Losing Weight Quickly

Fundamentals of Losing Weight Quickly

Are you somewhat weightier than you're comfortable with? Have you been putting on pounds for years? Obviously, this is a pervasive problem—in other words, you're not alone. In fact, folks all around the country, and yes, throughout the world, are contending with corpulence. What's the solution? Well, we all know the fundamentals of losing weight quickly; eat well and exercise regularly.

Okay, after stating the obvious, what is the right approach to losing weight quickly? And, how do you keep it off? Let's break it down to goals, calories and exercise.

Goals for Losing Weight Quickly

According to the NIH "…a reasonable and safe weight loss is 1-2 pounds per week…" So, if you're planning on slimming down faster than that, you might want to reconsider; here's why: it'll be easier to keep the weight off, and you'll have some time to make healthy changes in your eating and exercise habits.

How much to lose? If you're really overweight, strive for a 10 percent reduction of your current weight. By reaching this weight loss goal as a first step, you'll be lowering your risk for heart disease and other illnesses, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and particular types of cancer.

Calories for Rapid Weight Loss

To lose weight quickly, most folks need to reduce the number of calories they consume from food and drinks. For the recommended weight loss of 1-2 pounds per week, daily consumption should be cut back by about 500 to 1,000 calories. Here are the starting points:

  • Women – diets consisting of 1000 to 1200 calories will facilitate safe weight loss. If you weigh 165 pounds or more and get regular exercise, 1200 to 1600 calories is usually appropriate.
  • Men – consuming between 1200 and 1600 calories a day should help in losing weight quickly.

Exercise for Quick Weight Reduction

For continuous weight loss, strive for a minimum of 60-90 minutes of moderate physical activity per day. This can be done all at once, or divided up into shorter workouts, such as 15 minute sessions. A note on safety from the NIH: "Most adults do not need to see their doctor before starting or increasing their activity level. However, you should speak to your doctor before starting a very active (vigorous) program if you are over age 40 (men) or over age 50 (women), or if you have one or more of the conditions below:

  • A health problem, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis (bone loss), asthma, or obesity
  • High risk for heart disease, such as a family history of heart disease or stroke, eating a diet high in saturated fat and cholesterol, smoking, or having an inactive lifestyle"

If you've been somewhat sedentary in the past, start slowly. The fundamentals of success to losing weight quickly includes: sticking to your goals, clamping down on calories and engaging in regular exercise.

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