11 Tricks to Drop Up to 15 Pounds of weight loss in a Week
If you want to lose fifteen actual pounds by next weekend, listen up: Losing weight fast is almost always unhealthy. That's because it can set you up for binge-eating and fluctuations that interfere with long-lasting results, which basically defeats the whole point, right?
Even if you do meet your goal, it's nearly impossible to keep off the weight over the long term: "The amount of restriction required [to maintain that number] will make you so hungry that you'll eat everything in sight-it's survival instinct," And since calorie restriction gradually slows your metabolism, your body will be less prepared to burn the foods you binge on. That could mean gaining more pounds than you lost in the first place.
Still, there are effective and healthy ways to kick off your weight loss and, yes, it will take time!-all without starving yourself, wasting money on sketchy supplements, or punishing your body with exercise.
Instead, try a few of these safe, proven tips. And remember: You'll get the best, longest-lasting results from changes that don't leave you exhausted and dreaming of pizza.
#1. Track your diet.
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"Eating fewer calories than you burn will help you lose weight-it's that simple," "But you need to know your patterns before you can make a plan."
To assess how much you're actually eating to maintain your current weight, It requires using MyFitnessPal. Just input whatever you eat, and be honest. The app will calculate your daily calorie intake without judgment (or any math on your end). "No food is inherently good or bad,"
#2. Focus on plants.
In a small-ish study of more than 1,000 people, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, researchers found those following vegetarian and vegan diets, rich in whole grains, fruits, produce, nuts, and legumes, lost more weight than dieters on other plans-even the low-carb Atkins diet-over the same time span.
The researchers hypothesize that participants who abstained from animal products dropped significantly more pounds since plant-based foods include loads of filling fiber and slow-to-digest complex carbs. Though more research is needed to confirm these results. "Vegetarian diets appeared to have significant benefits on weight reduction compared to non-vegetarian diets."
#3. Cut back on soda.
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When you drink liquid carbs, like the sugar in soda, your body doesn't register them the same way as, say, a piece of bread, according to a review of studies published in Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care. That means, even though you're taking in calories, your fullness cues aren't likely to signal that you're satisfied once you finish off a can. And that can lead to consuming more overall.
Even calorie-free diet soda might keep you from reaching your goals. Though the reason for increased risk for obesity isn't clear, recent research suggests that artificially sweetened soda could stimulate hunger hormones, leading people to consume more calories than they need.
#4. Make super small food swaps.
If you've been eating fast food for years, get real about your approach: You're probably not going to stick to an organic, gluten-free, paleo overhaul for very long. "You want to change as little as possible to create calorie deficit,". who insists the best way to support sustainable weight loss is to incorporate small changes into existing habits. So instead of giving up your daily BLT bagels in favor of an egg-white wrap, try ordering your sandwich on a lighter English muffin. Or say you eat a snack bar every afternoon: Swap your 300-calorie bar for a 150-calorie alternative. "Your brain will feel the same way about it, so you won't feel deprived," he says.
#5. Get your protein from lean food sources.
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Dietary protein is one of the most important tools in your weight-loss arsenal, partly because you expend more energy digesting protein versus carbs and fat. But it's often packaged with naturally-occurring fats that amp up the calories of each serving.
It's why leaner protein sources like chicken breast, white fish, and low-fat dairy have fewer calories than alternatives like bacon and burgers. Greek yogurt, cheese, and cottage cheese also make smart choices.
#6. Opt for carbs with higher fiber content.
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Like protein, fiber slows the rate at which your body plows through carb calories so you feel full for longer and maintain steadier blood sugar levels, one reason why research consistently links fiber intake to weight loss. That means fibrous whole grain bread tends to be a better choice than white bread and also explains why fruits, which contain fiber and valuable vitamins in addition to sugar, beat straight-up candy every time.
#7. Drink more water.
Skimp on fluids, and your body will release an antidiuretic hormone that leads to water retention that could affect the scale. While this sneaky effect is one reason why the scale is a poor measure of body mass loss, you can outsmart it by drinking more-particularly if you fill your glass with water or non-calorie alternatives like unsweetened coffee and tea.
#8. Make a real effort to manage stress.
"Anytime you're stressed, you probably go for food," That's because cortisol, the stress hormone, stokes your appetite for sugary, fatty foods. No wonder it's associated with higher body weight, according to a 2007 Obesity study that quantified chronic stress exposure by looking at cortisol concentrations in more than 2,000 adults' hair.
It's why no weight-loss journey is complete without a stress-management tactic: Maybe it's meditation, calling your mom after work, or chilling out with music. Just make sure it's hunger, not stress, that leads you to the kitchen
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#9. Sleep an extra 30 minutes a night.
Poor sleep is associated with a slower metabolism, and the more you're awake the more hours you have to eat. What's more, the sleep deprivation activates the same brain receptors responsible for the marijuana munchies, according to a 2016 SLEEP study.
#10. Exercise-but not excessively.
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Although it's way more fun to take up a tolerable activity (i.e., watching Netflix on the elliptical) than it is to drop tasty foods from your diet, "exercise won't help you lose weight in one week,".
After all, "resistance training might initially contribute a pound or two due to the body's inflammatory response, and people who do low-intensity exercise might burn calories, but they often end up eating more or subconsciously moving less throughout the day to conserve energy," he says-and research supports the theory.
Real talk: It could take weeks or months to see the metabolic effects of exercise on the scale, and even then, building muscle, which is denser than body fat, could lead to weight gain. "Do what you like because it's good for you," Although, noting the way exercise is awesome for your heart, mental health, and more-and that not all measure of progress can be seen on the scale.
#11. Have all the sex.
In what is perhaps the biggest buzzkill of all time, sex doesn't quite count as cardio or burn a significant amount of calories: Women burn about 3.6 per minute. "It's still a good idea,", citing the activity's other benefits, like increasing the output of the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, which naturally reduce food cravings.
