Weight loss is a topic surrounded by many myths. While figuring out how to lose weight fast and effectively, we get many options from everywhere but only very few of them are actually scientific and evidence-based.
In this article, let’s discuss four scientifically proven ways to lose weight quickly and naturally in a few weeks. Usually losing about 1–2.5 pounds a week is considered as the best pace for long-term weight management to shed the extra pounds.
So these are the four ways which will help you to:
- Lose weight fast
- Control your appetite
- Feel full and energetic
- Avoid binge eating
1. Follow a calorie deficit diet
Calories are the energy currency that you get from your food. Calories are used by our bodies for
- Doing physical activities (Activity Energy Expenditure)
- For digesting, absorbing, and metabolizing the food ( Thermic effect of food)
- For maintaining the very basic activities like breathing, heartbeat, circulation, brain function, etc.(Resting Energy Expenditure)
A calorie deficit diet is something in which you consume lesser calories than what is required by your body for doing its daily activities. Before going on a calorie deficit it is important to know how much is your maintenance calories. Maintenance calorie is the minimum amount of calories that your body needs to do its basic work. You can check your maintenance calories on the bodyweight planner by the national institute of health.
A calorie deficit diet creates a negative energy balance in your body and this leads to weight loss. Calories are provided to our body via three major macronutrients which are carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. 1 g of carbohydrates and protein provides 4 kcal of energy while 1 g of fat can provide about 9 kcal of energy. The calorie deficit can be achieved by a specialized combination of these three macronutrients.
While planning a calorie deficit diet always make sure that your diet has a good satiety value or else you will end up feeling hungry now and then and finally this will lead to binge eating. Also, never drink your calories instead try eating your H2O. yes, try including watermelon, cucumber, citrus fruits, tomatoes, and other fruits and veggies having ample water content in them. This will not only help you to get sufficient amounts of micronutrients but also will give you a longer feeling of fullness as these have fibers and thus take a longer time to move through the digestive tract.
Low‐calorie diets can be effective in losing weight. Normally a 500–600 kcals deficiency in the diet will suffice unless you have some medical emergency and need a very low carb diet.
2. Eat more protein, fats, and fibers
Eating adequate protein will not only help to maintain your muscle mass and bone strength while losing weight but it will also help to give you a feeling of satiety. Including the recommended amount of protein in the diet will avoid the tendency to binge eat.
Healthy protein sources include
- Lean meat like chicken and turkey
- Eggs with yolk
- Fishes like sardines, mackerel, tuna, and other seafood
- Milk and milk products
- Pulses and legumes like soybean, green gram, chickpeas, etc
An average person can consume about 0.8–1 g of protein per kilogram of body weight. Proteins are essential for bodybuilding and for repairing the wear and tear of the body.
Fats are an important source of energy due to being calorie-dense and the sole source of fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K. Consuming good fats are essential so that our body gets all the essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins.
Consumption of monounsaturated fatty acids lowers total and LDL cholesterol levels reducing the risk of several cardiovascular diseases. Polyunsaturated fatty acids have been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects and thus have several health benefits. Olive oil and avocado oil are the best edible oils to include in your diet when aiming for weight loss.
Consumption of butter, ghee, coconut oil, and hydrogenated fats has to be limited as these contain higher amounts of saturated fats which leads to weight gain as well as these have several ill effects on your health.
Including ample amounts of vegetables and fruits is the prime factor which will assist you in your weight loss journey. Vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables and fruits are loaded with nutrients and dietary fibers. Dietary fibers have hypocholesterolemic and hypoglycemic effects. Dietary fibers also add bulk to the food increasing satiety and giving a feeling of fullness for a longer time.
Most of the foods which we buy from hotels, cafes, and markets are highly processed and have high salt, sugar, and fat content. These often are loaded with empty calories and have several health risks including the risk of unwanted weight gain.
Instead of it try eating wholesome home-cooked meals that have a portion of good quality protein, good fats, plenty of vegetables and fruits, and a small portion of whole grain in them. This will not only help you to lose weight but also will ensure a healthy body
3. Move your muscles
Even though exercise is not that important as the diet, yet, it will help you to maintain your metabolism. Usually, when people try to lose weight, their body metabolism tends to slow down making the weight loss process slower.
Weight lifting has been proven very beneficial for people aiming for weight loss as this burns a lot of calories keeping your body metabolically active. Try going to the gym and lifting some weight at least 4–5 days a week.
If you are not able to lift weights, doing a 15–20 mins cardio workout will also be beneficial. When aerobic exercises are done in combination with calorie deficit diets there has been a reduction in fat-storing cell size in the abdominal area which will cause effective weight loss.
4. Intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting is a type of eating pattern where you periodically eat and stop eating. This is a proven method for losing weight. Intermittent fasting also does some hormone modifications to aid weight loss.
While doing intermittent fasting you are already consuming less amount of food which results in less calorie intake. Also, intermittent fasting includes periodic short-term fasting which causes the metabolism to speed up causing even more loss of calories. This way intermittent fasting is an effective way to create a negative energy balance in your body and thus help in weight loss.
These are some of the weight loss tips based on scientific evidence and researches. There is one thing to understand that there are not any quick fixes that will cause weight loss overnight. Losing weight will surely take about 2 weeks or more and then you have to maintain it further.
The most effective way to lose weight naturally is by having a well-balanced diet with some exercise. Beware of the fake and harmful weight loss products available in the market. Be consistent and motivated and see the magic happening!