Safe and Effective Ways To Achieve Rapid Weight Loss

Losing weight fast, safely, requires supervision from a healthcare provider. Rapid weight-loss methods can be risky without medical guidance.

Can Rapid Weight Loss Be Effective?

Some evidence suggests the rate of weight loss does not necessarily promise results down the road.

In one study published in 2014, researchers assigned over 200 people with overweight or obesity to either a 12-week rapid weight loss or a 36-week gradual weight loss program. 

The researchers designed both approaches to decrease weight by 15%. They placed people who lost 12.5% or more weight during phase one into a second weight maintenance plan for 144 weeks. 

Subjects who lost weight gradually and those in the rapid weight-loss group regained most of their lost weight. These results indicate that the rate of weight loss did not affect whether people regained their weight.

In other words, the findings are inconsistent with the belief that people who quickly lose weight regain weight more rapidly than those who do so gradually.

Risks To Watch Out For

Many diets—such as a very low-calorie diet, intermittent fasting, and fad diets—advise restricting your calorie intake to lose weight quickly.

People on a very low-calorie diet may only eat 800 calories daily to lose 3-5 pounds weekly. Consuming only 800 calories daily is dangerously low. A very low-calorie diet can lead to binge eating, extreme fatigue, and loss of muscle and bone.

Doctors often advise against these diets, at least for long-term weight maintenance. They are often reserved for adults with obesity who need to lose weight for type 2 diabetes or before weight-loss surgery. Doctors do not recommend using these diets for more than 12 weeks.

A very low-calorie diet is not recommended for everyone. People who need to follow one for medical reasons also need strict medical supervision. Close monitoring helps to prevent nutrient deficiencies in people on calorie-restrictive diets.

Quickly losing weight places a lot of stress on your body and increases the risk of complications, like:

• Gallstones
• Gout
• Fatigue
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Nausea

People who lose weight fast are more likely to regain that weight after finishing a diet. Your body has a hormonal response to losing more than 1-2 pounds weekly. These hormonal changes increase the risk of weight regain if you do not adopt sustainable diet and lifestyle habits.

Safe Ways To Lose Weight Fast 

Keeping weight off requires making changes you can sustain long-term. The key to losing weight fast and maintaining a healthy body weight is to rethink your diet and lifestyle habits.

Limit Processed Foods

Most weight-loss tactics focus on which foods to cut out of your diet. You'll see the most significant impact for quick results if you limit highly processed foods, such as fast food, added sugars, refined white flour, and high-sodium products. 

These foods often trigger water retention and bloating, affecting your weight and how your clothes fit. Processed foods pack more concentrated calories or carbohydrates per serving, which creates surpluses that interfere with weight loss.

Replace highly processed foods with nutrient-rich whole foods. Eating too little can make you feel hungry and fatigued, diminishing your energy and focus. You might consume more food and regain lost weight. 

Eat More Vegetables

Try incorporating vegetables into every meal. Vegetables can be low in carbs and pack fiber, water, and nutrients. Three servings of vegetables daily, or one serving per meal, is optimal.

A serving might include raw, sautéed, roasted, or filled green vegetables. Try mixing up the colors and types of vegetables to take in more nutrients and antioxidants. 

Try some of the following:

• Breakfast: Blend spinach or kale into a smoothie at breakfast, or sauté vegetables like tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, and greens with eggs.
• Lunch: Make an entrée salad or Buddha bowl your go-to lunch, with a base of greens and vegetables the size of two handfuls.
• Dinner: Opt for cooked vegetables, like in a stir-fried dish. Or cover half of your dinner plate with sautéed or oven-roasted vegetables, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green beans, eggplant, or cauliflower.

Build Balanced Meals

Round out your meals with lean proteins, healthy fats, and whole-grain carbohydrates. Proteins can include plant or animal sources, such as pea protein powder, lentils, beans, pasture-raised eggs, or fish. 

Healthy fats boost satiety and keep you fuller longer. Blend nut butter in a smoothie, serve avocado with eggs, toss salads with extra virgin olive oil vinaigrette, and drizzle pesto over cooked vegetables.

Do not omit nutrient-rich, whole-grain carbohydrates like brown rice and quinoa, starchy vegetables like skin-on potatoes and butternut squash, and fresh fruits. To meet your energy needs, consume at least 1 cup or one-half cup of cooked, fresh carbohydrates at each meal.

Drink Water

You do not have to give up coffee to lose and maintain weight. Try your coffee with unsweetened plant-based milk, sugar in the raw, maple syrup, or cinnamon rather than refined or artificial sugars or cream. 

Consume 91–125 fluid ounces of water throughout the day. Your water intake may vary depending on your weight and activity level.

You can flavor water with all-natural ingredients like citrus, fresh mint, cucumber, ginger, or in-season fruit if you do not enjoy the taste of plain water.

Alcohol is high in empty calories and low in nutrients. Limit alcohol to a few weekly occasions. Stick with cocktails made with sparkling water rather than soda, tonic water, or fruit juice.

Get Regular Exercise

Physical activity is a key part of weight loss. Exercise for 150 minutes weekly, which equals 30 minutes daily, five days per week. Try incorporating light-to-moderate aerobic and strength exercises.

Beyond weight loss, physical activity has several benefits, such as:

• Builds strong muscles
• Helps protect against and manage cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes
• Energizes you
• Promotes healthy sleeping patterns
• Supports your mental health by lowering stress, anxiety, and depression

Change Up Your Eating Habits

To sustain a weight loss diet, rethinking your eating habits is key. For example, eat meals and snacks on a dish instead of out of a container if your problem is consuming large servings.

Other eating habits that you can try include:

• Keep nutritious snacks on hand for a midday snack to help satisfy cravings and boost energy.
• Eat breakfast daily. Starting your morning with whole-grain carbs, dairy-free milk, fresh fruits, and non-starchy vegetables sets your intentions for the rest of the day.
• Meal prep at the start of each week to avoid eating out or fast food for a quick meal.
• Avoid watching TV or staring at screens while eating to avoid overeating.

Consider Your Relationship With Food

A complicated relationship with food can make weight loss harder and negatively affect mental health. Consider why you eat food.

Do you eat for emotional reasons instead of to fuel your body? Try catching and reframing any negative thoughts while eating. Think, "I can eat some foods in moderation," if you often think you cannot eat certain foods.

Pay attention to how your body feels if you find yourself eating less or more than you need. Eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are full is key to fostering sustainable eating habits.

Build a Support System

Having a support system of trusted friends, family, and doctors can help you lose and manage weight. Your support system can help you stick to your goals and encourage you to keep going.

Who Should Not Attempt Rapid Weight Loss?

Before starting your weight loss journey, examine your relationship with food. Consult a mental health specialist if you have a history of disordered eating or previous weight loss attempts that have led to feelings of depression, anxiety, anger, loneliness, or other emotions.

Health includes both physical and emotional well-being. It's not a worthy trade if a focus on weight loss harms your mental health. Explore why you feel compelled to lose weight and seek support from loved ones who care about you.

Experts warn children, adolescents, pregnant people, and older adults against quickly losing weight without the guidance of a doctor.