How to Quickly Lose Weight and Keep It Off Permanently

How to Quickly Lose Weight and Keep It Off Permanently

The quest to lose weight has been a seemingly endless battle for generations. Whether to protect and improve our health, increase our athleticism, or simply slim down for a reunion, wedding or the next trip to the beach; we all have plenty of good reasons for which we may wish to shed a few pounds. When you need those results sooner than later, do you know how to quickly lose weight, both safely and effectively? Below are some scientifically-researched, tested, and proven methods and tools you can use to help lose weight and keep it off.

---

---

Trash the Crash Diets

A crash diet is a short-term, intense eating plan that is meant to help you lose a relatively significant amount of weight in just a few days. We’ve all heard of the wild fad diets like the “cabbage soup diet”, the “Hollywood miracle diet”, drinking apple cider vinegar for weight loss, and more. Other “solutions” involve taking weight loss pills packed with caffeine or other chemicals, or skipping meals in hopes of cutting out calories. (Yes, calorie-restriction is effective, but there’s a right way and a wrong way to do it. More on that later.) There are too many crazy crash diets to list here, but you can usually identify them based on their extreme nature and they lack plans for the following weeks, months, and years after the diet.

Crash diets are not good for you, and almost never lead to good long-term results. The results obtained from diets like these are typically due to the extreme shock that the body has to endure during the diet’s cycle. During such an abrupt change to ones diet, the body is unable to adjust its homeostasis fast enough to match the new restrictions or changes that diet imposes. From the outside we may see weight loss, but from the inside it’s mainly dehydration, a slowed metabolism and a weakened digestive system. Thus these diets are unsustainable, short-term, and a waste of time.

Calories In vs Calories Out

To be clear, there are many factors that can help you lose weight fast and to keep it off. So the first thing to understand and accept is that there is no single magic bullet for weight loss. It takes dedication to the end goal and possibly some experimentation to find out which methods are right for you. Luckily, there are tools and people out there to help you.

The next thing to understand is: you want to create an overall “calorie deficit” by:
1. Limiting/Decreasing the amount of calories you eat and drink.
2. Increasing the amount of calories you expend via exercise and other daily activities.
The larger the deficit, the more weight you can expect to lose.

It all really comes down to how many calories are coming into your body versus how many are going out.

Each section of this post will tell you how you can impact these factors. But to get started, here is an example of how you can create a calorie deficit during your weekly routine.

Calorie Cycling

The zig zag dieting plan (AKA “calorie cycling” or “refeeding”) is a nutrition technique that involves changing the number of calories you eat each day of the week. This cycling is particularly powerful in two ways. 1) Gently varying the amount of calories you eat each day in a controlled, sensible fashion is natural to the body. Thus you’re in less of a stress situation and your hormones stay stable, and you’re less inclined to hold onto emergency fuel stores (body fat) or slow down energy systems. 2) Because you will create a net calorie deficit each week, you can expect weight loss to continue as long as you are in this refeeding pattern.

Balanced Nutrition

Before we get into how to reduce your calorie intake, it is important to note that we always want to maintain a balanced diet. And as much as possible, it should consist of fresh and natural, whole foods. A great rule of thumb to live by is: If it comes in a box, avoid it. The idea is really to limit or eliminate processed foods from your diet as much as possible, regardless of whatever it may be fortified with or whatever health benefit claims come on the packaging.

By eating natural foods, you are being compassionate to your body and to the environment. Typically you can get all the macro- and micronutrients you need from eating a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes (and meat if you’re not vegetarian or vegan). In order to get your full spectrum of nutrients, try to eat foods with a wide range of flavors and colors. Eat the rainbow!

Micronutrients

You need relatively small amounts of micronutrients, but they are essential to keeping your body working optimally. For example, without them the biological processes and reactions within the body that stimulate a healthy metabolism and digestive system will not work optimally. And both of those are critical to weight loss as well as overall health. During those busy moments when it’s difficult to get in a fully balanced meal, you may need an on-the-go boost.

---

Read: Micronutrients, Their Sources, and Why You Need Them

---

Macronutrients

Macronutrients, on the other hand, are needed in much higher quantities. When combined with micronutrients, they act as the fuel for your engine. You can get all of these by eating fresh whole foods whenever possible. But we acknowledge that the pace of modern life requires us to take small shortcuts. Unfortunately, sometimes this leads to poor choices and processed foods which have likely lost their true nutritional value during refining.

Since macros are essential for fuel, what you eat -and their amounts- matter. To lose weight, make wise food decisions to help you eat less, especially when snacking. Avoid empty sugars and extra carbs that are quickly burned and are designed to keep you hungry and craving more. Instead, choose foods that are full of healthy fats and fiber.

It’s Not Dieting. It’s LIfestyling.

Now that we’re clear on what to eat, it’s time to dig into how to eat. The most important thing to remember is: Don’t look at it as a diet! Whatever you were doing is what got you to this point, so if you want to change, now is time to take the steps to adopt a new lifestyle. If your goal is to lose weight, then you need to do things that will help you create a calorie deficit and also maintain a balanced, nutrient-rich diet.

But before we dive into these tips, let me add that it may also be a good idea to look into enlisting the services of a professional dietician or food service to review your current diet and help design and control a meal plan going forward. Also, ask your doctor if you can get a blood test. This may help you (and your dietician) determine what factors to look out for or to put extra focus on.

7 Healthy Habits That Help With WEIGHT Loss

In general, a habit takes about three weeks to set in. So start by declaring your goal and building a plan to get there. Don’t be afraid to use a trainer for this! Just do whatever it takes to stick to your plan for 21 days. After that, things get much easier since your body will not want to break the consecutive days of success. Below are seven habits for losing weight that you can start today. You may need to make some minor tweaks along the way, but once you establish your new habits you’ll be able to sustain your lifestyle and weight loss for months and years to come.

1. Control What You Eat With MEAL pREP

A fantastic way to maintain your healthy eating routine is by planning ahead. Practicing meal prep can help you avoid the spontaneous urges to snack or buy unhealthy fast foods. You will be more likely to only eat the lower-calorie, nutrient-dense foods you’ve prepared that support your weight loss goals. Additionally, this may even give you some extra time each day to get in extra steps or meditate or another healthy habit!

Not quite sure what to make for meal prep? Don’t worry, we got you covered! If you like fish, check out this easy way to prep for the day. Otherwise, If you prefer a vegetarian option, try healthy meal prep with roasted broccoli and chick peas.

It also helps to eat foods you like. Many people regain weight after a short-term diet because the plan was simply too restrictive. They end up binging on something they were denied during the diet. If you mix things up and keep your taste buds entertained, you’ll have a much higher chance of long-term success. So try some of our recipes to find out how tasty eating healthy can be.

---

Cook With Us – Try All Our Recipes!

---

2. Hydrate

This may sound silly, but many times the messages between our stomachs and brains are not entirely clear. It is very common for us to think we feel hungry when all we really need is an extra glass of hydration. So before you scarf down a snack, try simply drinking a glass or two of water and waiting ten minutes. And while we’re talking about drinks, avoid juices and sodas, and limit your alcohol. These beverages may taste good, but they are mostly empty sugar calories that simply aren’t worth it.

3. Reset Your Leptin Response System

Leptin is the hormone that tells your brain you are “full” after eating. If your body is not producing enough of it, or is simply not responding to the levels of leptin you are creating, you will remain hungry and continue eating. This is actually quite common among people who have a history of over-eating. Of course, in order to control our hunger, we need our leptin system to be working optimally.

---

Read: Does LeptoConnect Really Work?

---

4. Reduce Stress to Reduce Weight

Another thing we often don’t realize is causing hunger -and also causing us to gain weight- is stress. The hormone imbalance caused by stress often causes hunger or an urge to seek comfort in food. Even worse, it also triggers your body to pack away those extra, unused calories as added fat. Actively reduce your stress levels with meditation, yoga, and various other practices.

---

Learn About Wabi-Sabi and Enjoy Perfect Imperfection
Use Niksen and Take Some Time To Do Nothing
Practice Gratitude

---

5. Get Your ZZZ’s

Coincidentally, sleep is also critical to optimizing weight loss. Not only does it help with rejuvenation and recovery, but it also plays a huge role in regulating your metabolism. In turn, this affects your hunger hormones and your food choices throughout the day. Stay on top of your stress and your sleep to help control cravings and optimize your results.

---

Read: How Sleep Affects Your Hunger and Weight Loss

---

6. Fasting

If you’ve read any of our other posts, you know we are huge fans of fasting in its many forms. Whether fasting intermittently or prolonged, there are many health benefits to fasting. Certainly fasting can improve your metabolism, help even out blood sugar levels and increase longevity, among other things. But it can also be a great way to kick off a weight loss plan.

The ProLon 5-Day Fasting-Mimicking Diet is based on decades of research about calorie-restricted diets. It is specially designed to let you get all the perks of fasting, but while still eating. Because your body remains in a fasted state for nearly a week, ProLon delivers huge results in a short period of time. But unlike the crash diets, this actually has positive long-term effects on your portions, appetite, relationship with food, and overall health.

Read: My Experience on ProLon (Including How Much Weight I Lost!)

Also: Answers to All Your Questions About ProLon

---

---

---

7. Exercise

All the habits listed above mostly have to do with controlling the amount of calories that go into your body. So now it is time to discuss how to increase the energy you expend. Of course being more active will burn more calories. And building more muscles raises the number of calories you will spend even when just sitting. But exercise’s benefits and impact on weight loss go even further.

Exercise is the most effective tool in supporting your overall health. It targets not only your muscles, but also impacts the health of organs like your heart and bones. It also plays a significant role in hormone control. Since a healthy functioning body is better able to stay active and maintain an efficient metabolism, we should all strive to stay as fit as possible, particularly if trying to lose weight. Here are some specific topics within exercise you’ll want to consider.

FInd Inspiration

Try a variety of workouts to find those that challenge you in the appropriate ways. If they are too easy, you’ll get little benefit. But if they are too difficult, then you might not continue. So find the exercises you enjoy and modify them as needed.

---

Exercise with Us – Try All Our Workout Routines!

---

Build Bone Density While You Are Young

Strength training while you are still young improves bone density and durability. This is a huge asset in helping you stay active and maintaining a healthy weight as you age, so don’t wait until it is too late. Start now with as little as 20 minutes per day, and work your way up.

Rest

Besides the sleep mentioned above, rest comes into play in a couple other important ways. First, during your workouts, be sure to use appropriate rest intervals. Secondly, be sure to include rest days in your weekly schedule to allow your body to recover and regenerate.

An example of this might be:
Days 1 + 2 = Strength Training and Cardio
Day 3 = Stretching for Flexibility and Mobility
Days 4 + 5 = Strength Training
Days 6 + 7 = Light Cardio and Rest

---

Read: Workout & Weight Loss Tips for a Killer Body

---

Stay FLexible

Stretching to improve flexibility and mobility is as important as lifting and sprinting. No matter what workout program you are doing, include these two components to improve muscle, tissue, and joint function.

The Right Equipment Can Help

You can get great results using just body weight, but exercises with resistance increase the results big time. We’re big fans of free weights, but we also love resistance bands due to their combination of portability, versatility and effectiveness.

See a variety of ways you can use your new bands in this workout with the winner of our previous giveaway!

Supplements Can Help, Too

In order to optimize your results, you may need a little electrolyte energy boost to power your workout or added protein to aid in recovery. When you find yourself in these situations, look for products that are natural, organic and sustainably sourced.

Bringing It All Home

As you can see, there are many factors that can contribute to effective weight management. Initially you may have only been looking for how to quickly lose weight, but hopefully all this information inspires you to look beyond just your next weigh in. Use these tips and tools -one, all, or as many as you can- to take control of your health and your future. Obviously, the more positive habits you can incorporate into your life, the greater the impact will be. And the sooner you get started, the sooner you will see results. So if you really want to lose weight quickly, don’t wait! Get after it!

We want to live longer, healthier lives; and we want you to, as well! If you want it, we’re here to help you eliminate all excuses. We have plenty of content to help you on your journey to better health and happiness.

Please also check out our Partners Page. They offer even more products and services than what I’ve included above. And all are designed to help support the healthy lifestyle habits I’ve described.

---

If you have any questions or otherwise need any additional information on any of the above, just reach out to us. And if you need need a little extra encouragement to keep going, we’re ready to cheer you on, too! Just drop a note below and we’ll get back to you right away. Good luck!

---

Kaldzar is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
{Learn more}