It’s no secret that we’re all looking for a quick and easy fix when it comes to those dreaded words – lose weight! And keeping it off, don’t even talk about it! While there is no magic pill to swallow (yet), there are a few very simple things you can do to help shed those extra kilos.
Here we’ve listed the Top 5 Ways To Lose Weight Fast (all of which are also strategies to keep the weight off once you get there – no reaching for the donuts again and putting it all back on!)
1. Cut back on the processed and refined sugars and carbohydrates
We’ve all heard this a thousand times – low carb, low carb, low carb! But here’s the deal – Carb is not a dirty word! In fact, your body needs carbohydrates to survive (see point two). What your body doesn’t need however, are refined carbohydrates that come from processed foods and sugars – which unfortunately most products in your local supermarket contain. These carbohydrates promote insulin release in your body – insulin being the fat storage hormone.
Cut back on these, and you’ll see the weight start to drop off dramatically!
READ MORE: 3 WAYS YOU’RE BEING MARKETED ‘HEALTHY’ FOODS THAT ARE ACTUALLY KEEPING YOU FAT
2. Make Every Meal a Balanced Meal
So macronutrients – we hear a lot about them, but what are they? Basically, they are the building blocks of your nutrition. Specifically they are Protein, Fat & Carbohydrates – and the right balance of each of them in each meal will not only fuel you for excellence, but they will form a solid foundation to lose weight. What does the ratio look like?
- 1/3 of your plate = Protein
- Grass-fed meat or free-range poultry
- Fish or seafood
- Free range eggs
- 2/3 of your plate = Veggies
- Small amount of higher carb vegetable such as sweet potato (our fave for so many reasons!)
- Green leafy’s such as broccoli, spinach & kale
- Carrot, zucchini, capsicum
- A thumb of fat (not to be confused with fat on your body, they’re two different things – this one is super good for you!)
- Coconut oil or butter (tip: cook your veggies and meat in it!)
- Avocado
- 6-8 nuts
3. Water
We bang on about water a lot but there is a very good reason for it – it’s basically liquid gold! Useful for loads of things (preventing constipation, acne and skin health, increased brain functioning and mood to just name a few), it can also play a big role for those looking to lose weight fast. In fact one study showed that people experienced 44% more weight loss over a 12 week period if they downed just 500ml of water before a meal! There are two main causes of weight loss when drinking more water – 1) quite simply, you eat less. There’s more in your digestive system, so you literally can’t fit more food in than you need, and 2) you can experience a slight increase in metabolism when you drink more water, meaning you burn through calories faster.
This, combined with all of the other awesomeness, makes trying to pack in 2L of water a day totally worth it – you’ll be seeing the benefits quickly!
4. Sleep
Often not even considered a factor – poor quality or not enough sleep is considered of the the biggest contributors to weight gain and not being able to lose weight – in fact you are 55% more likely to become obese if your sleep is not bang in order. When you’re getting a good quality 8 hours a night you’re letting your body get the rest it needs to function properly – to properly process nutrients, to create healthy cells, and to keep your hormones in balance. When your hormones get out of whack (which is prevalent in non-sleepers), you tend to eat more, hence the weight gain.
5. Move
There are sooooooo many amazingly awesome side effects to getting your body moving – from better mental health (hello endorphins), to better posture and flexibility, better cognitive function, and of course better health! Moving just a little bit everyday will definitely get you on your way to lose weight. What’s the best type of movement you ask? With a goal of dropping excess body fat, you want to be looking at regular light to medium weight training. Now this doesn’t have to be pumping iron at your local globo-gym – your own body weight will suffice! Squats, pushups, dips, pull-ups, leg raises – all movements that use your own body weight as resistance, and get your metabolism speeding up throughout the day. And moving doesn’t have to be boring, check out our favourite ways to move right here in QLD!
Are you ready to lose weight fast? Step 1 is not just reading this info, but putting it into practice! What’s just one thing from this article that you can incorporate in your life today?
