Why You Shouldn’t Lose Weight Fast And The Best Way To Lose Weight
“Lose weight fast” – the phrase you’ll find on any health and fitness blog, website or magazine. Each month, there are millions of people searching for the best way to lose weight.
And they don’t just want to lose weight, they want it fast; like “physically impossible” fast. So nutritionists and doctors comply, and come with miracle diets, most of them relying on the same basics:
- Quit drinking sodas;
- No carbs;
- Avoid grease foods;
- Eat only certain milk products;
- Don’t eat processed foods;
- And begin with a cardio session before hitting the gym.
Basically, these diets teach you to give up on everything you enjoy eating and start doing things you don’t really enjoy.
And this is what most of the famous diets you’ve already tried or discovered online want you to believe. And while they might work and help you lose weight fast, they’re definitely not the best way to lose weight.
What losing weight fast really means? It means you’re going to reach your desired weight through a long series of sacrifices:
- Your body becomes weak and tired;
- You’re probably going to miss out on major nutrients;
- Your metabolism slows down and you’ll probably going to gain the weight back;
- A lot of your precious time will be spent in gyms;
- Your muscles break down as fuel for energy;
- You’ll have to avoid most of your favourite foods (mine is Pizza);
- And the last point can also lead to depression.
Do you see now what it really takes to lose weight fast? Too many downsides, right?! And as if all these drawbacks of rapid weight loss were not enough, take a look at this picture:
As you can see, lose skin is another reason you should avoid diets that promise quick results. Instead, focus on long term weight loss goals and remember:
You won’t drop two jean sizes in one day.
You won’t lose fifty pounds in one month.
You’re going to binge every now and then.
You will go a day or two without working out.
Your weight is going to fluctuate here and there.
You’re going to try new techniques, and they’re not going to work.
You’re a human being. You’re going to fail.
But nothing great is ever accomplished without a few obstacles. Just keep going!
The Best Way To Lose Weight
Now let me outline a simplified version of what is, in my opinion, the best way to lose weight:
- Stay 250-300 calories below your maintenance;
- Start weight lifting;
- And do cardio, but don’t do it before weight lifting.
That’s it! Simple, right? Let’s see why this is the best way to lose weight:
You Don’t Have To Quit Anything
“If I don’t consume any calories and quit carbs entirely, that should give me fast results”. Don’t worry, I’ve done this mistake too.
Carbs is your body’s main source of energy and it helps transport protein to your muscles. And muscles burn a lot of calories. So don’t quit carbs, but simply reduce them. Plus it’s not sustainable to quit them, you can’t do that forever.
Quitting sodas, greasy and/or processed foods are great for health benefits. But not essential for losing weight.
Focus On Weight Lifting
By doing cardio before weight lifting you’ll be significantly weaker and won’t be able to build as much muscle mass.
And girls, the size you fear putting on isn’t even attainable naturally and takes years of consistent hardcore training and dieting. If you don’t wanna get too big, don’t worry, you won’t!
You don’t say “I don’t want to take the drivers license, because I fear I’ll become a NASCAR driver”.
Create A Caloric Deficit
It doesn’t matter how much you exercise, or cardio you do, you won’t lose weight unless you’re in a caloric deficit. You need to burn 200-300 calories more than you eat each day.
It is scientifically proven that you can’t lose weight unless the total number of calories consumed per day is smaller than the total number of calories burned per day.
How To Lose Weight Step By Step
Here are the steps you want to follow to lose weight in the most healthful and simple way:
1. Find Out Your Maintenance
Learn the amount of calories you consume daily. You can find online a lot of tools to calculate your daily calorie needs.
2. Create A Caloric Deficit
Consume below your maintenance by roughly 300 calories; or above if your goal is to gain weight. That way you won’t starve yourself or gain weight too fast.
Here is a great tool to calculate your caloric maintenance and target a safe caloric deficit: Calorie deficit calculator. Simply fill in the form and the program it will show you the aproximate number of calories you need to consume daily to lose weight safely.
3. Pack Your Meals With Proteins
Studies show that during a caloric deficit, consumption of a diet rich in protein promotes fat loss and increases lean body mass. A high protein diet helps you lose fat and gain muscle at the same time.
So check out this list with 40 high protein foods and start adding as many of them as you can into your daily diet.
4. Start Weight Lifting
You’ll burn calories and gradually increase your maintenance since muscles require more calories to preserve than fat. More muscles means more fat burned during the same physical activity. Also, more food is required when your muscle mass increases.
So yeah, if you lift weights, you build muscles. And at the same time, your body burns more fat and you can eat more food per day.
But the truth is you don’t accidentally add muscles. You have to work really hard for it. Here are some crucial tips to have in mind before starting to lift weights.
5. Weigh Yourself Regularly
The more weight you lose, the harder it’ll be to lose more. You want to know when your weight stagnates.
6. Add Cardio
As time passes, increase the cardio and lower your calories further (keep lifting weights). Start with a 30 minutes jog in the morning, or a 40 minutes walk in the afternoon. Then gradually increase the time.
7. Be Patient
Watch your body transform at a sustainable and healthy rate. And do it while enjoying your favourite foods with moderation and without crashing or starving yourself.
The hardest thing when trying to lose weight is not knowing what to do. Once you understand that this is the best way to lose weight, it will become a part of your lifestyle. And it will be a healthy and productive lifestyle!
