Weight loss takes time. This is not what you want to hear, but it’s the truth. The fact is, you gained the weight gradually and you’ll lose it gradually. There is no getting around this fact. We will try to help you accelerate your weight loss with proven tips to get you started.
The first thing you need to do is set realistic expectations. Trying to lose 20 pounds in a week is only going to lead to disappointment.
You’re setting yourself up for failure. However, you can accelerate your weight loss by losing as much weight as possible within a given time frame.
For example, if your weight and body type allow you to lose about 3 to 4 pounds a week, that’s the goal you set. If you lose only one pound, that means that you’re not operating at full capacity. You need to up your game and dial in your diet. You need to make changes to your training regimen to reach your full potential. You’ll see results faster, and this will motivate you to stay on course.
There’s no need to throw in the towel because of lackluster results. Millions of people quit because they don’t see results fast enough. The juice isn’t worth the squeeze, and they give up on their goal. The truth of the matter is that even slow progress is still progress. Remember, long-term weight loss takes time.
Three pounds a week may not seem like a lot, but over 6 weeks, that will be 18 pounds of fat loss. Rest assured, you’ll see a visible difference. Your clothes will feel looser; your family and friends will notice that you’ve lost some weight. You’ll feel a sense of satisfaction knowing that your efforts are paying off.
12 Quick Tips to Accelerate Your Weight Loss
These tips are not in any particular order of importance, but they’re all equally important. In fact, many people hit a weight loss plateau and can’t seem to progress because they’re flouting the rules below.
So, be aware of what you need to do to accelerate your weight loss and stoke the fat-burning furnace within your body.
1. Pace Yourself
This is very important. When you first start your weight loss training regimen, do not overdo things. Spending 3 hours at the gym daily and drastically reducing your calorie consumption will put your body into shock. This is not how you want to start.
Your body will go into starvation mode and retain as much fat as it can for future use. The best way to lose weight is to aim for a daily caloric deficit of about 500 to 700 calories.
With proper food choices and a sensible training regimen, you’ll lose weight at a steady pace without any stumbling blocks. The goal is to be consistent. You can’t rush your body, and it doesn’t have to be torturous.
2. Reduce Stress to Accelerate Weight Loss
Stress increases cortisol levels in your body which in turn leads to higher insulin levels. When your blood sugar spikes and insulin is present in your system, you will not lose weight. Excess insulin will end up being stored as fat.
Take time to de-stress and calm your body and mind. Yoga, meditation, or just having fun doing something you love will help you let off some steam. You’ll feel better and more relaxed.
Stress is a silent culprit that opens the door for a whole host of nasty diseases to ravage your body. It’s that deadly. The importance of being an oasis of peace in an insane world goes far beyond your excess pounds.
3. A Good Night’s Sleep will Accelerate Weight Loss
Get at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep daily. Your body needs the rest for it to repair itself. Like the Dalai Lama once said, “Sleep is the best meditation.”
When you’re training hard, and at a caloric deficit, your body will be drained and crave rest. Trying to burn the candle at both ends and ‘hustle’ at 10X levels will stress you out. By now, you should know what stress does to you.
Get your Zzzz’s daily.
4. Resistance is Not Futile
Contrary to popular belief, resistance training is more effective than cardio when it comes to weight loss. If you do cardio daily, your body adapts and becomes more efficient at cardio activity. You can only run so fast and, over time, you’ll burn fewer and fewer calories when doing the same activity. Your body is a highly intelligent organism.
Many people try to increase the duration of their cardio to overcome this problem. However, the payoff for more exercise time is minimal. The American Journal of Physiology conducted a study with men who were sedentary and overweight. One group of men performed 30 minutes of aerobic exercise daily, while a second group performed 60 minutes of exercise each day.
The group that performed 30 minutes of aerobic exercise per day showed the same body fat loss compared to those exercising twice as much.
Additionally, many people start having extreme cravings for carbs. The body needs carbohydrates for fuel. So they end up binging on carbs, undoing their workout, and find themselves back at square one.
With weight training, however, you can keep increasing the weights to challenge your body. You’ll not develop carb cravings because your body is not desperate for fuel.
With resistance training, you will gain lean muscle. Lean muscle burns calories; therefore, building lean muscle means you’ll burn more calories when at rest. Your body needs to burn calories to maintain muscle.
When trying to lose weight, you want to lift weights that challenge you. Aim for 8 to 10 reps. Do not use light weights and do 25 reps. That’s not going to help you.
Heavy weights will place huge demands on your body. It will not burn muscle for fuel because it needs it. Instead, it will turn its attention to the fat stores, and that’s precisely what you want. Always lift heavy.
5. Focus on the Compound Lifts
Forget the bicep curls, the calf raises, and crunches. You want to focus your attention on exercises that work on several major muscle groups at once. For example, a pull-up works your arms, back, shoulders, and to some extent, your core.
A squat works your glutes, hamstrings, core, quadriceps, and hips. A bench press will work your pecs, anterior deltoids, trapezii, triceps, and more.
When you work several different muscle groups at once, your body is forced to burn more calories. Additionally, your metabolism will get a boost. You’ll be in calorie-burning mode for several hours after your workout.
You’ll also gain more lean muscle, and that, in turn will lead to faster fat loss. Prioritize resistance training over cardio. You can do cardio about twice a week because it is essential for your cardiovascular health. Just remember that weight training leads to faster fat loss.
6. Track Your Calories to Accelerate Weight Loss
You don’t need to obsess over every single calorie. However, you need to have a good idea of roughly how many calories you’re consuming. Remember, you need to be at a caloric deficit to accelerate your weight loss.
You can check how many calories you need to consume daily by using this calorie calculator: https://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm
To calculate the calories you’re consuming, you can use an app like My Fitness Pal: https://www.myfitnesspal.com/
Add up your calories for the day and see if you’re at a deficit of about 500 calories. This is crucial. No matter how much you exercise, you will never lose weight if you don’t cut calories. Ultimately, weight loss boils down to eating less than you normally would (within reason) and making healthier food choices.
7. Don’t Obsess Over Scale Weight
I know this will be difficult for some, but don’t weigh yourself daily and don’t trust body fat monitors entirely. There are always inaccuracies with these monitors. As for the weighing scale, it doesn’t give an accurate picture because it doesn’t measure body composition.
If you gain 3 pounds of lean muscle and lose 2 pounds of fat, the scale weight will show an increase of one pound. If you’re obsessing over scale weight, this will discourage you and make you think your efforts are fruitless.
In reality, you’re doing very well. So, use a measuring tape to measure your waist and thighs when you begin your weight loss journey. Measure yourself again at intervals of every 3 to 4 weeks. You’ll see the inches drop. You can also take photos of your body, and you’ll be amazed at the changes.
8. Low-Calorie Density & High in Volume
The foods you consume should have a low-calorie density and be high in volume. For example, broccoli is low in calories. But it takes up lots of space in your stomach because it is high in volume.
That essentially means you feel fuller and more satiated, but you’ve consumed fewer calories. Fruits and vegetables are low-calorie, high-volume foods. Consume lots of them with each meal. You’ll then eat fewer carbs and fats.
The end result is fewer calories consumed and faster weight loss. Your body will also be healthier because of the micronutrients in these foods.
9. Eat Foods in Their Natural State
Stick to natural foods like broccoli, chicken, beef, fruit, etc. These are natural foods and are beneficial to your body. Avoid processed food like white bread, biscuits, etc. Like the legendary fitness guru Jack LaLanne once said, “If man made it, don’t eat it.”
Go natural. And, even when it’s all natural, remember that you still need to be at a caloric deficit.
10. Eliminate Sugar to Accelerate Weight Loss
Eliminating sugar from your diet is easier said than done because sugar is highly addictive and creeps into most processed foods. You must cut down your sugar consumption if you want to speed up your weight loss.
Sugar raises insulin levels and makes you crave more sugar. This is a vicious cycle that will not end unless you put your foot down and say, “Enough is enough!” The current obesity epidemic is because of sugar addiction. That’s how dangerous it is.
11. Manage Your Cheat Days
On cheat days, when you decide to eat the foods you love, don’t overdo it. Go ahead and eat the pizza, ice cream, and whatever else you love. You should try and stay at a caloric deficit or, at the very least, be at your maintenance level.
When you have a surplus of calories, you will store fat. That will undo the progress you made on your workout days. So, cheat in moderation; have a cheat meal rather than a cheat day since a meal is more manageable.
12. Drink Plenty of Water
Finally, and this is very important, drink sufficient water daily to stay hydrated. Your body needs water to lose weight. Thousands of people impede their weight loss progress because they don’t drink enough water. Drink water throughout the day.
Healthy Eating + Fitness Training = Weight Loss
Now you know what you need to do to accelerate your weight loss and stoke the fat-burning furnace within your body. These 12 tips will make a world of difference in your weight loss journey if you adhere to them.
By using these techniques, you’ll be able to maximize your weight loss and lose as much weight as possible. You’ll get to your destination much quicker and finally attain the body you’ve always desired.
Successful weight loss is the sum of small efforts day in and day out. You can do it.
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