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When it comes to the process of losing weight, there are two primary goals we usually have in mind.
The first is to be able to lose weight as quickly as possible and the other is to be able to do so as easily as possible. A combination of both is a dream come true.
Because let’s be honest, the next worst thing after zero progress, is an extremely slow progress.
And while the entire weight loss process is something that does take a while and doesn’t happen at light speed, there are certain things you can do, to speed things up, and ensure that you’re burning fat as effectively as you can.
Here, you’ll discover 10 super simple tips that can help you lose weight faster and easier.
The goal here is to be able to burn fat as effectively as possible, and these simple tips when followed, can help you achieve that.
Let’s dive in.
10 Tips For Faster Weight Loss
1) Eat More Protein
This is something you’ve probably heard time and time again, and quite a lot of nutritionists recommend it for faster weight loss. All for very good reasons.
Protein is one of the 3 important macronutrients your body needs, alongside fats and carbohydrates. Several things make protein so good for speeding up weight loss.
First of all, a diet high in protein has been shown to improve satiety, that is, the feeling of fullness after eating a meal.
Eating foods high in protein can help you feel fuller for longer, which in turn helps you eat less calories overall, thereby leading to an easier weight loss without you needing to feel hungry all the time.
Protein also boosts metabolism, and is essential for good muscle development, among other things.
Good protein sources range from meats, chicken and seafood, to dairy product like eggs and milk, to plant based sources like soy, beans and legumes.
P.S… If you’re trying to determine how many calories you should be eating per day to lose weight, check out this simple weight loss calculator, from our friends over at FitnessVolt.
2) Throw In Some Exercise
Increased physical activity is one of the most obvious ways to lose weight faster, yet it seems to be one of the most dreaded options to consider.
While reducing your calorie intake is a good way to shed some pounds, becoming more physically active is also an intelligent way to increase the amount of calories you burn per day, creating a larger calorie deficit for weight loss.
But here’s the thing. A lot of us don’t exactly like the idea of going for a run or spending hours in the gym. This could be due to certain factors like lack of time or motivation.
PS.. If you need motivation, I’ve got a few bits of it here for you.
That being said, my point is, getting in some exercise, or being more physically active doesn’t have to revolve around hour-long runs or spending decades in the gym.
It could start with simple things like;
- Taking the stairs instead of the elevator
- Going for a walk round the neighborhood
- Dancing
- Doing simple and easy home workouts
Whichever way fits your ‘style’, the act of being more physically active is one that is sure to help with a quicker weight loss.
3) Opt In For Healthier Snacks
The urge to munch on a snack is one that seems to get the better of us most of the time. And actually, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing.
The act of snacking itself, isn’t the enemy. It’s what you choose to snack on that matters.
Focusing on healthier snacks, which are made with whole ingredients, and are lower in calories is a much better alternative to unhealthy snacks that are calorie packed and will end up making you gain weight.
And just because its healthy, doesn’t mean it has to taste bad. You can enjoy delicious snacks that are low in carbs or low in calories that still taste amazing and will keep hunger at bay.
If low carb is your style, you can check out these 20 awesome low carb snacks for weight loss.
Similarly, here’s a collection of 35 low calorie high protein snacks you’re going to love as well. They’re all super easy to make and taste amazing.
4) Cut Back On Refined Carbs
Not all carbs are created equal. Refined carbs are basically processed carbs which offer very little nutritional value. They are sometimes referred to as ‘empty calories’.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The thing that makes refined carbs not so good for weight loss is their glycemic index.
Glycemic index is a measure of how certain foods can affect your blood glucose levels.
Refined carbs, have a high glycemic index, meaning they can cause a quick rise and fall in your blood sugar levels. This will in turn leave you feeling hungry and out of focus, making you eat more than required, therefore tarnishing your weight loss efforts.
Cutting back on these refined carbs saves you from the blood sugar rollercoaster ride, and will prevent you from overeating, thereby saving your weight loss efforts.
Rather, focus on eating more complex carbohydrates, like legumes and oats, which take longer to digest and won’t leave you feeling hungry unnecessarily.
5) Give Intermittent Fasting A Shot
Another effective tool when it comes to trying to lose weight faster and easier, is intermittent fasting.
Simply put, it is the process of fasting within meals. You alternate between periods of eating and periods of fasting. There are many types of intermittent fasting, although the most popular and commonly practiced is the 16:8.
For the 16:8 system, you fast for 16 hours and have an 8-hour eating window. As long as you’re eating the right foods that keep you full, intermittent fasting can be really useful and isn’t that hard to do.
And since sleep hours technically count as fasting, it makes it even better. If you’re new to this, check out our guide to intermittent fasting here. Even though it was written primarily relating to low carb diets, it can be applied by anyone regardless of diet.
Intermittent fasting has proven to be a very powerful weight loss tool, and even helps preserve muscle mass as well. Definitely worth the shot.
6) Practice Meal Prepping
Simply put, meal prepping involves making your meals ahead of time. While it may not seem like much, it can serve as a very important tool when it comes to effective weight loss. And I’ll explain how.
One of the biggest obstacles when it comes to eating healthy to lose weight, is in choosing the right foods, and in keeping track of the foods you eat.
With meal planning, you can easily solve both problems. By prepping your meals ahead of time, you not only get to choose healthier foods, it also lets you easily keep track of what you eat, making it easier for you to make better decisions.
Also, if you’re the kind of person that finds it difficult to choose healthy options while away from home, packing your meals, lunches and even snacks can prove as a much better alternative, even when you’re on the go.
Don’t worry if you’re new to the whole concept of meal prepping. Our complete beginners guide to meal prep will provide you with everything you need to know.
You can also check out a couple of our meal prep collections like keto and vegan meal prep recipes.
7) Don’t Forget Your Fruits (And Vegetables)
If you want to lose weight faster and easier, then you might want to consider upping your intake of fruits and veggies, and for very good reason.
Well for starters, fruits and veggies are loaded with nutrients, and often low in calories. This means it’s easy to eat a lot of them and still be able to maintain the required caloric deficit for weight loss.
Another good reason to get in more fruits and vegetables is due to their fiber content. Not only does fiber improve gut health, it also helps to slow down digestion and gives you that feeling of satiety, so you feel less hungry.
The good thing is, fruits (and also veggies) are very easy to add to your plate, although a lot of people tend to have a problem with the latter.
From smoothies to casseroles and delicious salads that don’t taste like sand, filling up your plate with these healthy fruits and veggies will prove very useful when it comes to shedding pounds and staying healthy.
8) Make Healthier Food Swaps
It’s no news that a lot of the foods we eat today are calorie dense, and not very healthy.
However, if giving up certain foods seems like too much of an impossibility, we can turn things around by making these foods much healthier and lighter thanks to a few healthier food swaps.
Examples of some healthier food swaps include;
- Replacing sour cream with Greek yoghurt which delivers less calories and more protein
- Replacing sugar with sugar-free sweeteners like stevia and monk fruit
- Using lighter cheese options like goat and cottage cheese in place of heavier ones like blue cheese
- Replacing regular pasta with spaghetti squash or zoodles (zucchini noodles)
- Replacing pizza dough with a much lighter cauliflower crust
The list goes on and on. These healthier food swaps can save you some extra calories, while still allowing you to enjoy certain delicious foods.
9) Drink More Water
This may not sound like much, but it’s actually quite essential when it comes to an easier and more effective weight loss, and I’ll explain why.
Water plays a lot of roles in our body, one of which involves aiding proper digestion, and helping the body efficiently get rid of excess waste that could lead to bloating.
Another way water aids weight loss is by raising the amount of calories your body burns while at rest, thereby increasing your total daily caloric expenditure.
But it doesn’t just stop there.
Water is quite the appetite suppressant, in the sense that drinking it before meals and at other times during the day can help you feel less hungry since it takes up space in your stomach.
And let’s not forget about its caloric value. Since water contains zero calories, it is a great drink, and actually acts as a better substitute to other beverages that slowly sneak calories into our body.
Drinking more water can no doubt help you lose weight faster.
10) Don’t Starve Yourself
While there are certain things you can do to lose weight faster, there are also certain things you should not be doing if you want to shed pounds as quickly as possible. And one of them is starvation.
A lot of people generally think starvation will force the body to burn more fat and then lead to weight loss, but that doesn’t usually appear to be the case.
You see, our bodies are smart. Starving yourself unnecessarily only makes your body reduce its energy expenditure, making you burn less calories than usual, and also makes your body try to hold on to its fat stores.
Rather than starving yourself, focus on eating healthy whole foods, which provide good nutritional value, keep you satiated, and help you maintain a good caloric deficit easily.
Starvation never helped anyone lose weight faster, so please don’t starve yourself.
Bonus Tip: Get Enough Sleep
Time and time again, it has been documented that the quality of your sleep can affect your overall body composition. Good sleep is essential if you want to lose weight.
However, for this point, it’s way easier said than done. A lot of us have very busy lives, rotating between tasks each minute of the day.
With a busy lifestyle, getting proper sleep seems like a secondary, rather than a primary goal, and I totally understand.
What I usually recommend, is to try squeezing in an extra 30 minutes of sleep each night, if possible. I also recommend spending less time on things that don’t matter as much during the day, which can help create more snooze time for us.
By trying to sleep a little bit more and a little better, it can help us lose weight more effectively and even possibly prevent unnecessary weight gain (a side effect of sleep deprivation).
These 10 tips should help you lose weight faster, and more easily.
References
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6115985/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3632337/
- https://hub.jhu.edu/at-work/2020/01/15/focus-on-wellness-drinking-more-water/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17637702/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26374764/
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-ways-to-burn-fat