19 Ways to Drop a Few Pounds Really Quick
Are you trying to lose weight fast? The bad news: Most get-slim-quick tactics aren't sustainable. Most experts recommend losing one to two pounds per week by following a healthy diet and exercise routine. However, if you are in a hurry to lose weight really quickly, several habits can help you get the job done. Here are 19 things to do if you want to drop a few pounds really quick, according to experts.
When You Lose Weight Fast, It's Usually Water Weight
Fitness coach Jenna Rizzo (@jennaaaamariee) explains that you can lose a few pounds fast, but it isn't fat you are losing. "If I have a last minute trip coming up or like a surprise photo shoot and I just wanna tighten up for it really quick, this is what I do," she says in a video, revealing that most quick fixes are "most likely a scam," but "that being said, I do have a couple of tricks up my sleeve if something pops up and you just wanna tighten up for it really quick. So we're talking like a couple pounds of water weight, not 20 pounds of fat loss."
Drink Lots of Water
"Number one, I'm going to make sure I'm drinking a ton of water," says Rizzo. "Now, I know a lot of times people think that drinking a ton of water is gonna cause you to retain a ton of water, but it actually does the opposite. You can kind of think of it as flushing out your system."
Decrease Carb Intake
"Number two, I'm gonna be eating slightly lower carbs. So, have you ever heard of when people do keto, and they magically drop five pounds in like two days, and everybody thinks it's magic? Well, this is because when you eat carbs, your body's gonna hold onto a certain amount of water weight because of it. So when you cut back on your carbs, your body's gonna be able to let go of a decent bit of water, which again will help us look a little bit tighter and leaner," Rizzo continues.
Amp Up Fiber and Probiotic Intake
"Number three, I'm eating at least 30 grams of fiber and getting some good probiotics in. So this is gonna be really good for your gut help, help keep you regular, if you know what I mean. Gonna help cut down on any inflammation and bloating you might have in your gut," she says.
Sleep More
"And number four, I'm getting as much sleep as I possibly can, and if you know me, you know, I prioritize sleep over almost everything when it comes to weight loss because most people truly aren't getting enough. But in this particular instance, I'm getting good long, deep sleep to help cut back any inflammation and unwanted water weight," Rizzo concludes. What are the other health benefits of sleep? According to the Sleep Foundation, getting enough z's is a mood booster, promotes heart health, regulates blood sugar, improves mental function, restores your immune system, and helps relieve stress in addition to aiding in weight loss.
Walk More
Mandy (@mandymfit) reveals that her go-to habit to "slim down fast, like for an event or something that you have in like a week" is to amp up her steps. "8,000 to 10,000 steps a day every single day. Like you need to be walking a lot," she says. "This is because walking is low impact and also is cardio, so it's just gonna shred that right off your body. I feel like not a lot of people know how great walking is for you and that it's actually considered the best exercise you can do to lose weight fast. Like it's actually better for you than running in certain ways." Science endorses walking for weight loss. A 2018 study published in the journal Obesity found a link between walking 10,000 steps a day and weight loss and weight management.
Pilates
Ariana (@earthangelariana) is another fitness influencer who has a few tips on diet and exercise for losing weight fast and clearing up her complexion. "For exercise, I do Pilates. I love it. It's not super intense. It's not like making me breathe and feel like I wanna die. It's honestly kind of like a meditative thing once you get used to it," she says. Why is Pilates a good workout? According to the Mayo Clinic there are lots of benefits to the workout, as it "strengthens the body's inner core while increasing its flexibility resulting in improved overall health." It can also promote longer, leaner muscles, injury prevention, relief from stress and back pain, enhanced athletic performance, and heightened mind-body awareness.
RELATED: 15 Ozempic Alternatives for Effective Weight Loss
Avoid Saturated Fats
As for eating, Ariana doesn't believe you need to be super restrictive. "You don't need to restrict yourself from eating a lot. You just need to eat the right things. Most of us are eating things that are so rich in saturated fat and calories, and that's literally why we eat like a small thing and gain weight," she says.
Meal Prep
Ariana also encourages planning out your meals ahead of time. "I am literally in the process of meal prepping, and I'm gonna be having three meals per day, and I'm going to literally lose so much weight. It's gonna be crazy," she says. "You might say, 'I don't have the time for that.' You don't have the time for that because you don't meal prep. You don't have the time because you're not organized."
Eat Lots of Low-Calorie Food
Ariana tries to load up on low-calorie food. For example, she will have dairy-free Greek yogurt in the morning from Trader Joe's and then put "coconut flakes, freeze-dried strawberries, blueberries, whatever I wanna put in there that is not high in calories," she says. "Granola, no." For lunch, she will fill up on a cucumber salad with dressing made from the same Greek cashew yogurt, "So it's literally so low in calories. Like the whole thing is probably gonna be like a hundred calories," Ariana says.
She also eats "like little fruits here and there throughout the day," followed by dinner, "either whitefish, cod, chicken, or eggs and chickpeas, and I'm gonna pair that with a Greek salad dinner altogether, maybe max 500 calories," she says. Her base meals total around 1,000 calories, "and that's just like the base. I can literally have wine. I can have a little bit of chocolate here and there. I can add on to that because my goal is just personally, my goal, guys, is just to stay under 1,700 to 1,500 calories," she says.
RELATED: I Lost 160 Pounds by Making These 10 Fast Food Swaps
No Gluten
Ariana maintains a gluten-free diet. "Gluten will literally inflame you so much. Go search it up right now on TikTok, people who literally cut out sugar, dairy, and gluten for a week," she says, revealing it helps keep her skin clear.
Calculate Your Caloric Limits
John Schaefer (@johnschaeferhealth) recommends starting by calculating your target caloric intake. Take your current weight, "subtract 10 pounds, that's your goal weight," he says in a viral video about how to lose 10 pounds fast. "Multiply that by 12," he instructs."That's your daily caloric limit per day. Come in as far underneath that as you can, as long as you're hitting your daily protein minimum and feeling good."
Calculate Your Protein Minimum
"Step two, to find your daily protein minimum, take that goal weight, multiply by 0.6, and that is the amount of grams per day in protein I want you to hit each and every day," he says. "You wanna protect muscle from being lost along with fat."
Drink a Protein Smoothie
He also recommends having "a big green smoothie" with healthy fat and fiber to keep you full. He makes his with half avocado, two scoops, pea protein powder, two big handfuls of spinach, one half cup mixed berries, almond milk, half cup Greek yogurt.
RELATED: 20 Incredible Ozempic Success Stories of All Time
Track Every Calorie
While it might be a pain, Schaefer recommends tracking "each and every calorie to ensure you're hitting your numbers." He recommends using an app like FitnessPal to make it easier.
Try Intermittent Fasting
Weight loss influencer and medical student Johnny Hadace (@Johnnyhadac) recommends intermittent fasting to lose weight fast. "I'm a big supporter of fasting," he says in a viral video. "When I lost 50 pounds in five months, I would make sure to fast from 7:00 PM to 9:00 AM every single day." Intermittent fasting works by "prolonging the period when your body has burned through the calories consumed during your last meal and begins burning fat," explains Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Eat at Least Three Meals a Day and a Snack
Also, "you need to be eating at least three meals a day in a snack if necessary," says Hadac. "You cannot be starving yourself all day long and then over-consuming calories at night. That's the worst thing you can be doing if you're trying to lose weight."
Exercise Daily
Hadac also stresses the importance of daily exercise. "You need to make sure that you're moving your body every single day. Whether you're hitting the gym, you're walking, you're stretching, doing yoga, whatever it is, move your body," he says.
Quit Sugar
Kylie Wolfe (@kylie_wolfe), a weight loss influencer, recommends cutting sugar from your diet. "Sugar is not good for you," she says in a viral video. "Just stop the 'Oh, it's just a sweet treat every single day. Okay? Every now and then, whatever."
RELATED: 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week
Eat Whole Foods
Kylie also recommends sticking to whole foods and eliminating "the gross fast food, the McDonald's, the Wendy's, the Taco Bell," from your diet. "All of the processed food needs to be out. What was put on this earth for us to eat is what you need to put into your body. That's what your body can digest. So like eggs, fish, red meat, avocado, like fruits, vegetables, shit like that is what you need to be eating. You don't need to be going and eating a Big Mac and fries and drinking pop," she says.
💪🔥Body Booster: Aim for 8,000 to 10,000 steps daily to slim down. Walking is a low-impact, effective way to shed excess weight.
