How to lose weight quickly and without harming your health?4 principles based on scientific evidence

There are many ways to lose weight fast.They differ:

  • degree of damage to health;
  • "Parts of the body" due to which weight loss occurs.
  • the necessary amount of willpower to maintain the chosen weight loss strategy.

Below we review four principles for proper weight loss, based on the latest scientific research.How quickly you can lose weight with their help depends on the individual characteristics of your body.

Methods for extremely fast weight loss and associated RISKS

To avoid the disappointment of undue fascination with the title of this article, let's wake up right now.

First, extremely rapid weight loss ALWAYS carries health risks.By super-fast we mean tens of kilos per week, for example.

Second, not everything we understand about weight loss has to do with reducing body fat ballast.

Most of the time the question is "how to lose weight fast?"means "within a short period of time (usually a few days) to see a different size on the scale or to fit into smaller pants/dresses than when you were young."

Body weight and the circumference of its individual parts during weight loss can change at least due to:

  • reducing the amount of fat in the body.
  • destruction of muscle mass;
  • decrease in muscle cell volume.
  • removal of fluid from the subcutaneous layers.

Which of these methods suits you?

"Lose weight" very fast(in the sense of changing the scale readings) can be done by removing excess fluid from the body, for example, with the help of diuretics, which are actively used by professional athletes when drying the body.

The price of the issue is the risk of serious side effects, including death.Diuretics belong to the category of one of the most dangerous sports chemicals.

The currently trendy detox diet also belongs to the category of fast weight loss diets.This is one of the reasons for its popularity.

But what causes weight changes on this diet?Due to the same loss of fluids from the body, the destruction of muscle cells due to the almost complete absence of protein in the diet and the reduction of their size due to the reduction of glycogen reserves in the muscles, which "binds" water.

The same applies to weight loss with laxatives: when they are used, the amount of fluid removed from the body increases.

We have given three real working examples of very fast weight loss.Their main feature isthe effect is very short-lived, the fat percentage does not change and there are huge risks of damage to health: The weight returns to normal within a few days once you come off the diet.

Therefore, from all the above, it is important to understand the following:Rapid weight loss (say 10 kg in a week) due to fat mass is almost impossible.

In addition, the rate of weight loss is highly related to individual parameters of the body.A person who weighs 150 kg and has a body fat percentage of 40% can tell you how he lost 7 kg in a week, but for you, with your 65 kg and a body fat percentage of 15%, a value of 7 kg can be achieved in only six months, following the same methodology...

Therefore.

Below we will present to you the science-based principles of proper weight loss, following which you can lose weight as quickly as possible, taking into account your individual characteristics.In this case, our recommendations will help:

  • Do not harm your health, but improve it.
  • maintaining muscle mass and even increasing it.
  • develop a rhythm of life for yourself that you can constantly stick to.

Well-known methods of extremely fast weight loss are associated with huge health risks.In addition, they do not burn fat, but only remove water from the body

How to lose weight quickly and without harming your health?Basic principles

1. Reduce your calorie intake

Losing weight should always start with this.

Too many calories are the most important cause of obesity in our society, according to scientists.But they keep trying to prove to us that we do very little sport...

Most often, it is the producers of unhealthy food products that promote a healthy lifestyle with an emphasis on the need for physical activity.Thus, they distract our attention from the real cause of obesity - their products.

In a study of African tribes that spend the whole day in motion, scientists found that the level of energy expenditure of their representatives does not differ much from that of office workers in developed countries.

This is not to say that Africans do not move around a lot.No.

Simplythe amount of calories burned during physical movements is very small, only about ~20% of daily energy expenditure: if hunters from Africa spend, say, about 500 calories during the day (only on movement), then an office worker spends about 200 calories.The difference of a few hundred calories is negligible.

So, the main rule of weight loss is this: the body starts burning fat when we eat fewer calories from food than we need to maintain life processes.This is the so-called calorie deficit.

With some caveats, the following statement applies:The bigger the calorie deficit, the faster you will lose weight.

Main disclaimer:The higher the calorie deficit, the greater the risk of health problems.

Recommended Caloric Restriction -300-500 Calfrom basal metabolism.

The first rule of weight loss: reduce the number of calories you consume.The bigger the calorie deficit, the faster you can lose weight

2. Eliminate carbohydrates from your diet

Carbohydrates (sugars and starches) stimulate the release of the hormone insulin, whose job it is to control blood sugar levels.It does this by transferring excess glucose to storage: glycogen and fat.

If you do not lead an active lifestyle, then consider that all desserts go entirely to fat.

When insulin levels in the body are low, conditions are created for the active use of fats for energy..To achieve this, you simply need to eat fewer carbohydrates.

The vast majority of diets are based on this principle, including intermittent fasting, the ketogenic diet, and the Dukan protein diet.

When insulin levels are low, another weight loss mechanism mentioned at the beginning is activated: the kidneys remove excess sodium from the body, which binds water.What does this affect?The thickness of the skin fold decreases.

The action of diuretics, which professional athletes use to dry the body, is based on this principle: these drugs also remove sodium and allow you to achieve very lean muscle relief.

While diuretics carry a high risk of very serious side effects, there is no risk with carbohydrate restriction as the body simply rids itself ofexcesssodium

Just cut carbs out of your diet and you'll lose weight fast.At the same time, the appetite will decrease and the thickness of the skin fold will decrease

3. Eat more protein, healthy fats and fiber

So, we understood the main principle of rapid weight loss.

The next step is to maintain muscle mass and avoid vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Every meal should consist of protein, healthy fats and low-carb vegetables.This combination will provide the necessary 20-50 g of carbohydrates for rapid weight loss without the need for expensive calculations using formulas and calculators, as well as providing sufficient vitamins and minerals.

Eating protein is very important for weight loss for several reasons:

  • Protein has a thermogenic effect, that is, it increases the rate of internal metabolism by 80-100 calories.A little, but still.
  • Protein foods fill you up better, reducing your appetite and cravings for snacks throughout the day.We talked about this in materials about the benefits of cottage cheese and eggs for weight loss.
  • Protein prevents the breakdown of muscle mass during a calorie-restricted diet.

Protein sources:

  • Meat (lean parts): beef, chicken, pork, lamb.
  • Fish and seafood: salmon, trout, shrimp, lobster.
  • Eggs and dairy products.

Vegetables

Vegetables are natural sources of vitamins and minerals and are also rich in fiber and water, which fill your stomach and keep you full and are very low in calories.You can eat them in any quantity without fear of gaining weight.This is your secret to avoiding crippling hunger.

The only important thing is to avoid starchy vegetables like potatoes.

Recommended low-carb vegetables:

  • Broccoli;
  • Cauliflower;
  • Spinach;
  • Brussels sprouts;
  • White cabbage?
  • Salad;
  • Cucumber;
  • Celery.

Fat

When we eliminate carbohydrates from the diet, which are the main source of energy in the body, it is important to increase the intake of another source of energy provided by nature - fats.

Recommended healthy fats:

  • olive oil?
  • linseed oil;
  • coconut oil;
  • avocado;
  • butter;
  • nuts.

Include the following types of fat in every meal and don't be afraid to gain weight:Restricting carbohydrates and fats while dieting is a recipe for failure, since you won't get enough energy and therefore won't be able to stick to the described diet for a long time.

Build each meal with protein, non-starchy vegetables and healthy fats.

4. Exercise to boost your metabolism

No, you don't have to run.AdditionalRunning is not the most effective sport for weight loss, as is commonly believed.

In general, if you compare a proper diet and sports, the former, as shown above, is much more important for weight loss.

-What are the best sports for quick weight loss?

Those in whichthe rate of internal metabolism is activated to the maximum.

In principle, any physical activity is beneficial, but high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and strength training are the most effective for weight loss.They significantly stimulate the rate of internal metabolism, which falls during weight loss.

The state of stimulated metabolism, both during interval training and during strength training, can last up to 2 days.

According to scientific data, metabolism accounts for about 70% of daily calories: the higher the metabolic rate, the more calories are burned.

In addition, training helps to strengthen and increase muscle mass: the more muscle mass, the more calories are needed to maintain it, the fewer of them are converted into fat.

The higher your internal metabolic rate, the faster you will lose weight.High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and strength training boost your metabolism for up to 2 days

Does it make sense to count calories when losing weight?

No.

It is important to understand which foods you can eat and which you should exclude: the basis should be proteins, healthy fats and non-starchy vegetables, and you should try to limit the amount of simple carbohydrates.

Sugar and fructose are particularly harmful to weight loss.They not only carry "empty" calories, but also cause changes in the body at the hormonal level, which cause overeating and cause a huge number of diseases.

Have one fasting day a week

Bigotry is rarely beneficial.Now that we have figured out how to lose weight quickly, it is important to realize that infrequent indulgences will not harm yourself.

In any diet, especially in the beginning, when your usual lifestyle changes,You can give yourself a "fast" day.when you can eat more carbohydrates and familiar foods.Without fanaticism of course.

Such a day is usually called a "cheat meal" day from the English "cheat meal" - "cheat with food".

Always try to stay as healthy as possible in the foods you choose.

As for carbs, satisfy your appetite with whole natural foods: oatmeal, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, fruit.

And it is better to do this no more than once a week.The more often, the less fast the weight loss process will be.

It is important to understand:A cheat meal day is allowed during weight loss, but in no case is it necessary..During it, your weight may increase slightly, but mainly due to the fluid that will "leave" in the following days.

During weight loss, one fasting day per week is allowed, when you can eat more carbohydrates and familiar foods.

How fast can you lose weight?

On the low carb diet described aboveyou can lose about 1-4 pounds per week, sometimes more, sometimes less.

The more overweight you areand the fewest attempts to lose weight in the past,the faster you will lose weight.

A scientific experiment showed that a low-carbohydrate diet (~50 g per day)helps you lose weight much fasterfrom a low-fat diet (30% of total calories).Over 6 months, the obese women lost an average of 8 kg on the low-carb diet and 4 kg on the low-fat diet.

Weight loss program with restriction of carbohydrates in the diet

What's interesting is that in the experiment, the low-carb women were allowed to eat as many of the other allowed foods as they wanted.Those.they didn't have to fight the debilitating feeling of hunger.But as a result, the calorie content of their food per day was reduced by about 500 calories compared to usual.

The "eat as much as you want" principle is the basis of the Dukan protein diet.But carbohydrates are excluded from the list of permitted foods.

Look at the chart below: it's a good illustration of how quickly you can lose weight just by eating fewer carbs.

How fast you can lose weight by limiting carbohydrates in your diet: the vertical axis is body weight, the horizontal is time in weeks.The bottom graph is the rate of weight loss on a low carb diet, the top is the rate of weight loss on a low fat diet.

During the first few weeks, you may feel low on energy as your body needs time to adjust from using carbohydrates as an energy source to fats.

After that, your well-being will improve significantly, as will your health.

Scientists say that a low-carbohydrate diet improves blood sugar levels, lowers the concentration of bad cholesterol and increases the concentration of good cholesterol and normalizes blood pressure.

How quickly you can lose weight on a low-carb diet depends on many factors.The average rate of weight loss is 1-4 kg per week