A good diet plan to lose weight fast is often the missing piece in diets to lose weight for a lot of people. A lot of people blame their lack of success on factors that aren’t helping them at all, their diet plan being one of them. So why do I say this? Because more often than not it’s because they’re on the wrong kind of diet for their lifestyle.
A good diet plan is a very important detail for getting rid of extra pounds. The fast weight loss will take place only when you will follow all the details. When planning your diet, it’s best to consult a nutritionist or your doctor.
What is “fast” weight loss?
Health authorities typically recommend losing about 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 0.9 kilo) per week, and many people seem to lose weight at about this rate.
Therefore, losing any more than 2 pounds (0.9 kilo) per week is considered “fast” weight loss. Yet for many people, that may not sound quick.
While losing 10 pounds (4.5 kilos) in a week may technically be possible for some — especially those who carry a lot of excess weight — it isn’t realistic for most of us.
What about severe calorie restriction?
What if you eat only 500 or 600 calories a day? Although drastically cutting calories can cause rapid weight loss, consuming far less than your body needs can be counterproductive.
Severe calorie restriction can make you feel extremely hungry, deprived, and fatigued. What’s more, it often leads to loss of muscle, or lean mass.
Generally speaking, the more lean mass you have, the more calories your body burns at rest. Loss of muscle during very-low-calorie dieting can slow down metabolism, making future regain much more likely.
So fast weight loss via severe calorie restriction may not be a good idea for many people.
Fast, healthy, sustainable weight loss
Is it possible to lose weight both rapidly and permanently? Yes, indeed.
Recent research suggests that people who lose weight quickly are just as likely to keep pounds or kilos off as those who lose weight more gradually.Moreover, preserving lean mass seems to decrease a person’s risk for regain, regardless of how long it takes them to lose the weight.
Therefore, for fast weight loss that’s also healthy and sustainable, aim to lose fat without losing muscle.
In addition, several factors influence how quickly you can lose weight. Women typically lose weight more slowly than men. And because metabolic rate tends to decline with age, older women may lose at a slower pace than younger men and women — despite putting in just as much effort, if not more.
Are you ready to start losing fat in a healthy way while enjoying delicious, nourishing food that prevents you from feeling hungry or deprived?
Below, you’ll find the simple steps to take to start losing weight quickly.
Five simple steps to fast weight loss
1. Cut way back on carbs
Start by eliminating foods high in carbs: sweets, bread, pasta, fruit, and similar foods. Going low carb can significantly speed up weight loss, for several reasons.
First, according to high-quality research, very-low-carb diets — also known as keto diets — reduce hunger.This allows you to eat less and lose weight quickly without deliberately restricting calories and without feeling hungry or deprived.
Several studies have shown that low-carb eating is more effective than other diets for losing fat quickly.
This impressive fat loss may be partly due to the drop in insulin levels that occur during keto eating. When insulin levels are low, your body is primed to burn rather than store fat.
Finally, some research suggests that continuing to eat low carb to maintain your new weight may help keep your metabolic rate up, increasing the likelihood that you’ll keep the weight off.
How many carbs should you eat to lose weight quickly? Sticking to 20 or fewer grams of net carbs (total carbs minus fiber) per day may produce the fastest results.
But instead of counting every carb, you can simply choose foods from our ketogenic diet foods list below and avoid any foods that aren’t on it.
Note: Be sure to read our tips to avoid or minimize symptoms of the keto flu before going low carb.
2. Eat plenty of protein
Protein is an essential nutrient your body needs to survive and thrive. In addition, boosting your protein intake may help speed up your weight loss.
For starters, protein can suppress your appetite by triggering your body to release hormones that help you feel full and satisfied.
In addition, protein has a higher “thermic effect” than fat and carbohydrates. This means your body burns slightly more calories digesting protein compared to the two other macronutrients.
Eating plenty of protein can also help you retain your all-important lean mass and prevent your metabolism from slowing down as you lose weight.
Indeed, several systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials have shown that higher-protein diets tend to promote weight loss while preserving muscle.
We recommend consuming 1.2 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of reference weight or ideal body weight per day. For example, a woman who currently weighs 170 pounds but whose ideal body weight (or reference weight) is 130 pounds (59 kilos) would aim to eat 69 to 118 grams of protein per day.
Check out our list of top 10 high protein foods — which includes vegetarian options — to see how much protein your favorite foods provide.
3. Keep fat intake moderate
When you’re trying to drop pounds or kilos quickly, eating less fat may seem to make sense.
However, it’s not a good idea to eat a diet that’s low in both carbs and fat. You’ll likely end up feeling deprived within a few days or weeks — and it certainly isn’t sustainable long term. There’s no need to fear fat.
That said, eating excessive amounts of fat isn’t a good strategy for quick weight loss either. Even on a very-low-carb diet, eating more fat than your body needs can slow down rather than speed up weight loss.
So don’t add large amounts of butter, heavy cream, or other fat to your food. Also, avoid or minimize your intake of fat bombs and similar treats that provide very little protein or other nutrients.
Instead, eat enough fat to add flavor and richness to your food but not so much that you feel stuffed. Let your body burn its stored fat rather than the fat you are eating.
4. Go for non-starchy vegetables
Leafy greens and other non-starchy vegetables are excellent foods for fast weight loss. They’re very low in carbs and calories yet provide fiber that can help you feel full.
The Atkins diet, which has helped millions of people lose weight, recommends eating two cups of leafy green vegetables and one cup of other low-carb vegetables every day. This advice is designed to produce fast weight loss during the initial stage of the diet.
In the 2007 A to Z weight loss trial, people who followed the Atkins diet lost an average of 10 pounds within the first two months — far more than people who followed the other three diets being studied.Other studies have also reported rapid weight loss in participants who included several daily servings of low-carb vegetables.
While these studies don’t prove that the veggies caused the weight loss, they do show that low-carb, fiber-filled veggies can be part of a rapid weight loss diet.
How many low-carb vegetables should you eat? We recommend that you eat as many keto-friendly vegetables as you want while staying within your daily carbohydrate target. For many people, this will be about two servings per day, but a great deal of individual variation exists.
5. Get some exercise, but don’t overdo it
Will exercising for several hours every day help you lose weight faster? According to studies, physical activity by itself has a limited effect on weight loss. What you eat appears to play a much larger role.
However, getting regular exercise can provide benefits during weight loss.
Engaging in aerobic activity (e.g., walking briskly or bicycling) and resistance training (e.g., lifting weights) can boost your metabolic rate and help preserve muscle mass as you lose weight.
While it’s good to engage in physical activity, working out vigorously for several hours every day isn’t necessary or advisable for weight loss and good health. Plus, making dramatic changes to both your diet and exercise routine at the same time can be overwhelming.
So try to lift weights, do push-ups, or perform other resistance exercise for 15 to 30 minutes a few times a week. Walk, run, dance, ride a bike, or do similar aerobic activity for 30 to 60 minutes on most days, if possible.
In short, aim to move your body in some way every day without forcing yourself to do more than you can comfortably handle.
Read our complete exercise guide to learn more about the types of physical activity that may be best for you.
Tips to speed up weight loss and stay on track
- Incorporate intermittent fasting: Recent research suggests that time-restricted eating or intermittent fasting can help some people lose weight. Learn more in our complete guide to intermittent fasting.
- Quaff some caffeine: According to studies, caffeine may help you lose weight by slightly boosting your metabolic rate. Most people can drink up to two to three cups of coffee or tea per day. However, limit your intake to one cup early in the day, or none at all, if too much caffeine makes you feel jittery, raises your blood pressure, or prevents you from getting high-quality sleep.
- Avoid or limit alcohol: Drinking alcoholic beverages can slow down weight loss because your body burns alcohol before it burns carbs, protein, and fat — including body fat. Alcohol also tends to increase appetite and decrease inhibitions, which may lead you to overeat without even realizing it.
- Eat slowly: To speed up weight loss, relax your eating pace. Research suggests that eating slowly may help you naturally take in less food and lose weight.
- Take a deep dive into weight loss: Our complete guide to losing weight covers additional ground, including the effects of medications, sweeteners, hormones, and more.
Diet for rapid weight loss
Very low-calorie diet; VLCD; Low-calorie diet; LCD; Very low energy diet; Weight loss – rapid weight loss; Overweight – rapid weight loss; Obesity – rapid weight loss; Diet – rapid weight loss; Intermittent fasting – rapid weight loss; Time-restricted eating – rapid weight loss
Rapid weight loss diet is a type of diet in which you lose more than 2 pounds (1 kilogram, kg) a week over several weeks. To lose weight this quickly you eat very few calories.
How It Works
These diets are most often chosen by people with obesity who want to lose weight quickly. These diets are less commonly recommended by health care providers. People on these diets should be followed closely by a provider. Rapid weight loss may not be safe for some people to do on their own.
These diets are only to be used for a short time and are usually not recommended for more than several weeks. The types of rapid weight loss diets are described below.
People who lose weight very quickly are much more likely to regain the weight over time than people who lose weight slowly through less drastic diet changes and physical activity. The weight loss is a bigger stress for the body, and the hormonal response to the weight loss is much stronger. The hormonal response is one of the reasons that weight loss slows down over time and also why weight gain occurs when the diet is stopped or relaxed.
Very Low-Calorie Diet (VLCD)
On a VLCD, you may have as few as 800 calories a day and may lose up to 3 to 5 pounds (1.5 to 2 kg) week. Most VLCDs use meal replacements, such as formulas, soups, shakes, and bars instead of regular meals. This helps ensure that you get all of the nutrients you need each day.
A VLCD is only recommended for adults who have obesity and need to lose weight for health reasons. These diets are often used before weight-loss surgery. You should only use a VLCD with the help of your provider. Most experts do not recommend using a VLCD for more than 12 weeks.
Low-Calorie Diet (LCD)
These diets usually allow about 1,000 to 1,200 calories a day for women and 1,200 to 1,600 calories a day for men. An LCD is a better choice than a VLCD for most people who want to lose weight quickly. But you should still be supervised by a provider. You will not lose weight as fast with an LCD, but you can lose just as much weight with a VLCD.
An LCD may use a mix of meal replacements and regular food. This makes it easier to follow than a VLCD.
Time-Restricted Eating
This diet strategy is becoming more popular. It is often compared to fasting, but the two strategies are slightly different. Time-restricted eating limits the number of hours per day that you can eat. A popular strategy is the 16:8. For this diet, you have to eat all of your meals during an 8 hour period, for example, 10 am to 6 pm. The rest of the time you cannot eat anything. There are some studies that this method can cause rapid weight loss, but there is little information so far about whether the weight loss is sustained.
Intermittent Fasting
Fasting is an ancient form of caloric restriction. It has become more popular recently. This is partly because some animal and human studies have shown benefits to fasting for people with diabetes and obesity. There are many different fasting regimens and it is unclear which may be the best. One of the most popular is the 5:2 system. This involves 2 days a week of fasting or VLCD and 5 days a week of eating your normal diet. Diets that incorporate fasting can cause rapid weight loss.
Fad Diets
Some fad diets also severely limit calories to achieve rapid weight loss. In some cases, these diets are not safe. In most cases, these diets are not sustainable for long enough to cause long-term weight loss. Once you stop the diet, you are at risk for regaining the weight if you return to your old eating habits. For most people, it is safest to choose a diet in which you lose a 1/2 pound to 1 pound (225 grams to 500 grams) a week.
The Role of Exercise
Rapid weight loss is more about cutting calories than exercising. Talk with your provider about what type of exercise you should do while you are on this type of diet. Your provider may suggest waiting until you are on a more long-term diet to start exercising.
Health Benefits
Rapid weight loss diet is usually for people who have health problems because of obesity. For these people, losing a lot of weight quickly can help improve:
- Diabetes
- High cholesterol
- High blood pressure
Possible Health Concerns
You should only follow one of these diets with the help of your provider. Losing more than 1 or 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kg) a week is not safe for most people. It can cause you to lose muscle, water, and bone density. Rapid weight loss can also cause some side effects including:
- Gallstones
- Gout
- Fatigue
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
People who lose weight quickly are also more likely to gain back the weight quickly. This can lead to other health problems.
In general, a rapid weight loss diet is not safe for children. It may also not be safe for teens, pregnant women or older adults unless a provider recommends it.
If you have a health condition, it is a good idea to talk with your provider before starting this or any diet plan to lose weight.
Best Crash Diet For Fast Weight Loss, Diet Plan, Side Effects
What Is A Crash Diet?
A crash diet is a quick weight loss dieting method for shedding pounds in less time. It is a restrictive or a very low-calorie diet (<= 800 calories) plan for short-term weight loss goals.
A crash diet is not meant for long-term weight loss. The results of a crash diet are short-lived, and you will gain the pounds right back if you do not eat healthy and workout. However, for an occasion right around the corner, you may try a crash diet. Here’s a list of popular types of crash diet.
Types Of Crash Diet
1. Master Cleanse
The Master Cleanse may help you lose 10 pounds in a week. It includes vitamin C-rich lemon juice, two to three teaspoons of maple syrup, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Cons – All you can drink is lemonade. You may feel extremely hungry and experience nausea, irritability, and mood swings.
2. Juice Cleanse Diet
Juicing is a great way to be on a liquid diet without compromising on nutrients. You will consume dietary fiber-rich and vitamin C-loaded fruit juices that will flush out toxins and rejuvenate your body. It is also good for the skin.
Cons – It may not be sustainable for more than two days.
3. Cabbage Soup Diet
The cabbage soup diet is a nutritious soup diet made mainly with cabbage and other veggies. All you have to do is consume this soup to lose water weight quickly and slim down.
Cons – Consuming only this soup for more than a day might cause boredom.
4. Grapefruit Diet
The grapefruit diet involves consuming half a grapefruit and other healthy foods in every meal. It aids quick weight loss without compromising on health.
Cons – Consuming grapefruit for every meal may cause nutritional deficiency and tooth enamel erosion, and it can be super challenging to eat only one type of fruit.
5. Hollywood Diet
The Hollywood diet has been popularized by Hollywood celebs and claims to cause a weight loss of 10 kg in just 48 hours. All you have to do is drink an herbal mix called “Hollywood diet,” which is available in supermarkets and online.
Cons – It is not doctor-approved. Your body may react to the herbs in the mix, and just drinking this mix will make you irritable and compromise on immunity.
6. Chicken Soup Diet
This diet requires you to consume chicken soup for seven days. You may add veggies of your choice to enrich the soup with vitamins and minerals. You may also have freshly pressed fruit juice as a snack.
Benefits Of Crash Dieting
- Causes quick weight loss
- Gives instant satisfaction
- May be good before certain surgeries (has to be approved by your doctor)
- Less costly
You must keep a few points in mind before you start crash dieting.
Things To Do Before Going On A Crash Diet
- Count the number of days you have before the special event. If it is a month away, try the Mediterranean diet and do some cardio to lose weight.
- Talk to a dietitian or your doctor, especially if you are a new mother, have undergone surgery, have a BMI over 30, are on antidepressants or any other medication that hinders weight loss, or are over 50 years.
- Stock your kitchen with foods you are going to consume in the coming week. Toss out all other “distraction foods.”
- Keep a journal. You will undergo mood swings. Writing a journal can help during those times.
But things can go quite wrong when you misuse the crash diet. Here are the side effects:
What Happens When You Misuse The Crash Diet?
Crash Diet Side Effects
It is really easy to get carried away and misuse crash diets. In that case, the following may happen:
- Eating disorders
- Slowed metabolism
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Muscle loss
- Slowed cell and organ function
- Compromised immunity
- Impaired brain function
- Weak bones
- Poor attention
- Hair loss
- Skin problems
Crash dieting for a prolonged period is unhealthy and should not be done without professional guidance. This brings us to the next topic – should teenagers crash diet? Since the crash diet gives quick results, many teenagers want to follow it. But should they? Find out below.
Should Teenagers Crash Diet?
No, teenagers should not crash diet. The ages of 13 to 19 are part of the growing phase. Going on crash diets might stunt your growth and affect your mental health. If you do need to lose weight, seek the help of a professional.
Talk to a registered dietitian and get a customized diet chart. You must also be physically active and aim to be fit and strong. Also, remember, you don’t have to fit into any size to feel beautiful and worthy. Be healthy and happy, and pursue your dreams.