Patience is a virtue. But in 2022, is that still true?
We live in an instantaneous world. Everything revolves around speed. We can get nearly any product worldwide shipped to our front door in a day or two. Every form of entertainment is available with a click of a button.
Things happen so fast that most people haven’t felt boredom since high-school algebra.
With that said, one thing still takes longer than we wish – weight loss. Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts in physiology. Besides cutting off a limb, losing weight fast is nearly impossible. But, with the right strategy, you can lose weight faster than you think.
Don’t worry. You don’t have to amputate your leg.
In this article, we will cover:
- Should you lose weight fast?
- Three steps to lose weight fast.
- Habits to keep the weight off.
Should You Lose Weight Fast?
The first question is, should you lose weight fast? As with most things in fitness, it depends.
For the most part, the best way to lose weight is to take a slow and methodical approach. However, that is not the best course of action in every situation.
Here are a few scenarios where losing weight fast makes sense.
Weight Class Athletes
From time to time, weight-class athletes such as wrestlers, MMA fighters, and powerlifters need to drop a bunch of weight quickly to make weight for a competition. Even if you are not stepping into the Octagon anytime soon, athletes provide an extreme example of what is possible for short-term weight loss.
An Upcoming Special Event
A common situation is a wedding, vacation, high school reunion, or photo shoot is on the calendar and rapidly approaching. With the date already set in stone, the only way to get ready in time is to take an aggressive weight loss approach.
To Jumpstart a More Sustainable Diet
A slow and steady diet is the best way to sustain long-term weight loss. However, the problem with this method is it can be frustratingly slow. Losing a pound per week when you have fifty or more pounds to drop seems like a never-ending battle. The lack of progress can cause people to lose motivation and quit the diet before it even gets off the ground. A way around this issue is by starting on a rapid weight loss diet to get the ball rolling. After seeing some progress, you can transition to a more sustainable diet.
Three Steps to Lose Weight Fast
Ok, it is time to get down to the brass tacks. Weight loss doesn’t have to be complicated. If you follow the three-step process outlined below, you will never struggle to lose weight (and keep it off) again.
Step #1: Create a Calorie Deficit
Weight loss comes down to two words: calorie deficit. I hate to say it’s that simple, but that is how every successful weight loss diet works.
The first step is figuring out your maintenance calories. As it sounds, this value represents the calories your body requires to maintain weight.
There are many formulas for calculating maintenance calories, but this one is simple and effective.
For Men:
Body Weight in lbs x 10 x (1.2-2.2)
For Women:
Body Weight in lbs x 9 x (1.2-2.2)
The numbers in the parenthesis (1.2-2.2) are a range to factor in physical activity. If you are sedentary, use 1.2. On the other hand, if you are highly active, use 2.2. Most people will fall somewhere in the middle.
Here is an example of a moderately active 160-pound male.
Maintenance calories = 160lbs x 10 x 1.5
Maintenance calories = 2400
In this example, if the 160-pound male consistently ate 2400 calories, it would not change body weight. To lose weight, we subtract from that number.
One pound of fat is roughly 3500 calories worth of stored energy, indicating you need a daily deficit of 500 calories to lose a pound per week – [500 calories per day x 7 days per week = 3500 calories].
How much weight to lose per week will depend on where you start bodyweight-wise. A fast weight loss approach typically has people lose between 1-1.25% of body weight per week.
For a 160-pound male, that would have him lose between 1.6 to 2 pounds weekly. To accomplish this, he would need a daily calorie deficit of 750-1000 calories.
It is important to note that the calorie deficit doesn’t need to come exclusively from the diet. More on this when we talk about cardio.
Step #2 Find the Ideal Macros for Weight Loss
When it comes to weight loss, calories are most important. However, having the ideal macronutrient setup is a close second. The macronutrients, or macros for short, are protein, carbohydrate, and fat. Protein and carbohydrates contain four calories per gram, and fat has nine.
When you think of protein, you may think of building muscle. However, consuming adequate protein is critical for losing weight, too.
Research shows that high-protein diets help you experience less hunger, lose fat more efficiently, and maintain more muscle [1].
The recommendation of one gram of protein per pound of body weight is right on the money. It is easy to remember and is in the range of what the current research supports [2].
If you struggle to consume enough protein, a high-quality protein powder can help.
Low Carbs or Low Fat?
There is a lot of debate in the fitness industry around the best diet for weight loss between low-carb and low-fat diets.
It turns out that when you control for similar calorie and protein intake, low-carb and low-fat diets are equally effective for fat loss [3].
So, it comes down to personal preference. Do you want more carbs or more fat in your diet? Adherence is essential, so pick the diet that feels easiest for you. Go low-carb if you like high-fat foods like bacon, peanut butter, and eggs. On the other hand, if you enjoy high-carb foods like rice, fruit, and oatmeal, follow a low-fat diet.
Step #3: Perform Cardiovascular Exercise
Diet is the primary method we use to create a calorie deficit. But cardio is the icing on the cake.
In general, moderate-intensity cardio is all you need. It’s relatively easy to do, won’t negatively impact lifting performance, and makes you feel good.
Moderate-intensity cardio involves exercising at 60-75% of your max heart rate or about a 5/6 out of 10 on the RPE scale. You can have a conversation or watch a show on Netflix at this effort. It shouldn’t be easy, but you shouldn’t struggle for air. A typical session might be hiking while wearing a weight vest or a thirty-minute ride on a Rogue Echo Bike.
At the intensity recommended above, you can expect to burn between 50-100 calories every ten minutes [4].
Regarding frequency and duration, start with three weekly sessions for 30-60 minutes and add days as needed. Since moderate-intensity cardio is low impact and easy on the body (compared to high-intensity cardio), you can build up to doing it every day.
Habits to Keep the Weight Off
What good is losing weight if you can’t keep it off? Focus on these habits to stay on track for the long haul.
Weigh Yourself Regularly
If you don’t already have one, grab a bodyweight scale. Weighing yourself is a great way to stay on track. Knowing you need to step on the scale tomorrow morning can provide the extra layer of accountability to put down the doughnut.
Track Food Intake
In a perfect world, every diet would go according to plan. However, that rarely happens. Most diets will need an adjustment or two along the way. Keeping an accurate account of your calories and macros makes finding the correct adjustment easy.
Eat Lots of Green Veggies
Regardless of your diet type, ensure you eat plenty of green veggies. Broccoli, spinach, asparagus, and the like are high-volume and low-calorie. This means they fill you up without adding extra calories to your diet.
Key Takeaways
- To lose weight fast, you need to create a calorie deficit.
- Subtract 500 calories per day from maintenance to lose one pound per week. Subtract 1000 calories per day to lose two pounds per week.
- Eat one gram of protein per pound of body weight.
- Low-carb and low-fat diets are both effective. Choose the diet you can adhere to for more than a few days.
- Add cardio to burn some extra calories.
- Track your body weight, calories, and macros to keep the weight off. And, when in doubt, eat more green veggies.
Author Kyle Hunt:
Instagram: @huntfitness
YouTube: @HuntFitnessTV
Hire Kyle as your coach: http://www.kylehuntfitness.com/services/
References
- Paddon-Jones, Douglas, et al. “Protein, Weight Management, and Satiety.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 87, no. 5, 1 May 2008, pp. 1558S1561S, 10.1093/ajcn/87.5.1558s.
- Morton RW, Murphy KT, McKellar SR, Schoenfeld BJ, Henselmans M, Helms E, Aragon AA, Devries MC, Banfield L, Krieger JW, Phillips SM. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. Br J Sports Med. 2018 Mar;52(6):376-384. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2017-097608. Epub 2017 Jul 11. Erratum in: Br J Sports Med. 2020 Oct;54(19):e7. PMID: 28698222; PMCID: PMC5867436.
- Hall, Kevin D., and Juen Guo. “Obesity Energetics: Body Weight Regulation and the Effects of Diet Composition.” Gastroenterology, vol. 152, no. 7, May 2017, pp. 1718-1727.e3, 10.1053/j.gastro.2017.01.052.
- AINSWORTH, BARBARA E., et al. “Compendium of Physical Activities: Classification of Energy Costs of Human Physical Activities.” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, vol. 25, no. 1, Jan. 1993, pp. 71–80, 10.1249/00005768-199301000-00011.