Believe the hype! Fast ways to lose weight do exist! In fact, you might be surprised at how many quick, effective ways to lose weight quickly there actually are. All you need to do is read and implement:
1. Prepare Your Own Meals
Preparing your own meals is the #1 step in fast and successful weight loss. This way you can control your portions, that are usually two to three times larger in restaurants. Start simple by making one meal a day. (ie: breakfast) A nutritious yet low-calorie breakfast, like oatmeal or eggs with yogurt or fresh fruit on the side.
2. Eat Normal Serving Sizes
It’s pretty important to know how much food a normal size serving is. One serving of meat or fish should be about the size of the inside of your palm. A serving of carbs should be the size of your fist. Open up both hands and your serving of veggies should fit right in there, and any healthy fats should be about the size of the top of your thumb. More importantly, if you feel full do not make yourself eat up everything you have on your plate. Your body knows when it’s the right time to stop.
3. Eat More Fiber
Fiber is absolutely essential for healthy weight loss! Your digestive system will run more smoothly, your body will be able to naturally detox, your metabolism will go up, and you will feel healthier overall. Make oatmeal your daily breakfast, and have a few vegetable salads during the day to get all the fiber you need, and you will be amazed at how fast those pounds start falling off!
4. DO NOT Skimp on Protein
It’s important to have a balanced diet when trying to lose weight FAST. Protein helps build muscle, and muscle burns fat! That’s why you need to make sure that you consume an adequate amount of protein with each meal. Eggs, white meat, and fish are always the best natural sources of protein. But if you are vegetarian, you might enjoy tofu, beans, asparagus, and quinoa. Protein helps you feel fuller, and repairs your muscles after workouts. As a bonus, it contributes to the beauty of your skin, nails, and hair.
5. Never Starve Yourself
This is a common mistake when trying to find a way to lose weight. I’ve been there, and from my personal experience I can tell you that skipping meals in order to lose weight DOES NOT WORK. First of all it’s distracting, as you can not stop thinking about food. Second of all, the few pounds I managed to lose came back in abundance the week I started eating normally again. The thing is, starving yourself immediately sends your body into “starvation mode” which basically means the body is trying to reserve the very same fat that we are trying to burn off. And don’t forget what a toll it takes on your overall health and your metabolism… Eek!
6. EAT 3 Small Meals and 2 Snacks Rather Than 3 Big Meals
The more often you eat, the less you eat and the less hungry you feel before each meal, which inevitably leads you to consuming less overall. Just make sure the 2 snacks you have in-between meals are actually healthy. Boiled eggs, a handful of almonds, an apple, a piece of string cheese, a Lara bar, or a piece of chicken breast will be the perfect choice.
7. Schedule Your Snacks
We’ve already covered the reasons why eating 5 times a day is an absolute must for all of us who want to lose weight fast and keep it off. What we also need to do is to make sure we snack on a schedule too! To make it easier to remember when to have your snacks, schedule them 3 hours after breakfast and before lunch, and 3 hours after lunch, which would also be about 3 hours before dinner. Eat at the same time every day and your body will know exactly when to expect its next meal. That translates to no unnecessary cravings, emotional eating, and off-schedule snacking, which are just a few things that prevent us from taking the weight off fast!
8. Don’t Bring the Enemy Home (AKA: Junk Food)
This is also one of the most effective ways to lose weight, ladies. Don’t buy junk food and don’t bring it home! It’s that easy! You won’t eat what you don’t have around. When I start craving french fries, for example, I simply microwave a nice big yam and sprinkle it with a little cinnamon (which is touted as a miracle spice, because it increases your metabolism). And for all the rest, make sure you do your shopping after a nice big healthy meal so you don’t reach for impulse items.
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