We get it; you probably want to get excess weight off quickly. But, if you’re wondering how to lose weight fast, it’s first helpful to know what safe and realistic weight loss looks like.
While it’s possible to lose three to five pounds a week by choosing very low-calorie diets (VLCDs) containing 500-800 calories per day, this rate of weight loss often isn't sustainable (or healthy) for the long term.
Some medically supervised weight loss programs are very low in calories, but the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) says you shouldn't eat fewer than 800 calories daily unless supervised by a doctor.
VLCDs can lead to unwelcome side effects, such as nutrient deficiencies, extreme fatigue, gallstones, nausea, headaches, and hair loss.
So how can you safely lose weight quickly? Keep reading to find out!
These 10 fat loss tips will teach you how to naturally reduce and maintain your weight.
How Fast Can I Safely Lose Weight?
A safe rate of weight loss that’s sustainable long-term is about one to two pounds per week. If losing weight fast is your goal, aim to drop two pounds weekly or eight pounds per month using various methods.
Follow a Low-Calorie Diet
Reducing your overall energy intake by about 1,000 calories daily should help you lose about two pounds weekly. The total number of calories this equates to might be about 1,200 calories daily if you normally eat 2,200 calories or 1,500 calories per day if your usual intake is 2,500 calories.
You don’t have to count calories to lose weight effectively, but tracking food intake and calories if you have time can help you drop two pounds weekly for rapid weight loss. Write down the foods you eat in an online or paper food journal, or track your calories using a fitness tracker or health app.
Once you have a better idea of your usual intake, reducing that number by 1,000 makes it easy to achieve weight loss goals.
Try Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting means you periodically fast during specified days or periods. For example, you might follow a very low-calorie diet of 800 calories daily every other day or eat only during an 8-hour window of time throughout the day (between 10:00 am and 6:00 pm).
Studies show that this strategy helps reduce calorie intake, body weight, and blood pressure.
Consider Fasting Cardio
Another way to increase fat burning and lose weight fast for women is by trying fasting cardio or not eating breakfast before morning cardiovascular workouts. Your body is already in a fasted state when you first wake up in the morning, and studies show that fasting cardio is associated with increased fat-burning during exercise, decreases in daily food intake, and better weight management.
To complete fasting cardio, drink two to four cups of water (plus coffee or tea if you’d like) when you first wake up and drink water throughout your cardiovascular sweat session. Studies show that increasing your time spent doing cardiovascular exercise to at least 45 minutes (or burning 400-600 calories per session) most days of the week is an effective weight loss strategy.
Additional fat-burning workouts include high-intensity interval training (HIIT), plyometrics, and circuit training.
Reduce Carbohydrates
Eating fewer carbohydrates (while increasing dietary protein and fat) helps put your body into a state of ketosis, where you burn fat as fuel instead of carbohydrates and sugar. Studies found that reducing carbs and inducing ketosis aids in rapid weight and fat loss.
A good rule of thumb when reducing carbs for weight loss, especially if you’d like to follow the diet long-term and still have energy for workouts, is consuming about 130 grams of carbs daily.
This is the minimum daily amount recommended by the Institute of Medicine and is the carbohydrate-recommended dietary allowance (RDA).
To help reduce carbs to 130 grams per day, eliminate white bread, white rice, regular pasta, and other refined grains, steer clear of sugary drinks and sweets, and choose non-starchy vegetables, such as leafy greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, and mushrooms in place of starches like corn, peas, and potatoes
Follow this eating schedule to lose weight fast! These meal timing setups are tested and PROVEN to work.
Ways to Curb Your Appetite
Losing two pounds weekly is easier when you use a few tips and tricks to help curb your appetite.
Have Your Hormone Levels Checked
As women age, hormone levels can fluctuate and cause increases in appetite. Studies show that estrogen inhibits food intake in women, and progesterone and testosterone may stimulate the appetite.
When hormone levels are unbalanced, especially during and after menopause in women, increases in appetite can lead to unwelcome weight gain. Thyroid hormone imbalance can also decrease metabolism and hinder weight loss.
Over 12% of people in the U.S. will develop a thyroid condition at some point in their lives, and up to 60% of people with a thyroid disorder don’t know they have it. Before you begin a rapid weight loss program, it might be a good idea to have your doctor check your hormones to keep your appetite and metabolism in check.
Increase Protein
When calorie restriction and rapid weight loss are your goals, boost protein to help curb your appetite, especially when you reduce carbohydrates. Studies show that protein increases satiety despite eating fewer calories, spares lean muscle mass, and helps prevent decreases in metabolism during weight loss.
If you’d like to know how to lose weight fast and maintain muscle when you work out regularly, increase your protein to about one gram per pound of body weight daily.
Studies show protein intake is effective for weight loss in active adults. Additional studies found that snacking on protein-rich foods, such as yogurt, improves appetite control and satiety and reduces food intake in women.
As a busy women, it’s challenging to stay consistent with healthy eating. That’s why we created SuperFuel… the delicious “all-in-one” nutrition shake for busy women 40+ to give your body the protein + key nutrients you need for more energy, fat burning, and muscle building.Meet SuperFuel. The Delicious Protein Shake Packed With 40+ Energy-Boosting Vitamins & Superfoods (Designed For Busy Women)
Boost Fiber
High-fiber foods contain carbohydrates, but fiber takes a while to travel through your digestive tract, isn’t fully digested or absorbed, and, most importantly, can enhance rapid weight loss.
Choose fiber-rich non-starchy vegetables, such as leafy greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, and nuts or seeds, as your main source of dietary fiber. While slightly higher in carbohydrates, cooked legumes (such as black beans) usually provide 7-8 grams of fiber in each 1/2 cup cooked portion.
Women should aim for at least 25 grams of fiber daily.
If you don’t achieve this goal by eating healthy foods alone, ask your doctor about taking a fiber supplement to boost satiety further and enhance weight loss. Studies show fiber supplementation is an effective weight and fat loss strategy and helps reduce waist circumference and the number of eating occasions in overweight adults.
Drink Water Before Meals
Water is an excellent satiety booster that helps curb junk food cravings because water is calorie-free but takes up space in your stomach.
An excellent way to reduce appetite and food intake at mealtime is to drink at least two cups of water before each meal and throughout the day.
Studies show this strategy is effective for weight loss.
Sleep More
Believe it or not, chronic sleep deprivation can alter hormones within your body that increase hunger and lead to unwanted weight gain over time.
To help control hunger and curb your appetite for fast weight loss in women, ensure you sleep 7-9 hours each night.
Doing so increases energy, making it easier to burn more calories during workouts and throughout the day.
Limit Stress
Short-term stressful situations can trigger a fight or flight response that reduces appetite, but long-term chronic stress can boost a hormone called cortisol and increase your appetite.
You can’t always avoid stressful situations but do what you can to limit long-term, continuous stress in your life. Try yoga, meditation, outdoor walks, or a massage.
Learn how to manage stress from your everyday life with these simple techniques!
How To Lose Weight Fast
A weight loss plan helps you shed pounds fast and keep it off for life. FM30X is a weight loss plan designed for busy moms of all ages with proven success.
When you sign up for it, health experts guide you every step of the way and keep you motivated. They provide you with the accountability needed to stay on track.
The Fit Mother Project offers custom meal plans, menus, fat-burning workouts, Fit Mom Facebook group access, email coaching from health experts, weekly newsletters, and much more. You’ll be surprised at how much weight you can lose quickly with the direction and support of the Fit Mother Project staff!
Before you begin the FM30X program, commit to a healthier lifestyle. Be willing to give up certain habits, such as heavy alcohol consumption, drinking soda and other sugary drinks, and eating sweets, baked goods, white bread, other refined grains, fried foods, and processed meats.
Want to ensure you're ready to commit to better long-term health? Try the FREE Fit Mom 3-Day Weight Loss Jumpstart today!
Struggling to lose weight? Here are the 3 most effective ways to lose fat!
Erin Coleman is a registered and licensed dietitian with over 15 years of freelance writing experience. She graduated with her Bachelor of Science degree in nutritional science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and completed her dietetic internship at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Prior to beginning her career in medical content writing, Erin worked as Health Educator for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Internal Medicine. Her published work appears on hundreds of health and fitness websites, and she’s currently working on publishing her first book! Erin is a wife, and a Mom to two beautiful children.
Fit Mother Project is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside the program, you’ll receive: Our Fit Mother 30X Program (FM30X) is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside FM30X, you’ll receive:If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight,
get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good,
this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…
If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight,
get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good,
this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…
LEARN MORE ABOUT FM30X »
Learn More About FM30X
*Please know that weight loss results & health changes/improvements vary from individual to individual; you may not achieve similar results. Always consult with your doctor before making health decisions. This is not medical advice – simply very well-researched info on how to lose weight fast.