What You Need To Know About Quick Weight Loss

If you're like most people, when you set out on a diet and workout program, you're looking for quick weight loss. Most of us don't want to waste time spending weeks if not months getting down to our goal weight. 

No, we want to lose weight fast and effectively so we can reach our ideal weight and start living the life we desire.

But, before you jump on the latest quick weight loss quick-fix, it is important that you take some time to understand a few things about quick weight loss strategies.  While there definitely are ways that you can see quick fat loss that stays off for good, more often than not, this isn't quite how it plays out.

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Let's take a quick look at the main factors to consider.

Quick Weight Loss and Water Weight

So the very first thing that you must take into account is the fact that on many of those quick weight loss diets, much of the weight you are going to lose is going to be pure water weight.  When you instantly see the scale drop by a good 5-10 pounds over the course of 3-5 days, you know something is up here.

Since it takes 3500 calories to burn off a single pound, you can clearly see how impossible it would be to burn off 35,000 calories in just a week.  Even if you ate absolutely no food at all and exercised for three or four hours a day, you still would never accomplish this feat.

So if you're losing weight this quickly, it's important that you come to realize that it isn't pure fat loss that you're experiencing.  Failing to realize this could lead to disappointment down the road.

Fat Loss and Muscle Mass Loss

Second, the next important thing that you need to remember when it comes to quick weight loss is that you're not setting yourself up for muscle mass loss.   When you go on an extreme diet that contains very few calories and if this is coupled with lots of exercise, the chances of losing lean muscle mass are incredibly high and this will only come back to hurt you in the long run.

The problem with losing lean muscle mass is the fact that it's going to mean a significantly slowed metabolic rate which then only makes it that much harder to continue to lose body fat.

Remember that your lean muscle mass is the calorie burning 'engine' of the body so if you're not maintaining it while you diet, you're going to really struggle in the long run.

Express Fat Loss and Adherence

Now, the third bit thing that you must also take into considering is the impact of quick weight loss on your adherence rates.  Any time you go making dramatic changes to your eating habits it's going to be hard to stick with and quick weight loss diets really amplify this factor.

Of you're cutting out entire food groups on these quick weight loss diets or you're eating such little food that hunger is always present in extreme amounts.

As you can imagine this becomes incredibly difficult to stick with and before you know it you've abandoned the program altogether.

This doesn't bode well for long term fat loss so another reason why you really have to assess the quick weight loss method you're using carefully. If it doesn't seem like something you could follow for even a modest amount of time, you're better off looking for a different approach instead.

Your Best Bet For Maintaining Express Fat Loss

So what's your best bet when it comes to maintaining a fat loss? Your best bet is finding a diet that does provide sufficient calories that you do feel like you could stick with over the course of time.

Try and find a diet plan that offers quite a bit of protein content in the day since this is the one macronutrient that is going to help save your lean muscle mass the most as well.

If you're getting enough protein, the chances of you seeing that decreased metabolic rate will be much lower so this will have a huge influence on the results you get.

Finally, try and find a quick weight loss diet that also includes plenty of vegetables with modest amounts of fruit.  These are also very important for the nutrients and antioxidants they provide so are something that you absolutely do not want to exclude from your day.

If you can focus on all of these factors, then you can have successful quick weight loss that will stay off over the long term.  Focusing on wholesome foods as much as possible will always be the best express fat loss strategy for not only good health but the best success as well.

Quick & Easy Weight Loss at Home - How I Lost 30lbs in 10 Weeks WithoutDieting, Pills Or Hard Work

Weight loss, and better yet quick weight loss is easier than you think. People ask me all the time - Can I really lose 30 pounds in ten weeks? Yes, you absolutely can. I lost 30 pounds in 10 weeks without dieting, pills, or hard work. I am going to show you how to get free and fast weight loss solutions. This can be achieved in 7 simple steps. These steps are essential to fast, healthy weight loss.

Step 1 - Eliminate Negative Beliefs

The first of my free and fast weight loss solutions is to eliminate negative beliefs about you, your worth, and your beauty. You will eliminate the reasons for your guilt and shame. I know that this sounds corny this is the most important step to losing weight fast and safely. I call it the beginning of My EFT Weight Loss Success Protocol.

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At the root of our problems with food are problems with us and heavy doses of shame and guilt. This is true for most people, although everyone does not have their issues showing up on the outside as fat and extra weight for everyone to see.

Do not underestimate the importance of this step. We are not fat because we love food too much, have no willpower, or simply because we overeat. The answer to our issues is a simple, yet deep one. We overeat, love food too much, lack willpower, and are powerless in the face of our food addictions because of our emotions.

In this first free and fast weight loss solution you will neutralize these negative feelings with something other than food - which, if you didn't figure it out by now, is the way you've been neutralizing these feelings up until now.

There are many free and easy ways to do this. EFT is my personal favorite. But don't take my word for it. Google 'EFT and weight loss' and find out for yourself.

Your own belief is the most important thing. Without a strong belief you will most likely only attract and negative experience, despite the effectiveness of these 7 simple steps.

Step 2 - Beef Up Your Excitement

People have traditionally ignored the power of positive thinking. This is especially true when it comes to losing weight. Thankfully, movies like 'The Secret' and 'What The Bleep', and books like Wayne Dyer's Power of Intention have touted the uber-value of positive thinking, and we can easily apply their tenets to getting slim, making weight loss a lot more fun, exciting, and effective. You will absolutely achieve faster results with a positive mindset!

A great thing to do to get and keep a high level of motivation is to make a vision board. Get a bunch of magazines and cut out pictures of people, places, things, and words that put you in the feeling of being your goal weight right now. If you need to paste your face over some model's - go ahead and do it. Do not be ashamed. Do whatever feels good and makes your feel excited and hopeful.

Attach your photos and images to a piece of poster board and put it in a place where you will see it everyday. Look at it often and feel good.

Change your pictures as your goals change. Keep your motivation fresh and strong. Keep this up throughout your entire weight loss journey. Keep this up everyday.

Vision boards are not only one of the most fun, but also the most awesome of the free and fast weight loss solutions.

Add in Traditional Weight Loss Methods

Now that we have eliminated negative limiting beliefs and put some positive energy in its place, we can get more benefit than ever from traditional methods like diet and exercise.

Step 3 - Detox

I love to start out a weight loss initiative with a good detox. It's like spring cleaning for the body. I like gentle natural ones like a fruit juice fast, a fruit and vegetable detox, or even the Lemonade MasterCleanse.

The initial weight loss is a great boost for your motivation, and eliminating toxins helps you start with a clean slate. Another great part about a detox is that it is a gentle push to the body towards equilibrium, making it more likely that you will naturally shed pounds as your body re-balances itself.

Make sure to drink lots of water. You should drink half of your weight in ounces. If the thought of that makes you gag - then add a splash of lime or lemon juice to make your water tasty and delicious.

Step 4 - Weight Loss Plan

I am not a fan of diets, but you can get extra mileage from your plan by coupling your expanded energy with good old-fashioned diet and exercise.

When I lost my first 30 pounds, I did not diet at all - in fact I ate whatever I wanted. Using EFT to get rid of my negative thinking and emotional blocks, I no longer wanted to overeat like I used to, and I naturally started eating less. I believe that is very important not to deprive yourself.

However, should you choose a traditional diet - and many do - there are many great ones on the market. A fast and free weight loss solution here is the simple adage - just eat fewer calories then you burn off.

Now for exercise. Again, I did not exercise except for walks with my son. It doesn't matter the plan you choose, it should just make you feel great and give you a good workout that fits your personality. Whether it be kickboxing, or pole dancing, walking, running, step aerobics, dancing, or plain old working out in the gym - find an exercise program that works for you.

Step 5 - Tone and Sculpt

Adding toning and sculpting to your plan is like getting your car washed, detailed, and waxed. Your results will delight you. There are great exercises you can do at home like tricep dips, squats, and lunges.

Step 6 - Supplements

In a perfect world, we would get all of our nutrients from out perfectly balanced diets. However, this almost never happens. Most of us are lacking important nutrients from our daily requirements. But not to fear, we can still get what we need through some simple supplements. Start with a great multivitamin.

Step 7 - Energy Balancing

The last part of these free and fast weight loss solutions is to balance our energy system. Weight Loss happens naturally as the body is balanced, bringing the body back to normal, back to center. Energy balancing techniques like yoga, meditation, and tai chi are not only good for the mind, but are great for the body too.

Weight Loss Benefits - Trade That Extra Weight For A Healthy Long Life

The daily number of deaths from heart diseases keeps increasing everyday and the number of non - fatal heart attacks keeps multiplying and about one third of adults in USA are reported to have High Blood Pressure. This is really astonishing. We know very well that High Blood Pressure (HBP) among other illnesses, is the major cause of heart diseases, non-fatal heart attacks and stroke, and about 80% of these problems are caused by overweight. Why should we be suffering all these losses and pains when there are weight loss benefits to our advantage?

In a very simple grammar, we need to look at some of the problems and sicknesses above with other ones attached to overweight and see how weight loss benefits can help us out.
1. Heart disease: With excess body weight, it takes real hard work for the heart to perform its function of supplying blood to all the body parts and in a bid to do this, it is exposed to so much stress and strains which unquestionably affects the health of our heart - giving rise to all sorts of heart diseases. Good fat loss program helps in peeling those extra weights that poses problem to our heart away. This is number one of weight loss benefits.
2. High Blood Pressure: When the heart is to work beyond its normal capacity due to overweight, the pressure at which the blood is supplied in the arteries automatically has to be high in other to reach all the parts. This is why overweight is said to be the major cause of High blood pressure. Lose a little weight and observe great reduction on your Blood Pressure. This is the number 2 of weight loss benefits.
Another thing that can cause high blood pressure is the presence of plaque inside the arteries - this retards the movement of blood in the artery, and in other to achieve maximum supply, the heart over-works itself by exerting more pressure, resulting to High Blood Pressure. Diets with high saturated fat should be taken with care- the calorie from fat per meal should be less than 25%. Weight loss benefits in taking this risk away.
3. Good cholesterol level: We have the LDL - (Artery clogging cholesterol) and HDL (artery - cleaning Cholesterol). LDL is known as bad cholesterol and HDL is known as good cholesterol. Good cholesterol can be improved by being close to or at your ideal body weight and this can be achieved through a good fat loss program. This is number 3 of weight loss benefits.
4. Diabetes: An overweight of 11 to 18 pounds doubles the risk of type 2 diabetes. Overweight and diabetes has a direct link. About 80% of those suffering from diabetes are overweight or obese. Fat loss can lower the risk. A fat loss of about 5-8% drastically reduces the risk of overweight. This is the number 4 of weight loss benefits.
5. Cancer: Research has just shown that overweight and obesity are associated with increased risk of endometrial, gallbladder, colon, kidney, prostrate and post menopausal cancers. With a weight loss program, the risk is bound to decrease. This is the number 5 of weight loss benefits.
6. Arthritis: The risk of arthritis development is reported to increase from about 10 - 13% by an added weight of 2 pounds. Fat loss improves the symptoms of arthritis. This is the number 6 of weight loss benefits.
7. Sleep Disorders: Breath interruption during Sleep, Known as sleep apnea is very common in overweight and obese people. Snoring and blocked breathing passages could make one to have inadequate sleep, leading to drowsiness during the day. Weight loss benefits in reducing sleep apnea.
Overweight can increase risk of gall bladder disease, irregular menstrual circle and pregnancy complications. It can as well lead to anxiety and depression. The list continues but the truth remains that the more overweight one is, the more his or her chances of developing health problems. Weight loss benefits are there for you, trade that extra weight and live a healthier life.

Why Weight Loss Products

Did you know that less than 2% of dieters lose weight and then manage to keep it off?

YOU ARE NOT TO BLAME, if you've tried many different diets and weight loss products and have still been unable to lose the weight. Your dieting efforts have been condemned to failure right from the start. Here's why...

The weight loss industry is worth billions of dollars and exists on repeat sales! You lose some weight and get encouraged, put it all back on again and get discouraged, so you need to purchase more of their product or program, and round and round it goes.

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A recently released government report states this truth, "According to almost all weight-loss experts, if there is a key to long-term maintenance success, it requires permanent lifestyle changes on the part of the dieter : nutritional eating at moderate caloric levels, a regular physical fitness routine, and abandonment of old habits that may have contributed to weight gain."

Government studies also reveal that people who are successful at weight loss are the ones who make lifestyle changes. If people make only temporary changes, they get temporary results - as they did in the past.

A report published by the Colorado State University found that "Many diet products and programs offer a quick, short-term fix, but there is no "magic bullet" for weight loss. Approximately 50 million Americans go on a diet each year -- yet only 5 percent keep the weight they lose off. Many trying to lose weight continually struggle to find an effective weight loss method. However, the only proven way to lose weight and keep it off is by making permanent lifestyle changes. You must eat healthier, watch portion sizes and be active."

It continues - "Many prescription diet medicines have side effects and may not work for long-term weight loss. Over-the-counter pills containing the appetite suppressant PPA (phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride) can raise blood pressure. Over-the-counter pills containing ephedra may cause serious side effects, including dizziness, increased blood pressure or heart rate, chest pain, heart attack, stroke, seizure and even death. Currently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is taking action to limit and/or ban the use of PPA and ephedra in over-the-counter medications and dietary supplements"

Many weight loss products are ineffective, or have undesirable, and sometimes dangerous, side effects. These include bulk fillers, diet patches, electrical muscle stimulators, appetite suppressing eyeglasses, magic weight loss earrings and magnet diet pills.

Reliance on a specific product does not teach healthy, lifelong eating habits. They may help to lose weight temporarily, but that weight will be regained once 'normal' eating patterns are resumed. Using these products helps to avoid eating a healthy diet.

The 'secret' to losing weight and keeping it off is a healthy diet, maintained as a lifestyle. This has another major benefit - increased health.

What Weight Loss Program is Right For You? A Guide to Help You Choose

You've made the decision to lose weight and you go to Amazon.com and search for "diet plans" and you get 1,468 diet books. Then you go to Google and type in "diet plans" and you get 17,600,000 indexed search results. How do you begin? How do you know if the diet plan you choose is right for you? What criteria should you use to evaluate the various diet plans?

First, let me congratulate you on your decision to lose those extra pounds. You've taken the first step to a healthier and happier life. If you're more than 30lbs overweight or have any pre-existing health condition, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, go see your doctor. Let him know your decision to lose weight and ask his advice. Make sure to ask:

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What is my ideal weight? What weight loss books, plans or programs do you recommend? Does my current medical condition limit me on exercising? What are the benefits of seeing a registered dietitian? Does my health insurance cover any of the costs of a weight loss program?

After your doctors visit your next step is to establish your weight loss goals. Write down your goals. I can't emphasize this step strongly enough. Do not skip this step. Use the SMART goal design. SMART stands for specific, measurable, action, realistic and time-bound.

Be specific, don't say "I'm going to lose weight" instead say "I'm going to lose 30lbs by July 4th." Step on your scale once a week to measure your progress. It's best to weigh yourself at the same time of day to get the best basis for comparison. I've made it a habit to weigh myself just before I take my morning shower. List what actions you are going to take to reach your goal (remember write these down). Make sure your goals are realistic. For example, don't set a goal to lose 60lbs in two months that is an unrealistic time frame. Set little goals leading up to our primary goal. If your primary goal is to lose 52lbs in six months than your little goal should be to lose 2 lbs per week. One more goal setting step is to write down the obstacles between you and your desired weight and next to each obstacle write down how you plan to overcome that obstacle.

Depending on what weight loss plan/program you select you can come back to your goals and modify them accordingly but it is best to establish your weight loss goals prior to selecting a plan. And, I say again, write your goals down. There have been countless studies on goal setting and the one overwhelming result has always been the people who have taken the time and effort to write down their goals have achieved greater success than those who did not.

Armed with information and advice from your doctor and specific and written goals you are ready to select the diet plan/program that's right for you. Diet plans/programs can be placed it two broad categories: (1) plans that you implement yourself and (2) plans that provide food and/or supplements plus ongoing support. The primary example of the first category is buying and reading a diet book and then implementing the authors' suggestions. Examples of the second category include Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers, Medifast and Optifast.

Here is where you'll realize the first benefit of your SMART goal setting. What is your goal? Is you goal to lose 20lbs so you can look your best for your best friends wedding in two months or is your goal to lose 50lbs in six months and keep that weight off? In other words, do you have a specific short-term goal or specific long-term goal? I hope your goal includes keeping the weight off but if not that's OK. Just keep in mind that even if you have a short-term goal you will feel so much better without the extra weight you may decide to modify your goal to keep the weight off.

If your goal is short-term you need to compare plans that will allow you to lose your target weight by the specific date you've set. Depending on the time fame you may want to review plans categorized as very low calorie diets (VLCD). Wikipedia defines a VLCD as:

Having 800 calories or less per day. Formulated nutritionally complete liquid meals Carbohydrates can be completely absent Products are usually in powder form and are mixed with water or another low calorie beverage

Most VLCD recommend drinking substantial amounts of water every day. There are health risks with a VLCD including gallstones and constipation (due to lack of fiber). An important note, VLCD are not recommended for those seeking permanent weight loss. They are not sustainable.

If VLCDs are not for you then your next step is to look at low calorie diets. Low calorie diets are defined as those recommending less than 1,200 calories per day. These are not as extreme as the VLCD and consequently do not have the related health risks.

If your goals are long-term you need to concentrate on plans/programs that are sustainable. This means you need to select a diet that you can stick with every day. What foods does the diet recommend? It is best to choose a diet that allows a wider variety of foods. If the diet is too restrictive it will be more difficult to follow.

Also, be certain that the diet plan includes regular physical exercise. The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) established in 1994 by Rena Wing, Ph.D. from Brown Medical School, and James O. Hill, Ph.D. from the University of Colorado is tracking over 5,000 individuals who have lost significant amounts of weight and kept it off for long periods of time. Of those 5,000 participants 94% increased their physical activity and 90% exercise, on average, about one hour per day. One very interesting note is that walking is the most frequently reported physical activity. In other words, you don't have to perform high intensity physical activity to lose weight. Two 30 minute walks per day will do the trick. The key is consistency.

The average participant in the NWCR has lost 66lbs and kept it off for over 5.5 years. What weight loss programs did they use to lose weight? Well, 45% of the participants lost weight on their own and 55% lost weight with the help of some type of program. What does this mean? It means no matter if you choose to implement the advice found in a diet book or join a program like Weight Watchers you can lose the weight and keep it off. To learn more about NWCR and read some of the success stories go to http://www.nwcr.ws/default.htm.

Before we go any further, we need to talk about cost. How much is this going to cost me? Do I have to buy food or supplements? If I choose a program do I have to join for specific amount of time? To state the obvious, buying a diet book and implementing the suggestions will be the lowest cost alternative. With that said, will you be able to do it alone? Only you can answer that question. You may try the low cost alternative first and if you find you need outside support then you can investigate diet programs.

So, how do you choose the right book? The best place to start is review the top ten diet books and see if one looks like it would work. A panel of experts at Health Magazine tested 60 well known diets and here are their top ten:

The Structure House Weight Loss Plan The Step Diet Weight Watchers The Eating Well Diet The Volumetrics Eating Plan The Best Life Diet The Solution You: On a Diet The Sonoma Diet The Spectrum

The folks at HealthNews.com listed the ten most popular diets:

Jenny Craig Mediterranean Diet Zone Diet Weight Watchers Volumetrics Flat Belly Diet Weigh Down Diet South Beach Diet Atkins Diet Sugar Busters Diet

These two lists should provide you with a good starting point to evaluate diets and diet programs.

You may be asking yourself has then been any research studies comparing diets that would point me in the right direction? And the answer is yes - researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine completed the largest and longest ever comparison of 4 popular diets published March 7, 2007 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study involved 311 women between the ages of 25 and 50 with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of between 27 and 40. They were randomly assigned to follow either Atkins, Zone, LEARN or Ornish Diet.

The 311 participants were provided 8 weeks of classes with a dietitian so they completely understood whatever diet they were assigned. After that they were provided no assistance. They were evaluated after six months and one year. Even though there were women in each diet that lost 30lbs or more after one year those assigned to the Atkins diet not only lost more weight than the other participants but they also experienced the most benefits in terms of cholesterol and blood pressure.

There are many nuances to the Stanford study that are too numerous to review here but what I find interesting is: (1) this is a study in a real life situation (the women were on their own after the initial eight weeks of classes), (2) there were women in each group that lost over 30lbs after one year, and (3) the diets selected included a low-carb diet (Atkins), a high-carb diet (Ornish), moderately low-carb diet (Zone) and a diet that follows national guidelines from the USDA's food pyramid (LEARN). So, even though Atkins outperformed the other diets that does not mean you can't lose weight and keep it off on a variety of diets.

If you decide from the get-go that a weight loss program, with its built in support system, will give you the best chance to reach your weight loss goals you need to ask the following questions:

What does the program include? Does the program offer group or one-on-one counseling? Do you have to purchase food or supplements? Does the program help you get more active? Does the program help you keep the weight off? What are the qualifications of the staff? Are they licensed dietitians? Who supervises the program? What type of experience do they have? Does the program or products have any risks? Are the recommended supplements safe? Do you talk with their doctor? If you have a pre-existing condition will they coordinate with your doctor How much does the program cost? Is there a sign-up fee? What is their refund policy? Are there fees for medical tests? If they provide food what is the cost? Do you pay upfront or as-you-go?

No matter, if you have a short-term goal or a long-term goal, choose a diet book or a diet program, track your results and if your first choice doesn't work out don't give up. You can lose weight. Reevaluate and begin again you can lose and keep off those extra pounds.