habits and get into the lane of rapid weight loss?

Timely:  If you weigh 200 pounds and you want to lose 50 pounds in a month because you have a wedding or a special event to attend then this is not possible. Make your goal achievable and reasonable.

Step 2: Decide on the approach to follow in order to lose weight

Decide how you will approach the whole weight loss process. Are you going to follow a commercial diet and exercise program or you are going to make a plan and define your milestones? We are not against commercial diets or weight loss programs that are based on healthy principles but these days such programs are hard to find. It is important that you choose a program and stick to it for a reasonable period of time (say 2-3 weeks) rather than switching from one diet to the other. To help you identify which programs are good or not read weight loss with crash diets. Is it possible?

Step 3: Find on average how many calories you consume per day

To lose weight fast you need to know how many calories to consume per day in order to lose the weight in the time period you specified. It is important that you analyze your current eating habits and calculate on average how many calories you already consume. So, before staring a diet keep a diary (food journal) for a week and calculate the amount of calories you consume. Also start an activities diary to record how many calories you burn through exercise and activity.

Step 4: Calculate how many calories you need to consume in order to lose weight fast

When you have worked an average for how many calories are coming in and how many calories are going out it is easier to calculate how many calories to lose weight. In simple words weight loss means to use more calories than you eat. This can take place by either decreasing the amount of calories coming in or increasing the calories going out (i.e. with exercise) or both together.

In simple terms 1 pound of fat is equal to 3500kcal. So in order to lose 1lb of fat per week you need to eat 500kcal less per day than what actually need (3500kcal / 7 days = 500kcal per day). In general it is recommended not to lose more than 2-2.5kg per week and not to go below the range of 1000kcal per day.

IMPORTANT: When you lose weight fast you don’t just lose pure fat. You will lose some water, some glycogen (stored sugar) and some protein along with fat.

So let’s demonstrate with a real example:

1. Assume that you consume around 3000 kcal per day and your energy needs are 2000 kcal you have a 1000 kcal excess which leads to you putting on weight.
2. What you should do as a starting point is to go to at least to 2000 kcal dietary intake in order to have energy balance and not put on weight.
3. If you want to lose weight fast you need to consume less than 2000 calories per day (this is your energy needs)
4. Work out your diet to fall in the calorie range of 1500 kcal per day and you will be losing an average of 1 lb of fat per week (as mentioned above be aware that in reality you will not be losing just pure fat).
5. If you want to lose weight faster (i.e. more than 1 lb per week) then reduce your daily calorie intake but make sure that you do not go beyond 1000 calories per day since this is NOT healthy.

So far we have seen how to set your weight loss goals, how to access your current situation and how to calculate the amount of calories you need to eat daily in order to lose weight. Our next section is the Implementation stage where you will learn how to save on calories and lose weight.

15 Tips to lose weight fast and healthy

1. Have a Delayed breakfast.  I always recommend this tip so you may have seen it before. Delay having your breakfast in the morning but do not skip it all together. Our body tends to burn fat as a fuel in the morning when blood sugar is at its lowest. If you delay having food for 30min then you burn the fat more efficiently
2. Have a protein breakfast. Protein will make you feel full for longer and can keep your blood sugar more stable. Apart from the health benefits you will be less likely to feel hungry half way through the morning and have fewer snacks.
3.  Healthy cooking practice. You can have all nice fresh and healthy ingredients but the minute you throw them in the deep fryer or drown them in ketchup, mayonnaise or butter there is nothing healthy about them. Not to mention the calorie count. Foods can still taste as good if you grill instead of frying or if you use olive oil instead of mayonnaise. A simple meal like chicken and salad can become a health and calorie hazard in no time. Try roasting with herbs, or garlic, or a touch of lemon and mustard and you will see that it may even be tastier.
4. Use oil spray. An easy way to control how much oil you use when cooking is to use an oil spray. When I refer to oil spray I mean olive oil. Unfortunately a lot of the oil or cooking sprays are vegetable oils which can contain a lot of trans fats or increase their trans fat content when cooked. Yes they may be hugely advertised as being very healthy as they can be low in saturated fats however they do forget to mention the trans fat issue and in comparison the trans fats may be worse for your health than the saturated fats.
5. Remove the skin from the chicken and the fat from meat. Some chefs will argue that cooking meat with the skin or the fat will add taste. Fair enough but that does not mean that you have to eat it after. Apart from the calorific value of fat and chicken skin, it is also not very good for your health.
6. Prepare your lunch box the night before. We all know that juggling work, family, social life, pets etc can be hard work. But even if you don’t have all the added pressures not many people like to wake up an hour early in the morning just to get the lunch box ready. Lunch boxes are usually full of sandwiches, crisps or you just limit yourself in the canteen which hardly has any healthy options or the corner shop. Why not cook an extra portion of the meal you having for dinner. Take that extra portion and put it ready in your lunch box for the day after. Your lunch box will be a lot more interesting than sandwich every day and you don’t have to spend a lot of time on it.
7. Tackle the size of your portion. This does not mean stay hungry or skipping meals. Instead use smaller size dinner plates and fill them once without going for multiple layers. Did your mum tell you to eat all your food when you were little and to this day you can’t help but empty your plate even if you are stuffed? Go for a small portion and if you do finish and want more then have some more. However, don’t fall in the trap of eating a little bit and then a little bit more and then a little bit more…until you managed to eat a whole cow for lunch.
8. Beware of emotionally eating. If you are an emotional eater it could be that your emotions are dictating your hunger. With emotional eating it is not always that you are actually hungry but you do tend to crave specific foods which reflect your emotional state. For example you feel sad you want something to comfort you. There are a number of techniques which can help you to determine if you are emotional eating and/or can help you break the emotional eating cycle.
9. Cut down on sugary drinks. You will be surprised but ‘sugary drinks’ does refer to a large number of drinks. Hot drinks such as coffee, tea, hot chocolate etc. They may not seem as a lot of sugar however, if you do add a spoonful of sugar every time you have a drink by the end of the day you may have just consumed the whole jar. Do you have 3 – 4 cups of hot drinks through the day? In addition, drinks such as squash, ice tea, coke, lemonade, soda, milkshakes etc do contain a lot of sugar. Some fizzy drinks do come in sugar free versions however, there has been a lot of debate regarding the use of sweeteners and to be on the safe side is best to drink them in moderation. Fruit juices seem innocent but they as well do contain a lot of sugars. The 0.5g of sugar in a fruit juice will not tip the scales but when added to all the drinks and sugars you have consumed all day then it does make a difference. See also 5 foods to avoid while dieting.
10. Have a packet of nuts in your bag. Dried fruits and nuts can contain quite a lot of calories. However, they are very nutritious and can make you feel full. Have a packet in your bag, and if you are stack in the tube or traffic, or in the office and you are hungry or just bored have a small handful. They are great in satisfying that sweet or hunger craving and save you from the crisp and biscuit danger.
11. Sleep well. The body needs sleep to re-fresh and re-organise itself. Chronic lack of sleep can lead to hormone dysregulation and imbalances which can lead to weight gain. In addition, when tired people tend to crave sweet and high in calorie foods. It is called beauty sleep for a reason but also there are health aspects in having a good night’s sleep. Aim for both quantity and quality of sleep. Broken, restless sleep can be as bad as not sleeping. Try to follow some of the relaxation and de-stress techniques / ideas to help you enjoy a good night’s sleep.
12. Get a weight loss buddy. Studies suggest that the success of weight loss clubs is not necessarily due to the diet regimes they use but because of the support they receive. In addition, studies suggest that people tend to have more success with weight loss goals if they receive support from their family circle. A weight loss buddy may help you motivate when you need it, you can have someone to talk to about your plans, progress, problems etc; not everybody wants to hear for the 10th time that you lost 4lbs and how or how much you are struggling to say no to a biscuit. For others it may create a bit of competition which may be the element that keeps them want to continue. However, just don’t let it over consume you.
13. Eat the last meal of the day at least 2 hours before going to bed. Eat your last dinner at least 2 hours before going to bed. If possible have a 10 minute walk after dinner as this will aid digestion and leave your body with less work during your sleep time.
14. Drink plenty of water. In general it is recommended to consume an average of 2 litres of water per day. I prefer to say make sure you are well hydrated especially if you are exercising and/or you are in hot weather.
15. Say no to fast food restaurants. During the period of your diet try to minimize the consumption of fast food. They may advertise it as healthy and ‘diet friendly’ but in reality fast food is processed food which contains a lot of calories, fats and sugars.

Lose weight fast Diet

The following meal plan is part of our own diet that guarantees fast but healthy weight loss. The combination diet is a balanced diet, based on Mediterranean diet principles, and it is a perfect diet to follow if you want to lose weight fast. It is not restrictive and this makes it easy to follow by anybody who cannot stand crash diets and starving weight loss programs.  The week plan below is in the range of 1000-1300 calories per day but you can adjust it for your own needs and requirements.

As a first step follow our guidelines as explained in the Preparation stage and then start our diet for at least 2 weeks and evaluate your results. You can always contact us if you have difficulties or if you cannot get the results you want and our weight loss experts (the authors of the Combination diet) will give you personalized advice and support.

Click here to download the diet in PDF format for easy printing

How to lose weight fast and keep it off

So you have managed to lose the weight, now what? It is time to enter the post-implementation and maintenance stages to ensure that you will not gain the weight back. The best way to achieve this is by changing your lifestyle.

As with every weight loss regime I will say that if you don’t change your lifestyle and diet, those things which make you put on weight then you will put the weight back on post diet. This may sound like a glooming prospect; however, weight loss diets should not be seen as the ‘magic pill’ in a vicious cycle. You put on weight and when you want or need to you go on a ‘magic pill’ then you lose the weight so you can go back on putting on weight and pick a ‘magic pill’ when you want or need to….and so on…and on. I am sure some of you may have gone down that street a few times and you may feel fed up with it already.

Tips for a Transition to a Healthier Lifestyle

Tip 1. Look at the food and drinks diary you have kept in the week prior to starting your weight loss attempts. This can provide a valuable education and insight in respect to what you eat and drink every day. Find the things which you could change, remove or replace with a healthier option.

Tip 2. Treat the dieting period as the beginning of a healthier lifestyle and weight rather than a 2 week prison sentence you have to do in order to fit in that dress. If you set yourself up to not enjoy it you will not enjoy it.

Tip 3. Write a list of all the reasons why YOU want to lose weight or have a healthier lifestyle. All the people of the world may tell you about the benefits however, it is your life and it is your body. If you do not want to make those changes for yourself and for your own reasons you will not really be getting anywhere.

Tip 4. Keep the list with your reasons for losing weight and making lifestyle changes in your bag. Use it to motivate yourself and/or remind yourself when you want to give in to temptation.

Tip 5. Keep in mind that once you have managed to lose weight fast, your body will have adapted to eating less junk food, less sugars etc. You will not crave high sugary and calorific foods as much and once you have a high sugary and calorific food your body will let you know that it doesn’t like it.

Tip 6. If you struggling to keep variety in your diet invest in a recipe food which provides healthy eating ideas. Once you get the hang of it use your imagination and you can make food as interesting or as plain as you like.

Tip 7. Make a list of foods which you want to replace with healthier options. Your list can include olive dressing instead of salad cream, olive oil instead of margarine, mixed fruit and nuts instead of a biscuit and so on. This however does not mean that you cannot enjoy all foods. The occasional takeaway or having chips once every week or 2 weeks with a bit of mayonnaise will not kill you. It is the everyday practice which makes a difference.

Tip 8. Make sure that your cupboards are not full of snacks and junk food. If it is there looking at you day in day out you will just go for it. On a lazy day you may think “do I make 2 boiled eggs or just grab a packet of crisps from the cupboard?” Well I know what I am more likely to do…

Tip 9. Introduce physical activity whether it is exercise or just taking the stairs instead of the lift. It can do miracles for your health and weight.

How to lose weight fast with exercise

Why exercise? Yes, you can lose weight with a diet alone but adding exercise to any weight loss regime can help to achieve your goals faster and easier. It is also the best way to ensure that you will not get the weight back. Some people may argue that exercising is not exactly ‘easy’. I must admit that if you have never exercised before the first few days will be hard, but do not despair if anybody else can do it so do you.

Going back to exercising, in order to lose weight fast, exercise can increase the calories you burn daily. This takes place while you exercise and when you rest. You do need to use calories to fuel any physical activity, and the amount of calories you use will depend on the kind of exercise and intensity. Moreover, your body will be using some extra calories after you have finished exercising as it will need to recover and build the muscles you just used. On top of all this as you increase the muscles you have in time, your metabolic rate increases which means that in general you burn more calories.

Apart from the weight loss benefits exercise can have added health benefits. By exercising may improve your immune, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, mood and general wellbeing not to mention that you will look good. I couldn’t praise exercise enough and I am sure a lot of you have heard over and over again how important it is to exercise.

Is it hard to exercise? My answer will be yes and no. If you hardly ever used your muscles or if you are obese then even a small walk around the corner may feel like climbing a mountain. If you are relatively active then walking around the corner could feel easy. It is true that in order to have fitness gains you will need to work above the level you are however this does not have to translate to undertaking an army style boot camp regime. I am sure that a number of ‘weight loss’ related television programs do have their participants taking an exercise regime of that sort. However that is television.

My suggestion is to start from your own level. If you have never walked further than going to the car, then take a walk around the block not around the city. This is as good enough a challenge for your muscles and you don’t have to suffer for it. Start slowly and build up on what you have. Exercising should be enjoyable and not a torture if you want to stick to it (unless a torture is what you like which again would be enjoyable in that case). If you suffer and hate it you will not do it or you will give up eventually. Same as with a diet I always recommend to choose the type of exercise you like and work to the level you feel most comfortable with. This way it will feel not as hard and all the ‘after-pain’ should be a lot less.

Do you have to join the gym or follow a set exercise program? No you don’t. For some people it works to go to the gym for but others it doesn’t. Similarly some people find it easier to follow a fitness DVD at home or an exercise class or even have a personal trainer. The choice of exercise is a personal matter and you should opt for what suits your preferences and lifestyle.

Moreover, exercising doesn’t have to be a set program as any physical activity, even playing in the park with the kids is as good. Walking the dog, cycling to work or in the park, swimming, taking the stairs instead of the lift and a game of football with kids are all some of the numerous examples you can exercise without having to put additional time on the side. You can also read: how to lose weight with pilates

To sum up, learning how to lose weight fast is not as difficult as you may have imagined. In this comprehensive guide you have all the information you need in one place. We gave you the basic principles of fast weight loss, tips to lose weight fast, a healthy diet that works and advice to switch your lifestyle to healthy living. Now it’s your turn, set your goals, find your motivation sources and get started today!

References

1. Ascherio, A. Willet, W.C. (1997) Health effects of trans fatty acids. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 66 (suppl):1006S-lOS.
2. Aspden, W. Caple, F. Reed, Rob. Jones, A. Weyers, J. (2011) Practical Skills in Food Science, Nutrition and Diatetics. Pearson
3. Brill, J. B. (2009) The Mediterranean Diet and Your Health. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. 44 – 56
4. Blackman, M.C. Kvaska, C.A. (2011) Nutrition Psychology. Improving Dietary Adherence. Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
5. Clark, C. Clark, M. (2007) The New High Protein Diet. Vermilion.
6. Truby, H. Baic, S. deLooy, A. Fox, K. R. M. Livingstone, B. E. Logan, C.M. Macdonald, I. A Morgan, L. M. Taylor, M. A. Millward D. J. (2006) Randomised controlled trial of four commercial weight loss programmes in the UK: initial findings from the BBC “diet trials”. British Medical Journal. BMJ, doi:10.1136/bmj.38833.411204.80

Learning how to lose 20 pounds in a month is indeed very challenging. A month is a long period of time, but in terms of weight loss one month is quite short. Though the goal is not actually impossible, in fact a lot of people have been successful with losing 20 pounds in a month. What you need is willpower and a good plan. You don’t have to spend endless hours in a gym or spend your money on any new supplements or crash diets to look great and slim. Rather what you need to do is to focus on how to promote and accelerate weight loss. Remember that failure is minimized once you commit to yourself and to your plan. Let’s leave it to the thought that there is no best plan without commitment.

Step 1: Understand what we mean by losing 20 pounds in a month

To get started you first need to understand that basic concepts behind weight loss. The ratio between pounds and calories is 1 pound = 3500 calories, in other words it takes about 3,500 calories to get a pound. Doing the math you will need to burn 70000 calories (20 pounds X 3500 calories per pound), which is the calories equivalent to 20 pounds. It may seem a huge amount, and indeed it is, but you can still try it out and see how many pounds you can lose in month.

Caution: You need to consult your doctor first before attempting to lose 20 pounds in a month. The recommended amount of weight to lose per month is 6-8 pounds and anything above that should be after the approval of your doctor.

Take note that your body burns calories daily in order for it to function. The number of calories burn depends on your BMR or basal metabolic rate. Basically BMR is based on your current weight, height and also the level of activity. The usual range is 1,600 to 1,800 calories for men and 1,300 to 1,500 calories for women. You can use our BMR Calculator to find out your BMR. The bottom line is that you need to focus on a plan that can help you burn more calories and increase your resting metabolic rate. These are the key factors that consistently help you deduct from the stored calories and lose weight.

Since we know what to focus on, it’s time to get into action and discuss the approach you can follow in order to learn how to lose 20 pounds in a month which basically has to do with diet and exercise.

Step 2: Adjust your diet

Eating small but frequent meals

This is not like any sort of fasting or restricting, you will only have to eat minute meals composed of varieties of food, preferably with low calories, and take them in small intervals. This maintains an increased metabolic rate since the body takes the signal that your stomach is having food so the digestion process continues. Even though you only eat in small amounts, you will less likely starve because you eat frequently enough to keep your satiety.

Don’t resort to eating just anywhere

Sometimes thinking about what to eat helps you get to your ideal weight. Most people work on hectic schedules resorting to fast food diets and other easy access processed foods to sustain them. Unplanned meals may either get you in trouble or may take a lot of your bucks. The best way to handle this is to plan ahead or even prepare food ahead. It is better to have a healthy meal in the middle of the work day when you most need it. It can be a healthy fruit snack, a wheat sandwich or packed vegetable salad for main meals.

Make it half or go small

If you can’t really let go of your high calorie fast food items like your regular hamburgers, then one technique that may work is cutting food into half or going for small sized meals. If you are able to resist the temptation and go over small size, then that will be good enough, but if you can’t then cut it into half, make sure you spare the other half for later. Sometimes it is even good to tag a friend with you when eating; you may share the other half to him or her and that will leave you with fewer calories.

Water and fiber

Water and fiber rich foods are the safest food items to take. Both will help you cleanse your body and get you closer to your ideal weight. Fiber may help increase your resting metabolic rate as well and it makes you feel full for longer period of time. Water definitely clears clogs and helps metabolism in cellular level.

Step 3: Exercise more

Every minute counts

This means that you can spread the time you spend on your weight loss exercises throughout the day. This may consist of cardio exercise to target calories or weight lifting exercises to build more muscles.  A good start gives you motivation to finish it. So starting the day with just a simple brisk walk will be enough and it may even improve your morning. Finishing one simple task is rewarding. Make sure you complete your 40 minutes of daily cardio, though you may increase it to an hour if you only do brisk walks.

Do some variations

You don’t have to stick to one cardio exercise; do some other variations that you can easily enjoy without bothering you. There are a lot of activities that may include sports, hiking, trekking, walking, dancing and many more.

Build muscles and increase basal metabolism

It has been proven that the bigger muscle mass you have the greater is the increase in the metabolic rate. More muscle means more need for calories for it to function. So it is a good plan to have at least 3 times a week to practice some strength training and weight lifts. You may start with the basics like targeting the core muscles and with the help of a trainer move onto more difficult and effective exercises.

Give yourself a rest and a treat

Always have days of rest for your muscles to grow and to replenish. Weight lifts are strenuous and you should focus on alternating days, say two days in between workouts or at least a day.

As we said at the beginning, learning how to lose 20 pounds in a month is not easy and actually going through such a process is challenging. Following these simple tips won’t guarantee that you will lose 20 pounds in month but it is a step towards the right direction. All you have to do is to focus and continue doing it until you meet your targets. It may take more than a month but at least the tips suggested above are both safe and effective.

What is your take? Did you ever tried to lose weight fast in a period of a month?

If you take a look at the advertisements for weight loss, you’d notice that they all concentrate on how to lose weight fast. This is because people want to lose weight fast—so fast indeed that things such as fad diets have been invented just to cater to the “wants” of these people. There are a few reasons why a person would want to lose weight fast. It might be because they’re getting married (I’d look so fat in my wedding dress!) or they’re attending a high school reunion (what would my class think?). Let me tell you though that losing weight quickly is never ideal, and here are some reasons why.

IT’S UNHEALTHY

Losing weight quickly such as going through fad diets will cut your system off fat, but also from vitamins and nutrients. When you lose weight, it’s not ideal to just shed the pounds off; you also need to develop your muscles to ensure a healthy and fit body. Some people want to be supermodel- thin, but that may not be the idea. Losing weight without developing your muscles may be too much for your system, and you might end up sick because of being underweight.

KEEPING A FIT BODY TAKES A LIFETIME COMMITMENT

People who goes through fad diets think that they could starve themselves for a few weeks and get to stay sexy forever—there’s no way that this will ever happen. There’s just no way that you can go on a diet for a couple of weeks and stay slim all your life. If you’re serious about having a fit and sexy body, you’d need to work out a few hours per week and follow a healthy eating pattern. It’s about eating right than eating less. Following a healthy eating pattern is a problem for a lot of people, but this is the only way that you’d have a fit body and stay healthy at the same time.

METABOLISM IS A FACTOR

Metabolism is when your body burns off fat. The faster your metabolism is, the faster it is for your body to lose weight. When you rapidly lose weight, your metabolism also slows down. This is a fact, which is why losing weight quickly also means you’d gain the weight back after a few weeks. This is why it’s better to let your metabolism adjust to how your body loses weight rather than shock it and gain the weight you just lost.

Many teenagers and especially girls often find losing weight a very tedious task and it seems like it will take forever to see some results. A lot are also worried that trying to lose weight may be too dangerous for their health. What many do not know is that there are ways to learn how to lose weight fast but in a healthy and secure way.

By sticking to the following health guide, you will see admirable outcomes within weeks of doing non- stressful, super easy weight loss methods. Some of the tips are well know and we have repeatedly mentioned them in our articles but still a lot of young people fail to follow them correctly.

How to lose weight for teenage girls

1. Be sure not to skip any of the three main meals everyday plus adding mid-meal snacks in between. When your body get used to this eating habit there is a lesser chance of you getting hungry before the next meal. Hence you eat less during each meal cutting out the excess calories you get.
2. Choose an exercise that you enjoy doing. Even if it is just the easiest routine among other types of exercises, as long as you enjoy doing it, it will keep your body moving and your excess calories burning. Simple exercises like brisk walking and jogging are the best exercise for people who don’t have the time to go to the gym. You can even integrate exercise while at school or even when shopping by taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or just merely getting up to change the channel instead of using the remote. Having an active body burns a lot of calories and if you want to lose weight the healthy way just remember to stay active everyday.
3. Limit your intake of carbohydrates and sugars. Carbohydrate rich foods are the culprit of having those extra calories. Oftentimes you choose what you eat wrongly. By limiting your intake of carbohydrates and sugars you are also cutting down the number of calories in your diet. Choosing fresh fruits as snack items instead of donuts and other sugary pastries will definitely cut down your calorie intake.
4. The 8 glasses a day trick still works. Water is still the most accessible element when you want to lose weight fast and easy. Instead of drinking a can of soda and other sugary drinks, aim to consume at least 8 glasses of water a day. Water does not only keep your body cool and refreshed it will also diminish your craving for anything sweet and will also help you feel full thus diminishing the amount of the food you eat. In addition to that, water also boosts your metabolism for a faster yet healthier weight loss.
5. If all else fail, prepare for a back up. Hiring a personal trainer is not a bad idea. There are really times that you lose your motivation to do something that you feel you really can’t do on your own. A personal trainer will prepare a program that is tailored-fit on you, thus increasing your weight loss success rate. However, you may need a significant amount if you opt for this (and you will need the financial help of your parents) because personal trainers could be quite expensive, but if you take care of your weight now that you are a teenager you will save a lot of money, trouble and disappointment as you grow up.

These methods are not that hard to follow. When you want to lose weight fast and healthy you need to be prepare yourself for some changes; sedentary to active lifestyle and high calorie diet to balanced diet.

Not all weight loss programs are effective. There are a lot of things to consider before you go and try out a diet or exercise program. The following ten steps are essential if you want to lose weight fast:

1. Consult your physician first if it is safe for you to undergo a weight loss program. Some people, especially those that are morbidly obese, should have a supervised weight loss program because rapid weight loss could be dangerous.
You must be mentally prepared to lose weight fast.

2. Motivation plays a great role in reaching your weight loss goals. By keeping yourself motivated it will be easier to meet your targets.

3. Your meal plan should be nutritious. When you try to lose weight fast, you automatically think that cutting down on your food intake will be the answer. Actually, just limiting the food you eat is not enough. A healthy choice of foods and in proper amount is the best way to do it.

4. Choose your exercise routine wisely. Some exercise routines may be too much for you. You do not necessarily need to have a rigid routine to lose weight. Even a simple walking and jogging program can actually help you shed the extra pounds. If you are quite comfortable with it, gradually increase the speed, distance, resistance and the intensity of the exercise to achieve faster results.

5. Muscle building exercises. Muscles burn more calories than fat. If you want to accelerate your efforts you can consider adding muscle building exercises to your routine. This will maximize your weight loss efforts since the muscles you add to your body will also work hard to burn those extra calories for you.

6. Water should not be neglected. Since your body has to go through some diet modifications and exercises, it should be replenished with the minerals that you lose in the process. Water loss is rapid in people who exercise; Thus you should keep in mind that you have to replace the fluids you lose from sweating.

7. A positive change in lifestyle. Changing your lifestyle is the surest way to lose weight fast. Since lifestyle is the totality of how you actually live your life, following a healthy route will definitely be a strategy to adapt to your weight loss efforts.

8. Don’t be tempted with sweets and preservatives. There will be cases where you may crave for something too sweet or something too salty.  Whenever your sweet tooth starts bugging you, remember your goals and stay focused.

9. Your weight loss efforts should fit your daily routine. It is not healthy to juggle your jobs, responsibilities at home, plus a weight loss program. This will just stress you more so it is really important to map out your activities. It’s all about time management.

10.Discipline plus patience. Following the said principles is the most essential step in losing weight fast. Without discipline and patience you tend to lose hope and give up everything you have started. Your efforts should not be wasted by being too lax with your weight loss program and being impatient in seeing the results.

Last update: 14/06/2011 Reviewed by: Alex Chris

What is the fastest way to lose weight? Well, you have to follow a plan and stick to it. The first order of business then is to drink lots of water. Why does this work? Water suppresses one’s cravings and therefore the appetite. Also, it tones muscles, reduces cholesterol and aids in digestion and liver functioning. Not only that, water cleanses out the system and speeds up the metabolic rate so one can burn calories more proficiently. If you’re about 130 pounds, usually drinking eight glasses of water is enough for you to adequately burn calories and lose weight quickly.

Detoxing the System

Of course, drinking water in and of itself is not enough for you to lose weight fast. You also have to eat the right ‘stuff’ in order to see any measurable reduction in your overall weight. Some of the foods that assist in immediate results when it comes to losing weight also help detox the system of any contaminants and pollutants. If you cleanse the system, your digestive tract and liver functions at levels that help speed up your metabolism and burn calories. Thus, if you eat foods that cleanse your system and are lower in calories, you will resultantly be not only thinner but more energetic too. If you’re more energetic, it only stands to reason that you’ll also burn calories more swiftly as well. So, what are the foods that are helpful in this regard?

Cleansing Foods

Eat strawberries and raspberries. They contain elegiac acid. This substance is effective in ridding the body of any contaminants. Eating grapes help the arteries to function with precision while cranberries assist in flushing out the kidneys. Lemons are helpful in cleansing the liver.

Ways to Burn Fat

Eat low fat dairy products, such as some cheeses, yoghurt or skim milk to burn fat in the abdominal area. These calcium-rich products help reduce the amount of absorbed fat in this region of the body. If you add to your fiber intake you will also lose weight at a much swifter rate. By doubling your consumption, you will feel fuller and at the same time cleanse the system so you can burn calories with greater efficiency.

Don’t Hold the Hot Sauce

If you like any type of hot food, you’re in luck. Capsaicin, which is found in chili peppers, speeds up the metabolic rate and increases your ability to burn calories by roughly ten percent.

An Excellent Diet Drink

A good beverage to add to your diet, besides water, is green tea. By drinking around 5 cups per day, you can boost your metabolic rate as well as burn as much as eighty calories in a single day.

More Meals and Smaller Portions

Keep in mind as well that it is best to eat more meals and smaller portions. That way, you burn calories more effectively as well as stave off any hunger pangs. Pick fruits such as bananas, apples, cherries, blueberries, cantaloupes and watermelon for optimum weight loss. Vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, cabbage, legumes, spinach, pumpkin, tomatoes, black beans, onions, and collard greens are also excellent foods to eat for quickly reducing one’s weight.

Select Grains

Choose grains such as whole wheat breads and rolls, whole grain cereals, oatmeal and barley to give any excess weight a quick “heave-ho.” Or, choose skinless chicken breasts, pork chops, tuna and salmon to burn fat and reduce weight at a quick rate.

Choice for Snacks

For snacks, good choices are popcorn (without butter of course), nuts, seeds, trail mix, applesauce, raisins, pretzels and granola bars.

Maintain a Schedule

When trying to find out the fastest way to lose weight, it’s also important to plan your meals. Write down a daily schedule as to when you’ll eat and what food you’ll be eating as well. By doing so, you can maintain a type of diary to make sure you’re keeping on track with regards to your weight loss plan. A good schedule might include breakfast at 7 a.m., a nutritious snack, such as an apple at 10 a.m., lunch at noon, another healthy snack at 3 p.m. with dinner scheduled around 6 p.m. As you can see, by following this type of schedule, you can eat a number of low-calorie, fat-burning foods throughout the day without feeling deprived.

Consume Beverages Separate from your Meals

Don’t consume water or tea with your meals. By doing so, your foods will be better digested. Drink a cup of warm tea about ½ hour after you eat.

To Lose Weight Quickly – Choose a “Blue” Food

An interesting note – certain colors affect our perception of what we eat. For example, any foods that are colored blue, purple or black normally suppress the appetites of most people while foods colored red stimulate the appetite. Therefore, it might be helpful for some people to design a diet where they add some foods colored blue in order to help them in their weight loss efforts. Much of what we enjoy eating then has a good deal to do with the color of the food.

Stay with the Program

In any event, the above information can assist you if you want to lose weight fast. By referring to it as you plan your diet, you can be assured you’ll see results in a short manner of time.

If you want to learn how to lose weight fast then you need to follow certain rules that will help you lose weight in a fast and healthy way. Fast weight loss is not an easy thing to do but it can be done if you follow the techniques below.

Limit daily calorie intake .

In order to be able to lose weight fast then you have to burn more calories than what you eat. You can achieve this either through exercise or physical activities. To know that your estimates are correct your need to keep a diet journal to record exactly what you eat or drink during the day. In the journal write down everything you eat or drink, every snack, the contents of each meal. Do not forget to include the small pieces that can play a big role in your weight loss efforts like the butter on your bread or the sugar in your coffee. Try to follow this process for a couple of weeks. What you can do later is to try and translate the food and drinks you consumed into calories and see what is your average daily calorie intake.

The general idea is that if you multiply your weight by ten, this will give you an estimate of the number of calories you need to consume each day in order to stay in your current weight. Although this may not be a 100% accurate figure because everyone has a different metabolic rate, it will give you an indication of how much calories you need to cut from your diet if you want to lose weight. If you manage to reduce your calorie intake by 500 calories per day then after a week you will lose one pound!

Reducing the daily calorie intake is easier than you think. Here are some examples to give you some motivation.

If you substitute coffee (with milk and sugar) with black coffee you can lose up to a pound per week.
Stop eating salad dressings. Eat only the salad. This can help you a lot since salad dressings contain a lot of fat.
Completely avoid soft drinks, sweets (sugar) and butter.
Always look at the nutritional labels of the foods you eat and try to avoid full fat foods with a lot of fat.
Have a look at your journal and identify the unhealthy foods. Try to find alternative foods that are more healthy and have less fat and calories.
Drink more water

Eat healthy

Choose low fat meals. Instead of eating beef or pork substitute those with chicken or fish. Both chicken and fish are very low in fat. In addition some kinds of fish like salmon and tuna can act as antioxidants something very beneficial to your health.

A high source of calories that most of the time are not taken into account are side dishes. Side dishes may contain a lot of calories that you do not seriously take into account. While you may be selective for your main meal you tend to forget that side dishes also have calories. If you want to lose weight fast you should replace your high calorie side dishes (chips, pasta) with lots of vegetables and salads (without the dressings).

Do not forget breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day when you want to lose weight fast. Try to include in your breakfast low fat yogurt and low-sugar cereals accompanied by low fat milk and a fresh fruit. Skip the full fat eggs and bacon and try to eat enough but healthy. Eating a healthy breakfast increases your basic metabolic rate and reduces your desire for snacks until lunch time.

Have a schedule for you meals

Each week you should have a schedule of what you are going to eat for the rest of the week. Make sure that the meals you choose will help you lose weight by reducing the total amount of calories you eat. Do not be fooled – you will not be able to lose weight if you just consume the same amount of calories but by eating different foods! Once you have your schedule setup you can make a list of what you need to buy for these meals and head over to the grocery stock and buy exactly that. Scheduling and planning your meals does not only ensures that you have a balanced diet but also it ensures that you eat healthy.

Portion size does matter!

Portion size is important if you are trying to lose weight fast. If for example you open a packet of rice cakes and eat them all in the same day this will not going to help you lose weight. By reducing the portion size alone will help you eat less calories and lose weight fast with not much effort.

You can lose weight and eat snacks at the same time

When you want to lose weight fast and healthy, this does not mean that you should completely remove snacks from your diet. There are different types of healthy snacks that are low in fat and have less calories than ‘normal’ snacks. Select snacks that are low in calories and fat and high in fiber. Examples of such snacks are:

dried apricots
nuts
rice cakes
fruits
cherry tomatoes
Vegetables

Eat more fiber

Fiber can seriously assist your efforts to lose weight fast. It is scientifically proven that fiber helps in maintaining the proper amount of water in your intestines thus helping the digestive system to be more efficient. So by eating enough fiber may give you a feeling that you are slimmer in only a couple of days. There is research that proves that fiber can help prevent incidents of stroke and heart disease.

Drink large quantities of water

You should understand that water is very important in your process to lose weight fast. Water is essential for the proper functioning of the body and beneficial to the health. Drink as much more water you can.

Exercise and physical activity.

You will not be able to lose weight fast if you do not include exercise and physical activity in your daily schedule. Have in mind that you can lose weight either by reducing the calorie intake or increasing the number of calories you burn. If you want to lose weight fast then you should do both i.e. eat less calories than those you burn. Exercise can help you a lot in burning those extra calories. There are many forms of exercise and physical activity to include in your daily schedule. Aerobic exercises such as jogging, walking, cycling, swimming, running etc. You should set a goal to exercise for at least 30-40 minutes three or four days per week and then increase that to 1 hour per day.

Weight lifting

Weight training can help both men and women build muscles, get rid of fat and improve their metabolism. If you really want to lose weight fast then you need to include in your physical activity schedule 30 minutes of weight trainning at least 3 times per week. Several scentific researches have shown that weight training can improve the body’s metabolism by 15%. In real terms this means an average woman might burn 200-300 more calories while at rest every day!

Get enough sleep

Make sure that you are getting enough sleep at night. Lack of a good night sleep may impair your ability to lose fat.

Be patient, weight loss takes time

Do not expect that you will be able to lose the weight you want in 2 weeks. Healthy weight loss can be achieved fairly quickly, but you’ll need to be patient. Set realistic goals that you can meet. Do not set high, unrealistic goals that you will not be able to meet or goals that will create other problems to your health. Your ultimate goal should be to build a healthy body, not to achieve a number of pounds!

Believe in your self

If you want to lose weight fast and you know that this will make you feel better, then you need to have confidence. If you do not have confidence that you can make it then most probably your weight loss efforts will fail. Be prepared that you will need to make certain sacrifices if you want to lose weight fast. You should be in position to avoid temptations like chocolate, ice cream, and cookies.

You need to always encourage and reward yourself to achieve the goals that you have set. Evaluate your progress fairly on a regular basis. If for a week you failed to meet your targets then do not get discouraged. You can try harder to meet your targets for next week.

Be consistent, disciplined and motivated. How to lose weight you need to follow your weight loss program religiously so as to see results.