Intro:
Most of us would like to figure out how to lose weight quickly, shift some body fat and get in the best shape of our lives. Whether it's for an event, a holiday, a wedding, or just to look in the mirror and feel accomplished. But what is the fastest and most effective way of losing weight quickly?
1) Fast weight loss is possible, but is it what you want?
The first thing to remember, is that losing weight shouldn't be a fast process. If you're embarking on a crash diet to lose a few pounds for holiday by cutting all carbs out, guess what happens when you go on holiday and eat carbohydrates? You end up putting back on some of the weight that you lost, which is often partially water weight if you've suddenly restricted carbohydrates.
When you're dieting, the main goal should always be to retain as much lean muscle tissue as possible while losing body fat. The restrictive diets people embark on to lose weight, often leads to a sever loss of muscle mass, as well as water mass and fat mass. While this may sound okay, keeping lean muscle tissue will improve the way your physique looks and give you a lean and aesthetic look. In addition to this, when you lose muscle mass, your ability to burn as many calories is (slightly) lower, making future weight loss even harder.
So how can I lose weight fast?
1) Create a calorie deficit
The first step to losing weight quickly is to create a calorie deficit. Your deficit shouldn't be too big. I've come across diets where people have been on 1200 calories per day (this is insane). You should be aiming for a deficit of around 15% (moderate deficit) up to 30% (Aggressive deficit). The bigger your deficit, the more you may struggle with your cravings, so it would make sense to start small. This will also keep you on track in the long run and prevent you from falling off the wagon completely.
2) Eat a diet high in protein
According to a study looking into the effects of high protein diets, there is evidence that consuming a diet higher in protein, increases thermogenesis and satiety compared to diets of low protein content. The study also suggest that high protein meals lead to a reduce energy intake. This means that by consuming a diet higher in protein, your body will use more energy to digest protein than it would through carbohydrate or fat consumption.
3) Exercise - resistance and cardio
When most people embark on a weight loss journey, they tend to start losing weight by running long distances almost every day of the week. Running is a great weight loss tool, but if you want to improve your body composition and look more toned, you must resistance train. In another study, a resistance training was shown to improve lean body mass more than cardio alone, meaning it's essential for you to pick up the dumbbells if you want to lose a few pounds of dat.