The majority of diets and other weight loss plans work on the basis of reduced calorie intake and increased energy output.
Dramatically cutting down on calories, in the initial stages of a reduced calorie diet can lead to impressive weight loss results.
However, once this initial fast weight loss has occurred it becomes much more challenging for the body to function effectively on so few calories and some counter-productive mechanisms begin to take place.
How Many Calories should I be Eating per Day for my fast weight loss plans?
The result of very low-calorie diet plans,
Indeed, several scientific studies show that for ever diet undertaken more weight is actually gained in the long term.
If you find that your calorie intake is too low and your weight loss success has plateaued, or even reversed, it may be an idea to find a healthy eating plan that adheres to your own personal recommended calorie intake.
How many calories you should consume per day depends on several factors including your age, sex, height, activity levels, amount of muscle mass, lifestyle and general health.
The recommended daily calorie intake for good health varies according to where in the world you live. The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) recommends 2,500 (10,460 Kj) calories a day for an adult male and 2,000 (8,368 Kj) for an average female. The US is a bit more generous with an additional 200 calories (840 Kj) a day allowance for both sexes.
What to do when your Weight Loss Plans are NOT working
Have you been seeing shifts on the scales but over the last couple of weeks things have stalled? Do you need to eat less or exercise more?
Before you give up completely, below are the most common reasons why your weight loss plans are not working or stall after a few weeks.
Furthermore, there are a few tips about what you can do to get things moving again towards successful fast weight loss …
Do you eat at Night time?
Many people find it easier to stay on track with their weight-loss program through the first half of the day, before letting things go in the afternoon.
A few crackers with cheese, a row of chocolate or a glass of wine can all be the extra kj’s you eat, at the wrong time of day, to disrupt your fast weight loss efforts. Avoid overeating and mindless snacking after work by ensuring that both your breakfast and lunch are substantial.
Furthermore, adding a filling afternoon tea two hours before your dinner can also help cut down night time munching.
Are there Scientific Studies that support the Theory of NOT eating at Night?
Scientific studies have revealed mixed results regarding the time of day that you eat. Some medical specialists argue that it is the calorie content of the food that it is important, more so than the time it is eaten.
The argument for weight gain and late night eating is that if you eat a large, calorie rich, meal just before bed, the calories consumed will not be used up during sleep, in the same way that they would be in the day.
However, it may that late night eating means that people tend to miss out on breakfast and studies have demonstrated that this leads to over-eating later in the day. Eating later in the day may well be directly connected with eating too little earlier in the day which is detrimental to fast weight loss.
A Scientific Study on Night time Eating and weight Gain
One 2008 study examined the habit of night time eating and the subsequent effects on weight gain.
Night time eating was defined as eating between 23:00 and 05:00. Night time eaters did consume more calories per day and around 15 % of their daily energy intake was during these night time hours.
At the end of the study it was found that night time eaters did gain 6.2 kg more weight than the control group. The research concluded that night time eating can predict weight gain.
Lay off the booze to aid your Weight Loss Plans
So, one glass of wine is not so high in calories that it needs to be totally banned
Committing to set a period of time with absolutely NO alcohol can create a significant calorie deficit that may be all that is required to take your weight loss to the next level, particularly if you drink regularly.
Alcohol has almost as many calories gram for gram as pure fat and barely any nutritional value, but it is often the other side effects of drinking that lead to diet disaster.
Many alcohol drinkers who consider themselves ‘average wine drinkers’ down around 2,000 calories every month according to a chart by an Arizona personal trainer.
For those of us who enjoy a drink, alcohol accounts for 10% of all calories consumed. Alcoholic drinks are very high in calories, add to this the high sugar content of many mixers and the increased hunger and decreased control after a drinking session and you have a cocktail … for weight gain.
Will drinking Alcohol regularly lead to weight gain or fast weight loss?
As mentioned earlier, there is a lot of conflicting medical evidence regarding weight gain and alcohol consumption. However, according to a 2005 study by Suter entitled ‘Is Alcohol Consumption a risk factor for Weight Gain and Obesity?’
‘ … every component of the energy-balance equation is affected by the ingestion of alcohol.’
Even moderate drinking increases energy intake because of the
Suter examined several medical studies on metabolism and alcohol and concluded that alcohol consumption suppresses the absorption of fat in the body which can lead to weight gain.
Alcohol is more quickly and easily used by the body for energy than fat. Furthermore, the non-oxidized fat tends to be deposited in the stomach area ~ in simple terms alcohol drinking is associated with a ‘beer belly’.
This study suggests that there is a large variable about the amount of alcohol consumed and weight gain which is also dependant on frequency of drinking and genetic factors.
In conclusion it appeared that calories from alcohol counted more in moderate non-daily drinkers than in heavy, daily drinkers and contributes more to weight gain in association with an existing high calorie diet and obesity problem.
Alcohol Consumption leads to Weight Gain for Men!
Despite some uncertainty around the issue of weight gain and alcohol consumption medical research that followed 7,608 middle-aged British men over a 5 year period concluded that heavy drinking (more than or equal to 30 g per day which is around 3 alcoholic drinks) showed the biggest weight gain and had a higher Body Mass Index (BMI).
Heavy alcohol intake in men, regardless of the type of alcohol, leads to weight gain and obesity.
How much Alcohol should we Drink per week?
According to the Department of Health, to avoid a whole host of health problems, including weight gain:-
MEN should not drink more than:-
- 21 units of alcohol per week.
- and no more than 4 units a day
- … and have at least 2 alcohol free days per week.
WOMEN should not drink more than:-
- 14 units of alcohol per week
- and no more than 3 units of alcohol a day
- …and have at least 2 alcohol free days a week.
There are one and a half units of alcohol in:-
- A small glass (125 ml) of ordinary strength wine (12% alcohol)
- A standard pub measure (35 ml) of spirits, such as vodka, whisky, bacardi, etc. (40% alcohol).
There is one unit of alcohol in:-
- Half a pint of ordinary strength beer, cider or lager (3 – 4% alcohol)
- A small pub measure (25 ml) of spirits (40% alcohol)
- A standard pub measure (50 ml) of fortified wine such as sherry or port (20% alcohol)
A good plan when looking at alcohol in relation to fast weight loss is to cut out all alcohol on weekdays and only drink at weekends but to keep calories down (and to reduce a whole lot of other health risks) stay within the above recommended safe daily limits.
Cutting the Carbs: Does it lead to weight Loss?
Healthy eating and a healthy diet involves cutting down on carbs certainly, but more importantly, avoiding the wrong kind of carbs – these include most processed, fast food or junk food.
Many diets these days advocate a low carbohydrate diet to cut down on those calories. Indeed several studies have shown that a low-carb diet leads to greater weight loss than low-fat diets.
Indeed, very recent studies are showing that refined carbs, particularly those in processed food, can lead to an addictive-type of eating.
Low Carbs NOT no Carbs
Remember we are going for Low carbs not NO Carbs. These refined carbohydrates are absorbed very quickly by the body and lead to spikes in blood sugar levels and cravings.
The healthy carbohydrate foods that you should be enjoying are fruit, vegetables, beans, lentils and wholemeal bread, pasta and rice. If you are going for effortless weight loss plans it is recommended that you stay under 100 g of carbohydrates a day.
If you have a moderate to high physical activity level and/or you exercise regularly at a relatively high intensity and you have been cutting out carbohydrates completely you may be running on empty.
This will result in low energy levels, fatigue and cravings for high sugar or high energy foods. The exercising muscle needs fuel to function at its best and to effectively burn body fat which is why you should never totally cut out carbohydrates because this is not a long term, healthy weight loss plans.
What is the ideal diet for fast weight loss? Low Carbohydrate or Low Fat?
The World Health Organization (WHO) have recommended, in their objectives to curb obesity, to reduce the amount of sugar and refined carbohydrates in the diet. A study by Adam-Perrot, analysed the beneficial effects of a low carbohydrate diet as below:-
- Reduction of circulating insulin levels
- Enhanced fat burning due to high levels of circulating fatty acids used for oxidation. (Fat is made available to the body for energy use).
These physiological effects lead to fast weight loss. The ideal diet according to this research is one of low carbohydrate, high protein and low fat which has been shown to:-
- Increase feelings of satiety (fullness)
- Lower feelings of hunger
- Preserve lean body mass
- Enhance fat loss
- Improve insulin balance
Little but Often
A sip of coffee here, a little bite of cake there, and a handful of nuts every so often
The body is programmed hormonally to eat and then have a period of time with no food to allow the natural digestive process to occur. Every single time you take a sip or a bite of anything that contains calories, it disrupts this process. Snacking is not all bad though.
Research Study into Weight Loss snacks
A small research study examined snacking on either a high protein or high carbohydrate snack when hungry in between meals. The high protein snack did have some hunger satisfying effects, whereas the high carbohydrate snacks did not.
Both snacks however, had NO effect on the amount of food and calories consumed at the next meal. The study concluded that snacking when hungry, does not relieve hunger, regardless of its composition which is evidence that snacking does play a role in obesity for some.
Snacking does not appear to be all bad, however. In a long term study on snacking a group of 66 lean men snacked on a chocolate bar six days a week for six months on top of their usual, regular meals. Had the men not regulated their eating to accommodate the extra calories, they should have put on 4 – 5 Kg over the time period however, there was NO weight gain at all.
Interestingly then, snacking does NOT appear to lead to weight gain in those that are lean, fit and active and not overweight or obese.
Eating between meals will only induce weight gain if you
regularly eat more calories than you need.
Watch the Cheese
Cheese contains a number of essential nutrients, like protein, calcium, zinc, and vitamins A, B2 and B12. But due to it’s high fat content, it is very important to keep in mind during your weight loss plans that a little goes a long way. Here is a short guide to some of the most popular cheeses:
Vintage Cheddar: 20 g – Saturated fat: 4.2 g (82 Calories)
Brie Soft Cheese: 20 g – Saturated fat: 4.1 g (60 Calories)
Halloumi: 20 g – Saturated fat: 3.5 g (63 Calories)
Feta Cheese: 20 g – Saturated fat: 3.7 g (63 Calories)
Camembert: 20g – Saturated fat: 4.4 g (56 Calories)
Goat’s cheese, 20g – Saturated fat: 2.8 g (52 Calories)
Cheese is a high calorie, high fat food that is linked with addictive eating habits. A 2015 study into food cravings published by the University of Michigan confirms this. In a survey carried out on 500 students called the Yale Food Addiction Scale, pizza was identified as the most addictive food, and in part, this is due to the liberal cheese topping. Enjoy your cheese nibbles but keep a very close eye on portion size.
Questions and Answers for various weight loss plans
I understand the need for a long-term healthy eating plan but I would like to do a short term diet. There are so many to choose from. Which do you recommend?
The diet voted number one by experts for fast weight loss was actually developed for the treatment of hypertension (high blood pressure) by the US National Institutes of Health. The DASH (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) eating plan was voted the best weight loss regime by health professionals.
DASH was developed by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and beat hands down other diets such as the 5:2 Fast Diet, Dukan and Paleo (caveman) diets in areas such as weight loss (both in the long and short term), whether it meets recommended nutritional needs, ease to maintain and health risks. Furthermore, both the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology recommend the DASH diet in their new guidelines to prevent heart disease and strokes.
The DASH diet is rich in fruit, vegetables and nuts, lean meats and whole grains and is extremely easy to follow. See some sample meal plans.
Fast weight loss confuses me sometimes. One friend in my Weight Loss Plans Facebook group, said that it is the type of calories that you eat that are important not the amount. Is this true?
Counting calories does not always result in weight loss. If you reduce your caloric intake but your diet is full of smaller portions of sugar and refined carbohydrates and high fat foods, the effect on the body is very different to eating the caloric equivalent of healthy fruit, vegetables, lean proteins and whole grain.
Counting calories alone may lead to hunger, fatigue and cravings, whereas choosing an all round healthy eating plan with a good combination of non-refined carbohydrates, fats, lean protein and foods high in fibre, vitamins and minerals you will begin to lose weight.
The top three steps to healthy eating are to cut out sugar, refined carbohydrates and processed foods. In addition you need to burn more calories on a daily basis by adding more physical activity to your routine.
I have been very overweight for many years now. Despite trying numerous diets I can’t manage to keep the weight off. I have just found out I have diabetes Type II, any suggestions on other weight loss plans?
Some medical experts believe that weight loss surgery is one of the most successful methods for fast weight loss in people who have tried (and failed) for many years to how to lose weight fast and are obese.
If your Body Mass Index is over 40 then surgery for weight loss may be an option for you. Find out your own Body Mass Index here. Choosing surgery as a way on how to lose weight fast is not a quick fix and is certainly not an easy option.
Surgery comes with its own set of risks depending on the procedure. However, the weight loss results can be very good as can the improvement in associated conditions. For a more detailed look at weight loss surgery click HERE.
I am desperate to lose weight fast. I’m thinking of weight loss pills such as Garcinia Cambogia. What do you think?
Although we only endorse medical weight loss on this site, the process is not about diet pills, fad diets or even surgery.
However, it is about weight management. Weight loss management involves fast weight loss based on sound medical, scientific evidence and principles.
If you want to lose pounds we suggest that you avoid quick weight loss pills and supplements (including appetite suppressants and ‘natural supplements’) or at least get the full facts HERE.
Natural substances such as coconut oil, especially virgin coconut oil cannot do any harm, but the only way to proper, sustainable weight loss plans are choosing a healthy lifestyle.
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References
- Kramer FM , Jeffery RW , Forster JL , Snell MK (1989) Long-term follow-up of behavioral treatment for obesity: patterns of weight regain among men and women. International Journal of Obesity [1989, 13(2):123-136] (Retrieved January 12th 2016) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2663745
- Pietiläinen KH, Saarni SE, Kaprio J, Rissanen A. (2012) Does dieting make you fat? A twin study. Int J Obes (Lond). 2012 Mar;36(3):456-64. (Retrieved January 11th 2016) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21829159
