09/20/2020
How to Lose Weight Fast: 3 Simple Steps, Based on Science
There are many ways to lose a lot of weight fast.
That said, many diet plans leave you feeling hungry or unsatisfied. These are major reasons why you might find it hard to stick to a diet.
However, not all diets have this effect. Low carb diets are effective for weight loss and may be easier to stick to than other diets.
Here’s a 3-step weight loss plan that employs a low carb diet and aims to:
significantly reduce your appetite
cause fast weight loss
improve your metabolic health at the same time
1. Cut back on carbs
Each one of your meals should include a protein source, fat source, and low carb vegetables.
As a general rule, try eating two to three meals per day. If you find yourself hungry in the afternoon, add a fourth meal.
Constructing your meals in this way should bring your carb intake down to around 20–50 grams per day.
To see how you can assemble your meals, check out this low carb meal plan and list of 101 healthy low carb recipes.
Protein
Eating plenty of protein is an essential part of this plan.
Evidence suggests that eating lots of protein may boost calorie expenditure by 80–100 calories per day (6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).
High protein diets can also reduce cravings and obsessive thoughts about food by 60%, reduce the desire to snack late at night by half, and make you feel full. In one study, people on a higher protein diet ate 441 fewer calories per day (9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source).
When it comes to losing weight, protein is a crucial nutrient to think about.
Healthy protein sources include:
Meat: beef, chicken, pork, and lamb
Fish and seafood: salmon, trout, and shrimp
Eggs: whole eggs with the yolk
Plant-based proteins: beans, legumes, and soy
Low carb vegetables
Don’t be afraid to load your plate with low carb vegetables. They are packed with nutrients and you can eat very large amounts without going over 20–50 net carbs per day.
A diet based mostly on lean protein sources and vegetables contains all the fiber, vitamins, and minerals you need to be healthy.
Many vegetables are low in carbs, including:
broccoli
cauliflower
spinach
tomatoes
kale
Brussels sprouts
cabbage
Swiss chard
lettuce
cucumber
Don’t be afraid of eating fats. Trying to do low carb and low fat at the same time can make sticking to the diet very difficult.
Sources of healthy fats include:
olive oil
coconut oil
avocado oil
butter
3. Lift weights three times per week
You don’t need to exercise to lose weight on this plan, but it will have extra benefits.
By lifting weights, you will burn lots of calories and prevent your metabolism from slowing down, which is a common side effect of losing weight (11, 12Trusted Source).
Studies on low carb diets show that you can gain a bit of muscle while losing significant amounts of body fat (13).
Try going to the gym three to four times a week to lift weights. If you’re new to the gym, ask a trainer for some advice.
If lifting weights is not an option for you, doing some cardio workouts like walking, jogging, running, cycling, or swimming will suffice. Both cardio and weightlifting can help with weight loss.
Try doing a ‘carb refeed’ once per week
If you need to, you can take one day off per week where you eat more carbs. Many people choose to do this on Saturday.
It’s important to stick to healthy carb sources like oats, rice, quinoa, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and fruit. If you must have a cheat meal and eat something unhealthy, do it on this day.
Limit this to one higher carb day per week. If you aren’t reducing carbs enough, you might not experience weight loss.
You might gain some water weight during your refeed day, and you will generally lose it again in the next 1–2 days.
