How to lose weight fast

We all have a vision of how we would like to look, in most cases it’s not how we currently look. This can then lead to looking at how to lose weight fast.

During my years as a mobile personal trainer nearly every single client has asked for the same thing; lose weight, ideally as quickly as possible!

The main point to note here is that when most people say they want to lose weight what they are actually referring to is fat loss; the spare tyre around the waist, fat under the arms or on the thighs, or the confidence shattering "man boobs".

They want to look good in the type of clothes they want to wear, feel comfortable at the beach in swimming gear, or are frustrated at being the big guy, or girl, of the group!

My approach to this is obviously tailored to the individual I’m working with, but can involve a period of aggressive fat stripping (weight loss) that can be from 4 to 8 weeks, with progress measured and adjustments made along the way.

This is then followed by a planned maintenance diet, which is essentially a flexible approach I plan out for my clients so they can still enjoy food, meals out, drinks on holiday etc, without it causing the classic yo-yo of weight off followed by weight back on again!

Whilst fast results are possible I also teach clients the importance of habit change, and changing their lifestyle to reflect their goals, as this is the ONLY way you can keep that weight off for good.

Fast Weight Loss

We’ve just come out of a strange period, lockdown weight gain is a real problem, a survey by the BBC has found that 48% of people have gained weight during lockdown, you can read the full article by clicking here

So, what can you do right now to start losing weight fast?

Personally I would start with these following points:

• Know what you’re currently eating

Track at least 7 days of food and drink intake. I find it works best to write it down on a notepad, but you can use a phone app if you prefer. Either way you need to know where you’re starting from in terms of food intake, types of food, and quantity.

• From that list identify the sugars

Fairly self explanatory. Look over your list and identify all the processed, refined sugars - cakes, biscuits, chocolates, fizzy drinks (including the zero sugar ones), alcohol, breakfast cereal, snack bars, and added sugar in hot drinks. Remove these from your diet for at least the next 4 weeks, it won’t be easy, but the results will be worth it believe me!

• Get moving

You need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight, that is you are burning off more calories than you consume. You do this in two ways, one - you cut down on your calorie intake (food), in this case it’s eliminating sugary treats. Two - by introducing exercise & movement. The best form of movement for burning body fat quickly is strength based. If you don’t have access to a gym you can use your own bodyweight and perform movements like squats, lunges, press ups (off the knees if they are too hard), step ups on a chair or garden wall, and the plank.

• Make your own food

No more takeaways, or ready meals. If you haven’t made it then assume it’s packed full of sugars, sweeteners, and other additives that will slow down, maybe even stop, your weight loss effort. Convenience food is there to be quick, not to be healthy.

• Check the food labels

Most supermarkets now have a traffic light system on their food and drink, red being bad (or certainly higher in a particular area), amber and then green. If you want to go a bit further, look at the sugars in the food item you intend to buy - if it’s higher than 10g per 100g leave it and choose something else.

Losing weight fast is possible, but you really have to be committed to it for it to work. Don’t buy into the cheat meal idea, give yourself at least 4 weeks of consistent work.

Make sure to track your progress, photos work well as they will give a clear picture (literally) of your body shape changing as you drop the weight and body fat.

If you have a ‘bad’ day, forget about it and get back to it the next day, DO NOT let a bad day become a bad week.

If you’re ready for a complete transformation of your health, fitness and body shape bear in mind that my at home personal training service is available across Warwickshire and the West Midlands.

Just use the chat button on the website, or the contact form to get in touch.