Need to w? New to Dieting?

If you need to lose weight fast or are on some kind of "deadline" to reduce weight, then there are many options you can take. The question is, do you want to lose weight or fat? The difference is quite big. If you are trying to learn how to burn fat then you need to realize that fat is not something that can be lost quickly. The usual standard of how much fat can be lost in a healthy way is around two pounds of fat per week. And this is with good dieting AND exercise.

For weight loss, much more can be lost. The only difference is that with weight loss, the results are not permanent nor do they usually last for more than a week!

Those that need to lose weight fast usually gravitate towards the quick fix "Weight loss" not "Fat loss" methods. These usually include starving yourself excessively, regurgitating meals to prevent weight gain, wearing clothing that promotes more sweating, cutting out all carbohydrates or fats (or both!), taking weight loss supplements that speed up your metabolism, drinking only fruit juices for weeks at a time, and a wide variety of other strange methods.



These methods, although they do result in quick weight loss, do very little for fat loss.

Water and Muscle

What you usually end up losing when you follow these "need to lose weight fast" methods is water and muscle mass. Water weight is very inconsistent. One day it'll be higher than the next. You can reduce your water weight with excess sweating, eating foods that don't absorb water, flushing out your system with diarrheic herbs, excessive working out, and cutting back all salts. This is good if you're trying to hit that weight requirement for wrestling or something of that sort. But if you're trying to get in shape, then water weight is something you should not pay attention to. At all.

Muscle mass is something you do not want to lose at all. Muscle helps you have a strong immune system and also helps keep your metabolism up. If you lose muscle it'll end up making you have a higher body fat percentage. And that will result in you looking flabbier and less fit than you started!

The Solution? If you need to lose weight fast but don't have a real deadline besides wanting to be in shape ASAP, then swallow that "impatience" and start following a diet that promotes steady fat burning at a healthy and natural pace.