If you’re someone who wants to lose weight, you’re often willing to try anything you think might work. Shifting those excess pounds can turn into a massive priority.
The problem, of course, is that there is a significant amount of misinformation out there. Many people claim to know the secret to losing weight without considering what the science is saying.
The good news is that this post is here to help. We explore some of the top ways to lose weight fast so you can get the body you want. It’s not always about pushing yourself or even restricting what you eat. Small changes and habits can often make a tremendous difference in how you ultimately look and feel.
So what can you do to lose weight? Let’s take a look at some of the top options.
1. Rethink Your Snacks
Getting hungry between meals is something that happens to a lot of us. At around 11 am, our stomachs start rumbling and we feel the need to snack on something.
The problem, of course, is that many of us reach for the wrong things. We want to eat snacks that make us feel full and will keep us going until the next meal.
The trick with snacking is to choose high volume foods that will tide you over until your lunch break or dinner. The best options are things like fruits and nuts. However, you can also snack on whole grains and beans if you have access to them. These foods release calories slower than, say, a chocolate bar, and are less likely to cause that unhealthy spike in blood sugar that promotes weight gain. Many of these snacks may also improve the health of your microbiome, improving your overall metabolism and making weight loss more likely.
2. Read Food Labels
The next step is to start reading food labels and really consider what you are putting in your mouth. Eat food that comes in brightly-colored packaging as infrequently as you can. Do the majority of your grocery shopping around the edges of the store, primarily in the produce section.
If you do buy something that comes in a packet, look at the ingredients list. If the second or third ingredient is some form of sugar or fat, pass on it and try something else.
If you are a fan of condiments, like ketchup, look for products that use date paste as a sweetener. Dates are whole foods and interact with your body differently from regular sugar.
3. Keep All The Tools You Need For Healthy Cooking At Home
You should also keep all the tools you need for healthy eating at home. Having all the necessary equipment on standby makes it easier to prepare delicious meals you see in recipe books.
For instance, you’ll need a food processor for making bean burgers, and a blender for healthy sauces made of nut butters, fruit, and aromatic ingredients. You’ll also want to buy a cast iron skillet and ceramic non-stick pans to prevent food from burning and reduce the amount of oil you have to use to stop ingredients from sticking.
4. Keep Your Kitchen Well-Stocked
The next strategy is to keep your kitchen well-stocked. You want to have plenty of items in the pantry and fridge that you can use to whip up whatever meals you want to eat.
It’s a good idea to have the staples, including:
- Rolled oats
- Quinoa
- Brown rice
- Kidney beans
- Lentils
- Black beans
- Tomato puree
- Canned chopped tomatoes
- Herbs
- Spices
- Olive oil
When you have these in good supply you are in a good position to make practically any meal. All you need are the fresh ingredients, which are easy to pick up from the store.
You should also keep plenty of flavorful ingredients that let you make the most delicious recipes, like nutritional yeast, paprika, almond butter, cashew nuts, and blue cheese. Having these on-hand makes it more likely you will lose weight fast.
5. Stick To Your Grocery List
Another pro tip for losing weight fast is to stick to your grocery list. Only buy the things you need from the store to make healthy recipes at home.
People get into trouble when they buy things to eat immediately. These usually come in packets and are devoid of healthy ingredients, and high in sugar, fat, and salt to make them taste good.
Commit to preparing meals in advance or every evening when you return home from work – whenever is convenient for you. Use shortcuts to healthy eating, like microwavable oatmeal with fruit, or all-in-one crockpots.
6. Start Intermittent Fasting
Related to this last point, you might also start intermittent fasting, something Chicago Weight Loss, a medical weight loss clinic discusses.
“We’re interested in the science around intermittent fasting and how it helps people reduce the overall number of calories consumed in any given 24-hour period,” the outfit says. “Many people are now finding success with this way of eating because it permits them more freedom than regular diets. Instead of chronically restricting calories, which most people can’t do long term, it simply defined a time window in which people can eat.”
This approach to eating for weight loss appears successful in trials and seems to work as well as regular calorie restriction. However, surveys indicate that people enjoy it more than conventional weight loss approaches because the restriction is only temporary. Not eating snacks in the evening and stopping eating by 6 pm is an easier rule to follow than cutting energy intake at every meal.
With that said, intermittent fasting works best when the food itself is healthier. Individuals are much more likely to lose weight rapidly, restricting the feeding window to eight hours and eating whole foods, as they come out of the ground.
7. Make A Habit Of Meal Planning
Another pro tip for weight loss is to make a habit of meal planning. People who consider their mealtimes in advance are much more likely to maintain a healthy weight.
But why is this?
Part of the reason comes down to the quality of the meals themselves. Meals you plan are much more likely to use fresh ingredients.
However, meal planning also makes it more likely that you will avoid eating empty calories, like those from fast food. Instead of reaching for the most convenient snacks, you are eating real foods.
8. Eat Less For Dinner And More For Breakfast
There’s also good evidence that eating less for dinner and more for breakfast is highly beneficial for weight loss and improving metabolism. Research shows that people are most insulin sensitive in the morning, with levels declining throughout the day. That means you need less of the fat-storing hormone in the morning compared to the evening, reducing the likelihood of weight gain.
The people most at risk of putting on weight are those who snack late at night, before going to bed. Eating the bulk of calories later in the day is risky because most people have the best insulin metabolism after they wake up (possibly because of circadian rhythm effects).
9. Eat Fruit For Dessert
Once you finish a meal, you naturally want something sweet. For many of us, dessert is something ingrained into our psyche.
However, as we all know, desserts are among the least healthy foods. That’s where eating fruit comes into the picture. While it might not be quite as exciting as cakes and icecream, it fulfils a similar function. Once you make it a habit, it will start feeling natural, and you’ll want to keep adding it at the end of your meals. And unlike regular desserts, fruit is low in calories and high in nutrients, precisely what you need to promote weight loss.
10. Consume Some Protein At Every Meal
If you struggle with hunger throughout the day, you might want to consider eating more protein at every meal, but don’t always get it in the form of meat. Instead, choose plant sources of quality protein that won’t spike insulin levels, like quinoa and edamame, if you want to lose weight. Tofu is another good option and works well with aromatic herbs, like coriander, and chilli.
11. Start Where You Are And Lean Into It
Another excellent tip for losing weight fast is to start where you are and lean into it. Don’t force anything.
“We see a lot of patients who are ultra-motivated to lose weight but quickly burn out because they try to do it too quickly,” says the Chicago Weight Loss and Wellness Clinic. “The best way to get into the habit of a healthy lifestyle is to simply do what you can without feeling like you are putting all your energy into it. Smart choices are usually more effective over the long-term than being Puritanical. Restriction is just so psychologically challenging to maintain long-term.”
12. Add Flavor
Finally, you can also lose weight fast by ensuring your meals are delicious and healthy. The two are not mutually exclusive.
Many people don’t discover the sheer abundance of flavorful food out there until they change their eating habits. Herbs, spices, and healthy cooking methods can enable you to enjoy your food while losing weight at the same time.
