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We’ve all been there – you’ve decided you want to lose weight… and fast. Maybe it’s for an upcoming event, like a wedding or holiday, or you just feel like you're ready for drastic change. Whatever the reason, losing weight quickly can be tricky, and if you’re not careful it’s easy to put the pounds back on just as quickly.
That’s why we’ve put together this handy guide with 10 tips to help you lose weight fast in 1 week, including:
Of course, you know you need to eat well and exercise - but you may not know how to make it easier to do either, and that's what this top 10 list is all about. So, if you want to make it easier to see results quickly, feel healthier, and be more confident in your body, then this list is for you.
You won't find any gimmicks on this rapid weight loss list - no fad diets, secret weight loss supplements, or crazy long sessions at the gym. What you will find are sustainable and achievable tips that will help you see results fast, without feeling deprived or like you're on a diet. Ready to jumpstart your weight loss journey? Let's get started!
It’s important that you keep yourself hydrated throughout your entire workout – not just at the end. Drinking water throughout your workout can help you keep up the intensity of your workout and maximize your caloric burn. Staying hydratedprevents overheating and makes it easier for your heart to pump blood. If you’re not properly hydrated, your body won’t be able to function at its highest level, and you may even start to feel lightheaded or dizzy.
The American Council on Exercise recommends drinking 7-10 ounces of water every 10-20 minutes of a workout. This range accounts for body size (height and weight) as well as the intensity of a workout.
Let's look at an oversimplified example of this. Imagine a friend of yours decided to do 20 minutes of HIIT at home, and she's an average body size. For instance:
That would mean your friend would need roughly 8.5 ounces of water every ten minutes of her high-intensity workout, or around 17 ounces of water throughout the entirety.
That's quite a bit of water, a little over two cups in 20 minutes. Keeping up with that amount can be a real challenge. How do you keep it top of mind?
There are two types of people that struggle with making water a part of their workouts; the laser-focused and those who want more flavor.
If you’re the former, you’re probably only thinking about your workout once you start – which is amazing! But it also means that you might forget to drink water until you’re already feeling thirsty.
To make sure you get in those all-important sips, set a timer on your phone for every 15 minutes. As soon as it goes off, take a few big gulps from your water bottle. Or, you could plan water breaks after you complete a circuit.
Either way, try to find a way that reminds you to hit the hydration station!
Don’t like the taste of plain water? It's okay to mix things up. You could try adding lemon wedges, cucumbers, or mint leaves for a bit of flavor.
If you want something with more of a punch, you could try more flavorful powders with electrolytes and natural nutrients.
Staying hydrated outside of your workouts is a must.. You've probably heard you're supposed to drink as much as 64 ounces (8 cups) of water per day.
While the intent of both is correct, it's time for some truth around the ounces.
The Food and Nutrition Board recommends that women should drink 91 ounces of water a day, where 80% of that should come from fluids and the other 20% from food. This means women should drink nearly 73 ounces of fluids (preferably water) a day, which is a little more than 9 cups.
There are a few things you can do to hit almost 73 ounces of fluid a day:
All three of these tips will either make it easier (and more enjoyable) to hit your daily water goals and ensure you're hydrated before you start exercising.
When it comes to carbs, quality matters more than quantity. It’s better to eat a smaller portion of nutrient-rich carbs than a larger portion of simple refined carbs.
Simple carbs like white rice, spaghetti, and bread can quickly derail your weight loss goals. While they’re usually delicious, refined carbohydrates are easier to digest and less satiating, meaning you’re more likely to overeat. The process of refining, or processing a carbohydrate takes out a lot of the nutrients that your body needs.
On the other hand, nutrient-rich carbs, found in many vegetables, are high in fiber and nutrients.
Nutrient-loaded veggies will digest slowly, keep you fuller for longer, and add sustained energy to your day.
Eating a carrot instead of a delicious scone is easier said than done. So how do you actually do this, and stick with it? The key is to replace like for like, swapping a refined carb with its veggie counterpart.
Here are 5 delicious ideas on how to swap simple carbs for veggies, without hating it:
All of these ideas can either be made at home, but you can also find them and other alternatives at most grocery stores these days.
Making healthier choices doesn't mean sacrificing flavor. There are plenty of ways to make delicious meals that are also good for you. With a little creativity, you can make all of your favorite foods healthier.
After a while, you won’t even miss your simple carbs!
Thanks to years of calorie-counting products and advertisements, we all know that losing weight boils down to burning more calories than you consume.
Before you close this tab to search for the latest fad diets, remember the best way to burn calories isn't through diet alone - a combination of diet and exercise is always best. And when it comes to exercise, cardio is the ruling queen.
Sure, lifting weights and doing Pilates are great for toning your body. But when it comes to weight loss, you'll need cardio to elevate your heart rate, burn calories, and torch fat.
Before you start dreading hours on the treadmill or scheduling separate time for cardio, you should know that you can have the best of both worlds.
The key to making cardio a habit is to modify your existing routines instead of adding new days altogether. Since some workouts help you build muscle and increase your heart rate, think of this as a way to turbocharge your anaerobic exercises.
And the best way to do that, and reach your weight loss goals quicker is through HIIT.
HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, is a method of interval training that alternates between periods of all-out effort and active recovery. This is different from continuous training, where you do an activity like running at a constant pace for longer periods of time.
Both forms of cardio improve your aerobic fitness and burn calories, but HIIT training takes less time and can be more enjoyable. If that makes you more likely to work out then HIIT will be just as effective as continuous training, found a study published in thePakistan Journal of Medical and Health Sciences.
The beauty of HIIT is you can find this method in a variety of workouts that mix things up and keep things interesting. If you find running boring, try doing sprints or even mix in bodyweight or weight training exercises with your run. The variety is engaging and makes the workout feel less tedious.
Interested in seeing how many calories HIIT can burn for you? Check out the calculator above. Simply enter a weight and you'll get the estimated kilocalories for HIIT-styled exercises based on time.
Depending on the intensity and specific exercises you do, the estimate would fluctuate, but this calculator uses a MET of 8.0, which is a moderate to vigorous intensity inclusive of circuit training. So if you want to up the ante on your HIIT workout, consider this your starting point.
Matcha is a type of green tea that's packed with some miraculous powers, benefiting your body and mind. While matcha's been an integral part of many Asian cultures for hundreds of years, it's recently become more popular in the United States, and for good reason too.
Just look at all the things this tea can do:
Matcha is great for oxidizing fat and helping your body burn more calories quicker, but as you can tell, there's a lot more to this powdered tea than meets the eye. So how do you incorporate this green goodness into your diet?
Putting matcha into your diet isn't necessarily difficult, but it can be a bit of an acquired taste. After all, it is green tea and does have a bit of a grassy taste. But there are ways to make matcha more palatable, especially if you're new to it.
One way is to mix matcha with other ingredients to create something to mask the taste if it's not your cup of tea. Here are a few ingredients that pair well with matcha teas or lattes:
While matcha tea can do wonders for your metabolism and concentration levels, there's no direct connection between matcha and working out. However, matcha can be a great supplement to add to your workout routine if you're looking for an extra boost.
Here are a few ways to get some matcha into your gym life.
Matcha is a great addition to any diet, but it's especially beneficial if you're looking to improve your metabolism or energy levels, especially after a session of HIIT.
If you’re afraid of becoming too bulky from strength training, don’t be. Lifting weights (even heavy ones) doesn’t mean you’ll suddenly increase in size. In fact, you’llincrease your metabolism and burn calories even when you leave the gym and are resting at home.
This is known as your RMR, or resting metabolic rate.It's a measurement of how many calories your body burns while you're at rest. It'sinfluenced by factors like muscle mass, age, and gender.
The more lean muscle mass you have, the higher your RMR will be, and the more calories you'll burn even when you're not working out. So if you're looking to maximize your metabolism in a short amount of time, add some strength training to your gym routine.
There are several ways to incorporate strength training into your workouts.
This doesn't mean cutting cardio out of your routine altogether, but rather, adding in some additional strength training to help you build more muscle. Making this easier is about preventing you from getting injured or discouraged.
So to keep you safe and interested, use the following tips to incorporate strength training into your workouts:
We know this one's tough. But hear us out. One of the biggest things that can sabotage your workout is being distracted by your phone.
Whether you're scrolling through social media, checking email, texting, or shopping for an amazing high-impact sports bra, all of that time spent on your phone is time that could be spent working out.
In addition to lost time, you'll have a less effective workout. When you check your phone between sets or while you’re on the treadmill, the odds are very good that your intensity will drop.
That means your heart slows down, and you’re not burning as many calories as you could. The longer you keep it elevated, the harder your body has to work and the more calories you’ll burn.
Alright, this one falls into the "easier-said-than-done" category, so what's the plan?
We're not saying you have to leave your phone in the locker room, although that's an effective solution (as you'll see below). There are other ways to minimize your screen time while you're working out without phone-avoidance.
Here are a few tips:
This is another one that seems easy enough but can be tough to do. We all know how important sleep is for our overall health, but did you know that it's also essential for weight loss?
When you don't get enough sleep, your body produces more of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone that's been linked to increased appetite and cravings for high-fat, high-sugar foods.
Plus, when you're tired, you're more likely to make poor food choices and less likely to have the energy to exercise. We've all stumbled into the kitchen at midnight looking for cheesecake - if you're tired, you won't be able to resist the temptation.
So what makes it difficult to sleep in the first place? It could be anything from stress to caffeine to working out too close to bedtime - there's no single cause for every night. Life can get busy, and sometimes your sleep takes the fall How can you make sure you're getting enough sleep?
Some people swear they only need a few hours of sleep a night and they're totally fine, but for the majority of us, that's just not the case. While we won't deny the need for a good 7-8 hours of sleep a night, sometimes it's easy to miss the signs that you're tired.
So for all you busybodies, here are a few signs that you might not be getting enough sleep:
If you're trying to lose weight, eating after your workout is mandatory! While eating might sound counterintuitive to losing weight, it helps your body recover from all the work you just did.
Whenever you work out, your body breaks down muscle tissue. To repair that muscle, your body needs protein and other nutrients. To get the full muscle-building benefit from your workout, theJournal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends eating protein up to 4 hours after you finish.
Eating after working out also helps you refuel your body so you have enough energy to make it through the rest of the day. If you don't eat, you'll likely feel tired and sluggish.
So what should you eat? A combination of protein and carbohydrates is ideal. Protein supplements, whether in powder or bar form, make it easy to get your protein. You can also eat a meal after your workout with protein, carbs and fat.
There's always an excuse when it comes to cooking or grabbing some healthy food after a workout - you can barely lift your arms or stand, so how could you labor in the kitchen? The time of day you work out is another big factor in whether or not you skip a meal.
If you exercise in the morning, you might use being late for work as an excuse. If it's after work, you might say you're too tired, and opt for an unhealthy option. So here are some ideas to make sure you get your food after a workout, regardless of the time of day.
Both are solid options - the smoothie's great because it's a quick drink to make either before or after your workout, whereas the smoothie popsicle needs some time in the freezer to complete, but is a real reward for all your hard work.
Either option is packed with all the good stuff your body needs to recover - protein and carbohydrates .
Just remember, when and how you eat are both keys to losing weight. If you want to lose weight, make sure you’re exercising regularly and eating the right foods at the right times.
Eating right before and right after your workout will help you burn more calories, stay energized, build lean muscle and speed up your recovery – not to mention help you lose weight.
Weight loss is just as much about what you eat as it is about how much you work out. So make sure you’re eating the right types of foods to boost your metabolism and help your body burn more fat throughout the day.
Hunt for foods that create a thermogenic effect in your body and help you shed the extra weight, just like matcha. There are tons of tasty options for metabolic-inducing foods, but here are some of our favorites:
While all of these foods are great for boosting your metabolism, they're often ingredients to more complex meals, which means they can sometimes be time-consuming to prepare. And since this is all about making things easier for you, we've got some tips on how to make sure you're getting your daily dose.
We’ve all been there. You’re trying to lose weight, so you think the answer is to eat less food. But that’s not necessarily true. Starving yourself can actually lead to weight gain.
Restricting your diet is amajor cause of late-night binging - something that will most certainly derail your weight loss efforts. So instead of eating less, focus on eating the right types of foods that will help you lose weight.
And when it comes to snacking, don’t deprive yourself. If you’re feeling hunger pangs, reach for a healthy snack like fruit or nuts instead of unhealthy junk food.
Not eating enough or not eating at all can also slow down your metabolism and further disrupt your weight loss efforts.
By listening to your body and giving it what it needs, you’ll be more successful in your weight loss journey.
Just like late-night binging, the biggest challenge around eating the right amount surrounds the time of day. There are a few moments that are more challenging than others. Here are some of the common ones to watch for, and how you can work around them.
While losing weight can seem like a daunting task (especially for women), it doesn’t have to be. To lose weight fast, you need to be both consistent and patient - which can certainly be challenging if you're a bridesmaid next weekend.
But the real magic of the tips on this list is that if you can do them in the short-term, you can do them in the long-term.
To maximize your fat-burning potential, make sure you’re incorporating exercise into your daily routine. Try changing up your workouts to keep your body from getting used to them and to keep your motivation up.
If you find yourself with no motivation to work out, then try picking up some cute new workout gear to help get you to the gym. A supportive sports bra is important,especially after a baby.
SHEFIT's Ultimate Sports Bra gives you a perfect, custom-adjustable fit that provides support from all angles. You’ll look and feel great at the gym, so you can stay motivated to keep up with your weight loss goals.
