Losing weight can be a long and frustrating process. To lose weight in a healthy way, most doctors recommend setting a limit of one pound per week. If you need to lose weight in a shorter time, by eliminating excess fluids you should be able to drop the balance by about half a kilo a day. To do this, you need to cut down on sodium and carbohydrates and drink more water, so you can lose a significant amount of weight over the course of a few weeks. Keep in mind, however, that the decline will slow down as the fluid level stabilizes. If you want to burn a significant amount of fat in a short time, ask your doctor to provide you with a low-calorie diet that will allow you to lose weight safely.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Quickly Eliminate Excess Fluids
Step 1. Limit your salt intake to minimize water retention
Excess salt causes the body to retain a lot of fluids to dilute it within the tissues, consequently the body weight increases along with the feeling of swelling. Try to use less salt to lose excess fluids. Also, reduce your consumption of high-sodium foods and drinks, such as sausages, salty snacks (chips, peanuts, etc.), and sports drinks.
- There are many other foods that are equally high in sodium, but to a lesser extent. The easiest way to avoid them is to cook your own meals using fresh, unprocessed ingredients.
- When cooking, try using spices instead of salt, such as black pepper or garlic powder.
- Foods rich in potassium, such as bananas, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes, help eliminate excess salt that has built up in the body.
Step 2. Also reduce your carbohydrate intake to expel excess fluids faster
As with sodium, an excess of simple carbohydrates also causes the body to retain water. This is why most people experience rapid initial weight loss by adopting a low-carb diet. To get rid of excess fluids quickly, try cutting out foods that are high in carbohydrates like pasta, white bread, baked goods, and potatoes.
- Try replacing simple carbohydrates with high-fiber vegetables, such as leafy greens, fruits, and legumes.
- Eating a low or no carbohydrate diet for more than a couple of months can cause serious damage to your health. Consult your doctor to find out which and how many carbohydrates you should eat to lose weight safely.
Warning:
Eliminating carbohydrates from your diet can help you lose weight in no time, but experts warn you to be very cautious and that this is not a long-term solution. To achieve a healthy body weight, you need to eat a balanced diet that includes complex carbohydrates such as whole grain bread and rice.
Step 3. Drink more water to expel excess fluids
Although it may seem strange, if the body is well hydrated it is less prone to retain water. In general, an adult should drink at least 2 liters of water a day to stay healthy and prevent water retention. The fluid requirement increases when:
- Exercise at an intense level
- You are in a warm environment;
- During pregnancy or breastfeeding;
- You are sick, especially if you have vomiting or diarrhea;
- Follow a diet that is high in fiber or protein.
Step 4. Hydrate your body with water-rich foods
Drinking water is not the only source of hydration for the body. You can help eliminate excess fluids by including various water-rich vegetables in your diet, such as melons, strawberries, and leafy greens.
Options also include broths and soups that are low in sodium
Step 5. Exercise to sweat
When you sweat while exercising, you allow your body to excrete sodium and excess fluids, so the scale goes down more quickly. Stimulate sweating with a cardio workout, such as running, biking, or brisk walking.
- Modern training techniques, such as interval training and circuit training, are very effective in expelling excess fluids and sodium.
- Remember that it is important to drink plenty of water while exercising, as when the body is dehydrated it automatically tends to retain more fluids.
Step 6. Discuss a diuretic medication with your doctor
If your body is prone to retaining a lot of fluids and as a result you tend to gain weight easily or feel bloated often, talk to your doctor. It will help you determine what is causing the problem and treat it appropriately. Depending on the extent and cause of the disorder, they may prescribe a drug or supplement to help you lose excess fluid and weight.
- The most common options for tackling water retention include diuretics and magnesium supplements.
- If you find yourself gaining more than 1kg per day or 2kg per week, see your doctor right away. Signs that may indicate a severe water retention problem include swollen hands or feet, difficulty breathing, coughing, nausea, and feeling bloated despite having eaten very little.
Method 2 of 2: Fast Fat Burn
Step 1. Ask your doctor if in your condition you can adopt a low-calorie diet without running any health risks
To burn fat fast, you need to significantly reduce your daily calorie intake. Most low calorie diets have a large restriction, as they do not allow you to consume more than 800-1,500 calories. Before adopting such a restrictive diet, it is important to consult with your doctor. You need to make sure you meet your daily calorie needs and avoid going on a diet for too long.
- Drastically reducing the number of calories is almost always harmful and will not help you maintain a healthy body weight in the long term.
- Most doctors recommend not dropping below the 800 calorie per day threshold unless you have to lose weight quickly for medical reasons (for example, in preparation for surgery or to try to normalize certain values, such as those related to diabetes).
Warning:
following a low-calorie diet during pregnancy, breastfeeding or in the presence of certain diseases, such as food disorders or deficiencies, can be very dangerous.
Step 2. Calculate how many calories you eat daily to find out how many you can eliminate
The number of calories you need to ingest each day to maintain your current weight varies based on factors such as age, gender, and level of physical activity. On average, an adult woman's daily calorie requirement is around 2,000 calories, while the recommended amount for men is around 2,500. You may currently exceed this value without knowing it. For example, according to one study, the average American consumes about 3,600 calories per day. Before setting a limit, write down what you normally eat in a day and calculate the total number of calories.
- The quantity of calories is shown on the nutritional labels of packaged foods; moreover, nowadays the menus of many restaurants specify the number of calories for each dish. You can also find many sites online that showcase the calorie content of most foods.
- If you are currently consuming 3,600 calories per day, you will need to cut 2,100 to fall within the 1,500 calorie per day threshold. Keep in mind that it won't be enough to lose half a pound of fat per day.
- To be able to lose a pound of fat a day, you need to cut 3,500 calories from your diet. For most people, this is an impossible goal to achieve without putting their health at serious risk. It is a goal that can only be achieved by those who normally ingest about 5,000 calories a day.
Step 3. Burn the extra calories with cardio exercises
In addition to limiting calories by eating less, you can burn more by adopting a more active lifestyle. For example, if your current diet is high calorie and reaches 5,000 calories per day, to go down to 3,500, you can cut 2,500 by eating less and commit to burning 1,000 by exercising.
- The number of calories you can burn while exercising varies based on multiple factors, including your current weight. For example, if you currently weigh 84 kg, playing basketball for 2 hours can burn about 1,000 calories. If, on the other hand, you weigh 70 kg, it takes almost 2 and a half hours to achieve the same result.
- To find out how many calories you can burn through the most common forms of training, use one of the many tables available online, for example at this address:
- Keep in mind that if you severely limit your calories, you will quickly get tired of exercising.
Step 4. Do not continue the diet beyond the period recommended by your doctor
In the long run, low calorie diets are ineffective and dangerous. Even if you really need to lose a pound of fat a day, don't extend the diet beyond a couple of weeks. Your doctor can help you identify the best way to switch from a low-calorie diet to a healthy, balanced diet that you can follow over the long term, without quickly regaining the lost pounds.
