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Did you watch Smurfs? Do you remember Gargamel’s sorcery moment when he transforms Odile’s mother into a young and hot woman? Don’t we all want something magical to happen and make us younger, our waist narrower, legs leaner, and the but and boobs firmer again? According to Google, “how to lose weight fast” gets over 300,000 searches per month!
It is over 300K dreamers (in a good sense) a month who are looking for a quick solution to sometimes years of bad habits living.
So, let’s talk about whether it is even possible to lose weight fast, and if yes, what would the price (not just a monetary value, but health-wise) be.
Is it possible to lose weight fast?
I guess the answer will depend on how much weight you are planning to lose.
Without going into a debate whether it is healthy or not (we will talk about it in a few), yes it is possible to lose a few pounds/kilograms a week. If you have watched at least one episode of The Biggest Loser, you have seen that some of the participants lose 5 to 15 pounds a week. The most lost in a week was 34 pounds! (15 kg!)
So, yes it is possible to lose weight fast.
But.
What are the disadvantages of fast weight loss?
First and foremost, we need to remember that The Biggest Loser (or similar shows) participants do so under a very careful doctors’ and weightloss specialists’ supervision.
Even with all that support and planning, there were still cases of them collapsing during the training and ending up with other health complications.
Besides health issues, our skin cannot adjust to such a rapid loss of fat underneath. Even with a slower rate of weight loss, someone can end up with a lot of loose skin. With the fast weight loss it is just inevitable. So if your goal is to lose weight for your perfect wedding dress, plan accordingly and go slow.
Do I need to exercise?
Ideally, the answer is yes. Exercise is a great way to raise your calories expenditure and improve your metabolism.
However, depending on the initial weight, you might want to go slow with exercising as well. A carefully planned combination of cardio, weightlifting and stretching program will give your weightloss goals a good booster. You don’t want to start with too much or a too advanced program to get discouraged when your body is all sore after your first week of exercising, or worse to get injured.
Your safety should always be your first priority.
Looking for a personalized fitness program? Send me a DM on Instagram and let’s chat about your goals and availability 🙂
What are the best fat burning activities?
This has been a debate for decades. Some swear by high intensity interval training (HIIT), whereas others say doing low intensity cardio is the best. My approach is “it depends”. There are so many variables to consider before “prescribing” a perfect activity to someone without having more details.
Can I lose belly fat by walking?
You sure can.
Lol this answer comes with a disclaimer as well. You cannot target a weight/fat loss in a specific body part.
Everyone is different, and some people tend to lose fat in their upper body and face. Others lose it in their belly or legs. However, the general rule of thumb is that you lose fat overall in your whole body, and not in a specific area. Even if you try to do a gazillion crunches every day, it does not mean that you will be losing fat from your belly specifically.
To answer the second part of the question whether you can lose fat overall by walking, the answer is yes, if you are in a calorie deficit. Meaning you spend more calories than you consume.
What are the side effects of rapid weight loss?
There are so many aspects to that to answer it in one sentence!
What is considered a “rapid” weight loss? Is it the same for everyone? Is it the same process for whatever your end goal is? One could write a whole book about it.
If I want to keep it in the post format, some of the major side effects are as following:
muscle loss – we need to understand that when we talk about weight loss, the majority of people actually mean “fat loss”. Muscles are usually what we want to keep. However, there is a little bit of science behind the weight/fat loss process. When we start a weight loss diet, we often focus on the goal without understanding how to get there.
nutrient deficiencies – this is a big one! If you are following a restrictive diet, you are risking to develop a nutrient deficiency. If you don’t plan your meals properly or eliminate various food groups from your plate, you might find yourself lacking very important vitamins and minerals. Check with your doctor if you think you need to take supplements if your lifestyle doesn’t allow for much meal planning and cooking.
slower metabolism – this usually comes with an extreme calories deficit (below 1200) or when you decrease your calories intake rapidly. For example, going from a 2500-3500 calories a day to a 1200-1800. You don’t want to slower your metabolism because it makes your initial goal of the weight loss very challenging. Once again, going slow is usually the best approach.
hair loss – yes, that one too. This is usually not only related to the nutrient deficiency but to the general body stress as well caused by rapid diet changes.
What is the best diet for weight loss?
My best answer: The one that works for you and you stick to.
Once again, I could open debates about all those fancy diets that “guarantee” the weight loss.
But.
Any diet can only help so much, and is a temporary solution. Building healthy-er habits around food and lifestyle is the only way to lose weight and to keep it off.
Yes, sorry. There is no magic pill here.
No surgery, diet, or magic wand will make you skinny and healthy, if you get back to your old habits that got you where you are.
But, I have good news too!
If you want to lose weight and live a happier, healthier life, it is absolutely 100 % possible!
Yes, it might take time. Yes, you will need to change a few things. And yes, you will need to believe in the process and yourself.
But losing weight once and for all is possible.
It all starts with you.
Make a decision.
Make a plan.
Get help if you need.
Commit.
Easy-peasy, right? 🙂
But Nat, where do I start if I want to lose weight?
Well, there are a few ways.
If you want to start it in a DIY style:
Start writing down everything you eat and drink in a day. It includes Everything. Be honest as you are doing it for yourself and it is not a test 🙂
Next, aim to having 3 – 4 meals a day with 1-2 healthy snacks in between.
Ensure you drink plenty of water. Keeping yourself hydrated will help you to keep your hunger under control.
Sleep at least 7 – 8 hours a day. This is very important and many of us seem to neglect it.
Add a physical activity that makes you happy. Whether it is going for a walk, weightlifting or bodyweight exercise at home, swimming, etc. If it doesn’t sound too exciting now, just give it a try and commit to do it for a few months. Once you get into a routine, it makes it so much easier. When you start noticing the results (not just visible but performance results as well), it will give you another motivation boost.
Another option if you need support and accountability
This might include finding a friend who has a similar goal as well, or hiring a professional.
Usually, people consider this option after trying the DIY approach or when they need an additional kick in their peaches 🙂
This might include hiring a personal trainer (either in person or online), consulting a nutritionist, or hiring a weighloss coach.
If you want them all in one, I’d be happy to discuss your options. As a certified personal trainer and a weighloss coach, I can help you with building your weightloss strategy and getting you to your goal.
Get in touch on Instagram or send me an email to prettyveganfit at gmail dot com, and we can discuss and see if we are a good fit to work together and get you where you want to be.
Other weightloss tools and resources for you
You could check out my macros calculator to find out an optimal calories number that you need to consume to reach your goals. Stat planning your
Plant-based recipes on my site.
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