10 Easy Techniques for Rapid Weight Loss

by John Staughton (BASc, BFA) last updated -

Using various strategies for rapid weight loss has become very popular in recent years, along with dozens of other specialized weight-loss techniques. Given that obesity is a global concern that contributes to countless other medical conditions, everyone is always looking for the best methods to shed those pesky pounds. Combined with the modern expectation of instant gratification, it comes as no surprise that people often want rapid weight loss. However, it is important to remember that drastic fluctuations in your weight can have significant effects on other aspects of your health, so your weight loss efforts should be done in a responsible and informed way.

What is Rapid Weight Loss?

Rapid weight loss is roughly defined as losing two pounds or more per week. Given the approximation of 1 pound being equivalent to 3,500 calories, losing two pounds in a single week would mean a calorie deficit of 7,000. That level of rapid weight loss is only possible through extreme calorie-restricting diets or intense workout regimens. While it is possible to lose that amount of weight in a short period of time, you are likely putting excess strain on your body, either physically at the gym or physiologically by not taking in enough nutrients.

A man wearing oversize jeans depicting weight loss

How to lose weight Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Many people don’t understand what rapid weight loss really means, particularly with so many companies and products that promise extremely fast results, such as dropping 10 pounds in a single week. These crash diets can wreak havoc on your metabolism and [1]

If you are serious about pursuing rapid weight loss, but want to do it in a healthy manner, the best approach is to combine high levels of cardiovascular exercise with a daily caloric cutback of 15-20%. This can achieve a loss of 1-2 pounds per week. That being said, there are quite a few support strategies and techniques for rapid weight loss that can help increase your metabolism and further drive calorie- and fat-burning.

Techniques for Rapid Weight Loss

The best methods for rapid weight loss are even more successful when combined, and include strategies like eating more vegetables, scaling back breakfast, doing yoga, quitting smoking, undergoing a cleanse, adding spicy food, sleeping more, boosting your sex life, increasing your water intake, running more, eliminating salty snacks and trying out an exercise class, among others.

Eliminate Snacking

Eliminating your trips down the snack aisle at the grocery store and consciously reducing the amount of salty treats you have throughout the day can cut hundreds of calories from your daily diet. In fact, by eliminating snacking alone, provided your other meals are well designed and health, can give you the calorie deficit you need for rapid weight loss. [2]

Regular Workout

Adding a workout class a few times per week can give you a great boost to your overall calorie deficit. Spinning classes are particularly appealing for rapid weight loss due to its low-impact, high-intensity nature, which can shave up to 400 calories in a single session.

Running

Running is something that you can do 4-5 times a week without any extra equipment or travel time. It elevates your heart rate, increases your metabolism, burns more calories than counting steps, and can improve other aspects of health that can contribute to weight loss. [3]

Sex Life

Physical activity of any kind can burn calories, including physical activity in the bedroom. If you are serious about rapid weight loss, increasing the amount of times you have sex per week can have a measurable effect.

Dietary Cleanse

Dietary cleanses consisting of juices, nuts, or other nutrient-dense, detoxifying substances can be excellent for weight loss. They help the body feel full, while also delivering a high concentration of essential nutrients, which is what so many people using crash diets for rapid weight loss require. [4]

No More Smoking

Although smoking cigarettes is an appetite suppressant, the damage that carcinogens can do to your lungs and other organs is a net loss in terms of weight loss. Smoking can lower your willingness or ability to exercise, slow your metabolism, and speed up the process of oxidative stress in your system. [5]

Less Breakfast

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but it shouldn’t be a high-calorie feast. If you can shave your breakfast down to around 300 calories (greek yogurt and bran, banana corn muffins, scrambled egg burritos etc.), you can have a delicious meal that occupies only a small amount of your daily calorie intake. [6]

Yoga

Relieving stress is critical to losing weight, because lower levels of stress means less cortisol in your bloodstream. When high levels of cortisol are present, the body takes that as a signal to store calories as fat. Therefore, keeping your body and mind aligned with yoga can prevent fat deposition and increase your usable energy levels. [7]

Stay Hydrated

Water is important to every bodily process, but it is also a heavy substance that tends to help the body feel full. By increasing your water intake, you will also boost your urination rate, which will detoxify the body and eliminate excess salts and fats, which can help in weight-loss efforts. [8]

Eat More Vegetables

Not only are vegetables packed with minerals, antioxidants and other important nutrients, but they also boast high levels of fiber, which can help the body feel full faster. Not only do vegetables have limited calories, but will also help to suppress the appetite, if you are interested in rapid weight loss. [9]

Risks in Rapid Weight Loss

For people who want fast results in terms of weight loss, many of the strategies outlined above can help, but there are certain health risks to losing too much weight too quickly. Your body requires time to adjust to weight changes, and drastically cutting down your weight can cause a shock to your system. Some of the most common effects of rapid weight loss include problems with your liver, a loss of lean muscle, loose skin and gallstones, as well as fatigue and nutrient deficiencies.

  • Loose Skin – For those people who lose large amounts of weight very quickly, loose skin is a common side effect. This is basically stretched out skin that hasn’t had time to adapt to your new size and hangs loose, obscuring your muscles. Losing weight slowly will cause fewer occurrences of loose skin.
  • Lean Muscle – When your body is being deprived of calories/nutrients and being worked hard through exercise, it may start to leech energy from sources other than fat, such as muscle mass. This can be counterproductive to your weight-loss goals. [10]
  • Liver Problems – Damage to your liver is closely linked with rapid weight loss, possibly as a result of your body being unable to react fast enough to the change in your lipid levels.
  • Gallstones – Hard chunks of cholesterol that form in the gallbladder are known as gallstones, and research has found that rapid drops in weight can increase their rate of formation. Moderate weight loss (1-2 pounds per week) should not have the same effect. [11]
  • Nutrient Deficiencies – If you are operating on a calorie deficit of at least 1,000 calories per day, you are likely not only lowering your calorie intake, but also reducing your intake of critical nutrients and essential minerals. Weight-loss strategies that cause nutrient deficiencies can often do more harm than good in the long run.
  • Fatigue – By reducing your calorie intake, you are essentially giving your body fewer resources to produce energy, regardless of what form those calories take. Fatigue and muscle weakness are therefore natural side effects when you give yourself a significant calorie deficit every day.
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About the Author

John Staughton is a traveling writer, editor, publisher and photographer with English and Integrative Biology degrees from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana (USA). He co-founded the literary journal, Sheriff Nottingham, and now serves as the Content Director for Stain’d Arts, a non-profit based in Denver, Colorado. On a perpetual journey towards the idea of home, he uses words to educate, inspire, uplift and evolve.

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