Weight loss is one of the hardest things to do and that’s why there are so many diet and exercise fads out there. Some work temporarily and then you put the weight back on which is demoralizing. As someone who has always been very conscious of my weight I have put together some weight loss tips that are guaranteed to help you lose weight fast.
These are essential tips that if followed will lead to weight and fat loss. If you’ve read this blog then you know that I follow keto and have been successful with it after struggling to lose weight for years. Trust me when I say I have tried it all from juicing, weight loss programs and mad exercise. Nothing worked. I am now down 15 pounds which for a petite person is quite noticeable. I’ll let you in on another secret you don’t need exercise to lose weight. Diet is king!
How to lose weight fast in 6 steps
Table of Contents
Measure your food
Your plate should always have proteins, carbs and fats. The recommended ratio is 20% proteins, 10% carbs and 70% fats. Eat until you are full and avoid over feeding.
Meat is a great source of protein. I typically try to consume organic, grass fed and wild meat. Proteins are great for weight loss and should never be ignored.
Some protein sources include:
- Beef
- Wild caught salmon
- Chicken
- Pork
- Eggs
At 10% carb consumption also ensure that you eat good carbs. Try to stay below 50 grams for men and 25 grams of net carb intake for women on a daily basis. Avoid high sugar and processed foods. Try to eat more natural and fresh food. If you eat some of the low carb vegetables I’ve outlined below you can eat plenty of them without going over the 25 grams limit.
Some low-carb vegetables that I eat all the time include:
- Zucchini and Eggplant
- Swiss chard, Kale and Spinach
- Cabbage and Brussels sprouts
- Cauliflower
- Peppers and Onions
The idea of consuming 70% fat in your daily meals scares many people but always ensure that you eat high quality fats. For this strategy to work you always want to ensure that you keep you fat consumption at the recommended 70% because a low carb diet needs to be supported by fat consumption.
Some good fat sources include:
- Coconut oil
- Avocado oil
- Butter
- Avocado
- Cream
- Bacon
- Brazil nuts and Cashew nuts
See my favorite recipes here.
Try intermittent fasting
I fully endorse intermittent fasting. I lost most of my weight using this strategy where I cut back on calories by eating less food. People will frown at this until it starts working. No one will suffer irreparable harm by skipping a meal. For me the easiest fast to adopt was the 16:8 timing which incidentally works well for significant weight loss.
With 16:8 fasting you eat within an 8 hour window and fast for 16 hours. I would typically stop eating at 8 pm and start eating at noon. I would eat whatever I wanted within the guideline above until I was full. In the fasting period I would drink coffee, tea and water. Coffee and tea have been known to increase metabolism so can’t go wrong. Also coffee helps to decrease food cravings which is helpful when fasting.
Intermittent fasting works for fat loss because during the fasting period the body runs out of carbohydrates and starts to use fat for energy from the body’s fat stores. You should see how much weight I have lost in my belly area. It’s miraculous I think!
Exercise
As mentioned above you don’t need exercise to lose weight but if you can combine a great diet and exercise you will achieve faster results. Expending energy leads to a calorie deficit especially when you limit your calorie intake with intermittent fasting. I would typically run in the fasting period and I think this also helped with weight and fat loss.
Pick something that you enjoy doing from running, weight lifting, cycling, cross-fit and group classes. The focus is to burn a few calories. Once you start noticing some changes in your body these tips become easier to implement because you see results. Just hang in there don’t quit!
Drink more water
Water is very important in any weight loss journey. The recommended amount is half your weight in ounces. If you weigh 100 pounds for example you should drink 50 ounces of water daily. The best way to ensure that you get your water in is to have a water bottle that has measurements. You can then track how much water you’ve drank throughout the day.
Also try to drink water half an hour before your meal. The water gives you a ‘full’ feeling which leads to less eating if you are trying to cut back on calorie consumption.
Cut back on sugary juices that are marked as healthy drinks. One of the habits I picked up over time was reading food labels. Most of those juices that are ‘healthy’ usually have close to 40 carbs per drink mostly made up of sugar. You always want your carbs to be good carbs like fibre not sugar
Lift more weights
If you do end up exercising weight lifting is always recommended for faster weight loss in comparison to cardio. You will lose weight on any exercise most of the time but weight training burns more calories because your body continues to burn calories post workout.
Start lifting smaller weights and work your way up. Alternatively focus on exercise that uses your own body weight with resistance training and such. As you build muscle your body burns more calories in comparison to fat.
I love using kettlebells, barbells and plates in the gym. I find a corner when there are fewer people in the gym and do my thing. Watch youtube videos for how to use equipment and do your thing!
Get enough sleep
This is key to weight loss. Your body needs rest and I try to get at-least 8 hours of sleep everyday. This usually means that I am more alert in the morning and I’m also rested for any exercise I want to do. Sleeping helps the body to recover and has also been linked to anti aging.
Start prioritizing sleep and rest now. Sleeping habits have a correlation to weight-loss.
