10 Tips to Losing Weight Fast

Losing weight is a goal for many people in the United States. New Year's resolutions often consist of weight-loss goals, and losing weight is often a topic of conversation, typically among women. Losing weight should be done safely, but there are a few ways to lose a reasonable amount of weight fast.

Drinking Water
According to the Mayo Clinic, drink at least 8 glasses of water or other fluids a day. However, many fluids are high in calories, such as milk, juice and soda; these will hinder weight loss when consumed in large amounts. Drinking enough water will help reduce water retention, because the body will retain fluids when it doesn't get the fluids it needs.

Calories & Fats
Burning more calories than consumed is a method of losing weight that works for many people. Also, foods that are high in fat are usually high in calories, according to an article on familydoctor.org, so it is a good idea to stay away from high-fat foods when trying to lose weight.

Don't Skip Meals
While it is important to cut calories when trying to lose weight, it is also essential to not starve your body. Eating frequent small meals throughout the day will help keep your body out of starvation mode. When the body goes into starvation mode, it has a tendency to experience weight regain. On netwellness.org, Dr. Shirley Kindrick points out that the goal should be to eat between 4 and 6 small meals a day to avoid starvation.

Reduce Sodium
Reducing sodium intake to lose weight is similar to drinking more water. Sodium causes water retention, which will cause pounds to stay on the body. To stay away from high sodium foods, stay away from many of the convenience foods, since they are often full of sodium.

Increase Fiber
Many high-fiber foods such as oatmeal, fruits and vegetables are not only full of fiber and other nutrients, but they also are filling. Filling up on these foods will decrease the chance of snacking on less healthy foods. Fiber is also known to aid in digestion.

Eat Breakfast
Breakfast is arguably the most important meal of the day. Eat a well-balanced breakfast shortly after waking up. According to the Mayo Clinic, eating breakfast reduces hunger later in the day. Also, skipping breakfast can increase the body's insulin response, which increases fat storage and weight gain.

Exercise
Cardiovascular exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes to an hour a few days a week is helpful. Burning more calories than you consume will most likely be one of the most effective ways to lose weight. Also, exercising regularly will increase your metabolism, which can aid in burning more calories even after you have finished exercising.

Get Plenty of Sleep
The amount of sleep you get at night can affect weight loss or gain. Not getting enough sleep can lead to overeating, because the body is looking for energy. According to the Mayo Clinic, people need an average of seven to eight hours of sleep at night.

Moderate Weightlifting
Even when the goal isn't to bulk up and gain more muscle mass, lifting moderate weights a few times a week is helpful in losing weight. According to thedietchannel.com, the more muscle the body has, the more fat is burned, because muscle is an active tissue, while fat is not.

Reasonable Goal
Weight-loss goals should be reasonable. When made reasonably, goals are often met. Short-term weight-loss goals should not be set too high, because that could lead to unhealthy results. Focus on better diet and exercise goals, and the weight will come off at a healthy pace.

A Half Hour Guide for Weight Loss

Losing weight by overhauling your diet and exercise routine can be a daunting task. Even if you know that controlling your weight helps reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes, it doesn't make it any easier to do. Fortunately, you don't have to commit hours at a time to successfully reach your weight loss goals. A half-hour each day can help you burn calories and create the deficit needed to drop those unwanted pounds and get healthy.

Cardiovascular Exercise
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that adults get at least 2-1/2 hours of cardio each week. If you break this amount of time into daily chunks of 30 minutes, you'll have no problem reaching this goal. To keep a half-hour workout from feeling infinitely long, choose exercises you enjoy so that you're more likely to do them for 30 minutes each day. Walking, swimming, dancing, biking and team sports are good options that burn calories for weight loss. For example, a 160-pound person can burn nearly 300 and 150 calories, respectively during a half-hour basketball game and a half- hour bike ride.

Intensity
Part of what influences the number of calories you burn during cardio activity is your level of workout intensity. The CDC recommends a moderate to vigorous intensity to maximize your calorie burn for weight loss. While working out at a moderate pace, you'll feel slightly winded, but you'll still be able to hold a conversation. It's important to keep up your pace for the full half hour otherwise you could wind up overestimating your calorie burn, which can negatively impact your weight loss efforts.

Strength Training
MayoClinic.com recommends two or three weekly strength training sessions, each one lasting for 20 to 30 minutes. You won't have to commit a half hour every day, but adding strength training to your routine helps build lean muscle mass. This translates to a faster metabolism, which can help you lose weight effectively. Lift weights, use resistance bands or do body weight exercises, such as squats and push-ups, suggests MayoClinic.com. Allow a day of rest between each session so your muscles can recover and repair.

Diet
Committing at least half an hour each day for planning and preparing your meals and snacks can help you control your calorie intake for weight loss. Write down your meal plan for the day so you can balance the amount of fat and calories you consume. Consider keeping a food journal, which holds you accountable and helps you discern behavioral patterns that interfere with weight loss. Knowing what you'll eat each time you get hungry can help you drop excess weight by preventing you from making poor diet choices in the future.