Lose Weight Fast: How to Do It Safely

You've heard it time and again: fad diets don't work for permanent weight loss. But what about those times when you really need to lose some weight fast? It's hard to pass up the promise of crash diets like the Lemonade Diet, Cabbage Soup Diet, orLose 21 Pounds in 21 Days when your mission is to squeeze into a new outfit in time for a reunion or wedding, or you finally decide you just want to lose weight.

So what's wrong with dropping 20 pounds fast so you can wow your friends and family with a svelte new shape?

The truth is that nothing is wrong with losing weight rapidly -- as long you do it the right way, says Michael Dansinger, MD. He's the medical doctor for NBC's The Biggest Losershow, which spotlights quick and dramatic weight loss.

"In theory, one could drop as much as 20 pounds in a week following a very ambitious eating and exercise plan, devoting more than seven hours per week to rigorous exercise, and under a physician's care like we do on the television program," he says.

But even if you can't drop everything to go to weight loss "boot camp," you can safely lose 3 or more pounds a week at home with a healthy diet and lots of exercise, says weight loss counselor Katherine Tallmadge, RD.

In fact, having a goal like looking great at a wedding or reunion can be a great motivator, as long as you follow a weight loss plan that you can keep up after the special event.

But you need to plan ahead and allow enough time to make changes to your shape.

"Don't wait until one week before the reunion to try and lose 10 pounds," advises Tara Gidus, MS, RD, team dietitian for the Orlando Magic.

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Choosing a Weight Loss Program

During any one year, more than half of all Americans go on a diet to lose weight. For many people, it is difficult to lose more than a few pounds, and few succeed in remaining at the reduced weight. The difficulty in losing weight and keeping it off leads many people to turn to a professional or commercial weight loss program for help. When considering joining a weight loss program, choose wisely.

Almost any of the commercial weight loss programs can work but only if they motivate you sufficiently to decrease the amount of calories you eat or increase the amount of calories you burn through physical activity each day (or both).

What Should I Look for In a Weight Loss Program?

• Make sure it is safe. Whether you create your own weight loss program or use a commercial one, make sure it is safe. A safe diet should include all of the recommended daily allowances (RDAs) for vitamins, minerals, and protein. The diet should be lower in calories (energy) only, not in essential vitamins or minerals. In general, a diet containing 1,000 to 1,200 calories a day should be selected for most women; a diet between 1,200 calories per day and 1,600 calories per day should be chosen for men, however, speak with your doctor first.
• Slow, steady weight loss. The program should be directed toward slow, steady weight loss unless your doctor feels your health condition would benefit from more rapid weight loss. Expect to lose only about a pound a week after the first week or two. With many calorie-restricted diets, there is an initial rapid weight loss during the first one to two weeks, but this loss is largely fluid. The initial rapid loss of fluid also is regained rapidly when you return to a normal-calorie diet. Thus, a reasonable goal of weight loss should be expected. The rate of weight loss should be 1 pound to 2 pounds each week.

When inquiring about a commercial weight loss program, be sure you are provided with a detailed statement of fees and costs of additional items such as dietary supplements or foods. Other important questions to ask of any potential weight loss program include:

• Does the staff consist of qualified counselors and health professionals such as registered dietitians, doctors, and exercise physiologists?
• Are food choices flexible and suitable?
• Are weight loss goals set by the client and/or the health professional?
• What percentage of people complete the program?
• What is the average weight loss among people who finish the program?
• What percentage of people have problems or side effects? What are they?
• Is there a maintenance program to help keep the weight off once it's lost?

If you plan to lose more than 15 pounds to 20 pounds, have any health problems, or take medication on a regular basis, your doctor should evaluate you before you start a weight loss program. A doctor can assess your general health and medical conditions that might be affected by dieting and weight loss.

Also, a doctor should be able to recommend appropriate programs and help you come up with a sensible weight loss goal. If you plan to use a very-low-calorie diet, you definitely should be examined and monitored by a doctor.

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Want a better beginning to your weight loss plan? Get going with these tips from the experts.

No matter how you slice it, diet is a dirty word. It smacks of deprivation and hunger pangs. To overcome the pain, you need a plan.

So WebMD asked the experts for advice, and put together their quick tips on how to get your weight loss going.

1. Know Your Weight Loss Goals

Consider how much you need to lose before you decide how to do it, recommends Brian C. Jacobson, MD, MPH, assistant professor of medicine and a gastroenterologist at Boston University Medical Center in Massachusetts.

Very overweight or obese. "For someone obese, I refer them to our weight loss center," says Jacobson, who says people with a lot of weight to lose can probably benefit from a structured, supervised program.

If you're slightly or moderately overweight."I advise controlling portion size," Jacobson says. "If you control portion size, you cut calories."

To learn correct portion sizes, consult a registered dietitian or take a look at the USDA's new MyPlate guidelines. 

Exercise also has to be part of your plan, Jacobson tells the do-it-yourselfers. But that doesn't necessarily mean joining a gym. "Buy a cheap treadmill," he says, and when you're watching TV, hop on and take a walk.

Before starting a new exercise regime or weight loss plan, however, remember to talk with your doctor.

2. Understand Your Weight Loss Personality

Personality plays a role in our attitude towards food, says Thomas R. Przybeck, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, who has published on the topic of diet and personality. Know your tendencies and tailor your plan to conquer the unproductive inclinations.

Impulsive. "If you have a tendency to be impulsive, you might see a pint of Ben & Jerry's in the freezer and go for it," Przybeck says. Clearly you are a dieter who needs to remove those temptations.

Oblivious. If you tend to not pay attention when you eat -- maybe you're a TV snacker? -- you need to avoid such situations if you want to control portions.

Uptight. "If you are highly anxious, you will probably have more difficulty," Przybeck says. "Those who are anxious, nervous, and depressed might eat to feel better."

Tenacious. Certain personalities don't find it that difficult losing weight. "If you are highly self-directed, cooperative, and have a lot of stick-to-it-ive-ness, you are going to have an easier time," Przybeck says.

Sociable. You tend to monitor your food intake better than others, Przybeck found.

3. Double Up: Diet & Exercise

When her heartburn patients ask which should come first, diet or exercise, Lauren Gerson, MD, MSc, director of the Esophageal and Small Bowel Disorders Center at Stanford University School of Medicine in California, says: jump in and do both.

"It's a combination of diet and exercise [that will lead to weight loss]," she says.

4. Make a Firm Weight Loss Commitment

To be successful, it helps to understand why you want to lose weight. So before you begin a weight loss plan, ask yourself:

• Am I ready to do this?
• Is my motivation coming from within?
• Can I deal with occasional setbacks or lack of progress?
• Can I focus on weight loss fully? (If you're in the midst of a job change or other distractions, for example, it might be better to resolve those issues, and then focus on weight loss efforts.)

Finally, be sure you're committed to losing weight for yourself -- not because someone else is pressuring you to do so.

Then, take things slowly, keep these tips in mind, and you should be on the road to weight loss in no time.

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How much weight do you really need to lose?

Maybe you've been struggling -- without success -- to get down to the size you were in high school or on your wedding day. But do you really need to go that low? The truth, experts say, is that you can weigh more than your ideal weight and still be healthy (not to mention happy).

If you're overweight, losing just 10% of your body weight is associated with a myriad of health benefits, including lowering blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugar, and reducing your risk for heart disease. Not only that, experts say, but this kind of weight loss is easier to attain and maintain, setting you up for success in the long run.

Your Weight "Set Point"

Just as your body temperature is programmed to stay around 98.6 degrees, your body weight is naturally regulated to stay within a range of 10%-20%, says Thomas Wadden, PhD, director of the Center for Weight and Eating Disorders at University of Pennsylvania Medical School. This weight range is known as the "set point."

A complex set of hormones, chemicals, and hunger signals help your body naturally maintain your weight within this range, says American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD.

It is not just a matter of genetics, though. Your eating and exercise habits can also help to determine your set point.

"Overeating swamps the internal regulatory system, and, as a result, the set point increases -- which is much easier to do than it is to lower it," says Wadden. The body adjusts to the higher weight and "resets" the set point to defend the new weight. 

It is difficult, but not impossible, to set your range lower. "With changes in healthy eating and exercise behavior, you can lower your set point," says Blatner.

The 10% Solution to Weight Loss

A recent book, Break Through Your Set Point: How to Finally Lose the Weight You Want and Keep It Off, by George Blackburn, MD, suggests that maintaining a 10% loss for six months to a year helps your body adjust to the lower weight and thus reset the set point.

Wadden explains that when you lose large amounts of weight at once, you set up an internal struggle and hormones like ghrelin spike to make you hungrier as your body tries to defend its comfortable range.

Instead, experts recommend that you try losing 10% the old-fashioned way -- by slowly changing eating and exercise behaviors -- then maintain this new weight for a few months before trying to lose more.  Not only will your body get the signal to lower its "set point," but you'll give yourself a chance to get used to new food choices, smaller portions, and regular exercise. 

“When patients lose 10% it may not be the pant size they want, but they start to realize how a little weight loss impacts their health in very positive ways," says Blatner. "They feel better, sleep better, have more energy or less joint pain, and some people are able to reduce medications."

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Eat to Live Diet

The Eat to Live Diet was created by Dr. Joel Fuhrman as a way to show people how they can live healthier lives through better eating. The book focuses on becoming a healthier person and lowering your risk for disease as well as losing weight. Many people use Furhman’s eating plan in conjunction with other weight loss programs. This diet is often compared to Weight Watchers, but the list of allowed foods is much stricter and no counting is required.

Healthy Foods

One positive aspect of this diet is that eating natural, unprocessed foods is encouraged. Dr. Fuhrman believes that people who eat foods that are high in nutrients such as nuts, vegetables, fruits, and certain whole grains lose weight as well as increase their resistance to many diseases. The diet discourages followers from eating dairy, protein, and refined carbohydrates because they contain unhealthy fats and sugars and are not nutrient dense. Fast foods and other processed items are discouraged because they can actually contribute to the diseases that Dr. Fuhrman is helping patients to avoid.

This diet is very vegetarian friendly and has been shown to help people lose weight and people who have followed The Eat to Live Diet have reported lower cholesterol, more stable blood sugar levels, and reduced blood pressure.

No Portion Control

Because of the restrictive nature of this diet, portion control is not required. The premise is that people will naturally eat a smaller amount of nutrient dense, low calorie foods because they are high in water and fiber that help the stomach feel full faster. Eating only a minimal amount of animal proteins and dairy products has been shown to reduce the risk of cancer in some patients. Many diets are difficult to follow because the dieter is required to count calories or points, but this diet doesn’t require keeping track of portions as long as the right foods are consumed.

Exercise

Many people who start The Eat To Live Diet are not in very good physical shape, so the exercise recommendation is a regimen of walking 30-45 minutes per day, at least five days per week. People that are in good physical condition will probably want to add more intense exercises to their daily routines to help them lose more weight and sculpt their bodies.

Restrictive

Diets that are very restrictive, such as this one, only work for people who are willing to change the way they eat long term. Eating large amounts of raw fruits and vegetables as well as sprouts and legumes is great for weight loss, but it requires more planning and preparation than many dieters are willing to put into it long term. Willpower is a big component and most people have a very hard time resisting things like birthday cake.

The Eat To Live Diet seems to work for the people who are able to restrict their diet to Dr. Fuhrman’s expectations. It is a difficult diet for most, but many people who have tried it believe that the end results are worth the effort and willpower it requires.

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Lose Weight Fast

Is it really possible to lose weight fast?

The road to losing weight will certainly take some time but the longer you procrastinate the less weight you will lose. The good news is you can usually start seeing results of any weight loss program within a couple weeks and this is great motivation for many people.

As for how to lose weight fast, there are literally thousands of weight loss tips around and some people have better luck than others with each one. Success can depend on many factors such as your personal dedication, your body and your lifestyle.

While its easy to get trapped in the vicious cycle of ordering every weight loss program you should always start by calculating your BMI and speak with a licensed health professional. Weight loss tips and programs are often built around common techniques which work for most people however sometimes no matter what you do it can seem impossible to lose weight. This is why consulting with your doctor is extremely important before starting any weight loss program.

• Are you allergic to anything?
• What is your BMI?
• Do you have heart problems?
• Any pre-existing conditions?

People who are overweight often have other medial problems related to their weight and some of these can be severe yet unknown so diet and exercise plans should be designed with your entire medical profile in mind.

What about Weight Loss programs who offer to Lose Weight Fast?

Any company who offers weight loss programs can certainly make this claim since even if you lose a pound this week the claim is actually true. Think about it – you lost weight in a week and that was pretty fast but a couple pounds is probably only a fraction of your goal.

Never underestimate how many marketing dollars are put into making you believe one weight loss program is better than another as most are pretty much the same except for different techniques.

Find the program that fits your lifestyle, speak to your doctor and commit to a healthier routine – these three steps will help you build the will power needed to transform your weight to a healthier level.

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HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT

If you want to learn how to lose weight then you are on the right page. We have gathered the top 50 ways to lose weight in a healthy manner without resorting to unhealthy diets or fad products. These tips range from lifestyle changes, to ways on how to control your hunger, how to minimize the calories you consume and how you can improve your activity and exercise levels.You can read the 50 easy ways to lose weight below but first let us explain the basics of healthy weight loss.  

THE WEIGHT LOSS EQUATION

Despite of what you may have read so far about losing weight the basic rules of weight loss or the weight loss equation as we like to call it is simple. It is based on one simple fact: 1 pound of fat = 3500 calories. This means that if you consume an extra 3500 calories (through food) you will gain weight and if you manage to burn 3500 calories more (through diet, physical activity and exercise) than what you need you will lose 1 pound. The steps to lose weight are straightforward:

First you need to calculate your daily calorie requirements.

You can use our calorie calculator to find out how many calories you need per day to maintain your weight. This number is based on your gender, age, weight, height and activity level.

The next step is to use our food journal to calculate the number of calories you consume on a daily basis and the number of calories you burn through exercise and activity. Then by applying the weight loss formula (daily calories – (calories consumed - calories burn)) you will find out how many calories you need to consume in order to lose weight.

For example: If your daily calorie needs are 1500 and you consume 2000 calories by eating and you only burn 200 calories then each single day you consume 300 calories more than what you need (1500 – (2000 – 200)) = -300. As a result you will gain 1 pound every 12 days or about 3 pounds per month.

How to lose weight? In order to reverse the situation and start losing weight you need to reduce the calories from food and start burning more calories through exercise and activity. If for example you follow an 1800 calorie diet and burn 500 calories on a daily basis you will lose about 2 pounds per month. The equation becomes (1500 – (1800-500) =200 calories saving per day which is equivalent to 6000 calories per month or around 2 pounds.

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