Obesity has become a significant problem among people irrespective of age and gender. Various health issues such as sleep apnea, heart ailments, strokes, and many other life-taking diseases have made obesity one of the most severe and concerning issues around the globe.
However, in the present era, people have started taking this problem seriously and are ready to work on it. The most common and concerning question is how to lose weight fast.
People always strive to lose weight rapidly for innumerable reasons, most of them into various diet traps claiming to provide guaranteed results. But before undertaking any weight loss program, it is essential to understand that rapid weight loss can harm your body very badly. So, like any other important part of life, a safe, sustainable, and successful weight loss journey is much healthier than reaching the deadline.
Why is rapid weight loss not the best goal?
There are multiple reasons why speedy weight loss may work against the best efforts of weight loss.
- If people lose weight rapidly through crash diets or fad diets, they cannot maintain it in the long term because they lose water and muscle mass and not much fat mass compared to those who gradually lose weight.
- According to a certified health coach – Lean muscle maintenance is essential in the weight loss journey as it plays a crucial role in metabolism. Muscle helps burn more calories, and if you lose weight too fast, muscle loss can slow down your calorie burning and even reduce metabolism permanently.
- A study showed that a group that lost weight gradually lost 50% less lean muscle and 10% more body fat than the group that lost weight rapidly.
- When people lose weight quickly, then metabolism decreases, and as a result, their appetite increases. So, it becomes impossible to lose weight.
- If the daily intake of calories is low, the body can burn out the muscle mass, resulting in reduced metabolism. In cases of renowned fad diets, it may result in a deficiency of vital nutrients. As per a famous dietitian – if someone cuts curbs from the diet for speedy weight loss, it is the water.
Experts generally say that losing around half a pound to 2 pounds weekly is a safe rate of losing weight. So, it is always advised to go for weight loss programs that help to burn calories sensibly. Before setting a goal, let us discuss some safe, tried ways to drop weight and maintain it for the long term.
Expert-suggested tips for safe and sustainable weight loss
Here, we will be discussing a few tips that are advised by the experts and are safe to undertake:
- Implementation of long-term changes in lifestyle and behavior: When you start a weight loss program, it can make you hungry. Then, you may always think of the food you want to avoid while trying to lose weight. Instead, you should concentrate on the healthier benefits of weight loss and care for your body. As weight loss is a little complicated and none controls the number on the scale, you must control your eating habits, physical activities, and other essential factors that can impact weight.
- Avoid having ultra-processed carbs and sweets: It is said that you will lose weight more quickly if you improve the quality of the food you have. One of the healthiest ways of reducing weight is to restrict your intake of sugar and carbohydrates. In particular, if you want to speed up your weight loss, you should stop having foods containing high-glycemic foods like soft drinks, sugary snacks, processed carbs, and fried snacks like chips, French fries, crackers, etc.
- Start having more plants: As per various research, it has been shown that a plant-based diet helps promote weight loss as it is a low-calorie diet. A direct correlation exists between increased consumption of vegetables and fruits and improved weight loss because a plant-based diet is rich in fiber and water. So, both keep your stomach full and calorie-free too.
- Increase your protein: Increased consumption of protein helps in reducing appetite and prevents muscle loss as well. However, women aged more than 50 require more protein than others because they experience decreased levels of estrogen hormone due to menopause, and that can result in loss of strength, skeletal muscle mass, and regenerative capacity. The best way is to have high-quality protein in one serving per meal.
- Drink more water: Drinking more water helps to lose weight independent of exercise and diet. Drinking sufficient water increases satiety and fights sugar cravings. The body burns fat for energy, known as lipolysis, and water is essential. Another simple move, like having two cups of water before each meal, can increase weight loss.
- Eat a proper breakfast: If you are trying to lose weight by skipping the morning breakfast, there are better ways to go. Even studies show that skipping breakfast is responsible for obesity and being overweight. So, the day’s first meal should consist of ample protein, quality carbs, and healthy fats.
- Move more: One of the easiest ways to drop pounds is to increase your other activities rather than exercise. Little changes in your lifestyle, such as parking your car a little distance from the destination, carrying groceries instead of dumping them in the cart, using stairs instead of the elevator, etc., can help burn hundreds of additional calories.
The bottom line
Maintaining a healthy weight is crucial for enjoying a healthy life. It can also motivate you to continue with your weight loss goals efficiently and makes you more confident. Experts always suggest complementing physical activity with the proper diet to achieve a healthy weight and maintain it long-term.