How to Lose Weight Quickly – 5 Step Diet Plan for Women

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Here is a strange but true truth about how to lose weight quickly: Losing weight is simple, but it’s not easy.  It’s not that it’s a complicated process, but it can be really tough to make the right decision even when it’s very clear what that decision SHOULD be.

Here is a strange but true truth about how to lose weight quickly: Losing weight is simple, but it's not always easy. Thankfully, this 5-step diet plan for weight loss for women will help! | Health and Happy Hour

Think about it this way…

2 out of 3 American adults are still considered obese despite the zillions of diet books out there (12).

So, what the heck is going on? Why is it SO hard to lose weight?

Step 1. Identify the problem.

I bet you’ve heard some of these statements before:

  • “It’s the preservatives in fast food, they’re cancerous and make you fat!”
  • “It’s carbohydrates in the diet.  They make you fat!!”
  • “Nope, it’s fat.  Fat makes you FAT, right?!! FAAAAAAAAAAATTT”

There are all sorts of diets that women go bonkers over:

  • Paleo
  • Low-Fat
  • Vegan
  • Atkins
  • Etc.

The principles behind these diets are fine, but here is some food for thought that is 100% backed by science:

If you go over your calories with ANY of these diets, you will still gain fat (34).

Being in a caloric deficit is, alone, responsible for any long-term weight loss you sustain (5, 678).

identifying the problem is the first step in learning how to lose weight quick

Relevant and Amusing Story:

A nutrition professor at Kansas State University lost 27 pounds on the Twinkie Diet just to prove this.

Seriously… he just scarfed down deserts and chips all day, remained under his calories, and lost the weight.

The point is: Calories DO count.

Step 2. Focus on hitting your calorie “sweet spot” for losing weight.

If you’re one that can’t STAND the idea of counting calories, just sit tight because we WILL give you an alternative!

Everyone is bad at estimating caloric intake for the day (1011).

yummy food

So bad that some people underestimate their intake by 47% and overestimate their exercise levels by 51% (12).

Even dietitians are bad at estimating (13).

Instead of just guessing, it is a good idea to practice counting your calories. Eventually, you’ll get to know the average calories that many of the regular foods you are eating contain and won’t have to be as diligent anymore.

So, what is the “sweet spot” when it comes to caloric intake?

The sweet spot is the place where you lose weight fast enough to stay motivated, but not so fast that you end up binge eating from hunger.

Fast weight loss is important because the quicker you lose weight, the more likely you are to stick with the diet (1415).

  • Losing .5 pounds a week is not very motivating.
  • Losing 2+ pounds a week, however, IS.

The sweet spot for most women seems to be at:

Goal Body Weight x 10-12 = Daily Calories

So if your goal is to weigh 130lbs, you would want to get in around 1300 – 1430 calories a day.

The easiest way to do this is to use a Fit Bit to keep track of the calories you burn and consume daily.

This will help you lose 2+ pounds per week without the intense I‘ll-cut-you cravings.

Counting calories not for you? Keep reading…

Step 3. Eat copious amounts of protein and veggies at every meal.

If you’re REALLY not into counting calories (I get it. I hate it too), then it’s incredibly important to make sure that you are eating the RIGHT foods at every meal to make sure that you are under your calories without having to count them.

When you sit down at EVERY meal you should be able to identify a source of protein and vegetables.

You should avoid carbohydrates because it’s likely that your body is in need of a serious detox. Cutting out carbohydrates COMPLETELY for a week or so can help you lose 7-10 pounds in a WEEK!

Protein

Protein intake can boost metabolism by 80 – 100 calories per day (16).

Diets high in protein have also shown to cut late night cravings in half, reduce obsessive dieting thoughts by 60%, and make you feel so full you just naturally eat 441 fewer calories per day (17, 18).

When it comes to losing weight, the importance of protein can’t be overstated.

Do I really need to tell you to eat more vegetables?

Vegetables

They have hardly any calories and are JAM PACKED with nutrients. Cram enough vegetables in your diet and it will be hard not to lose weight!

Vegetables contain all sorts of vitamins and nutrients, but they also contain a lot of FIBER, which is really important to help you digest the larger amounts of protein you must consume to lose weight quickly.

  • Broccoli
  • Cauliflower
  • Spinach
  • Kale
  • Brussels Sprouts
  • Cabbage
  • Swiss Chard
  • Lettuce
  • Cucumber
  • Celery
  • ANYTHING ELSE THAT IS GREEN

Step 4. Eat light in the mornings (or not at all).

green smoothie

You’ll hear me talking about this concept a LOT in my articles.

There is no evidence to support the idea that eating breakfast increases metabolism or will make you healthier in any way.

And since calories are the most important factor in losing weight quickly, eating a 600-calorie breakfast every morning is a pretty bad strategy if your goal is to eat 1,430 for the day.

So, in the morning, choose between these options:

  • Protein shake and a piece of whole fruit (only about 250 total calories)
  • Drink a green smoothie
  • Or simply don’t eat until lunchtime

This will save your calories for later in the evening where you can eat bigger, more satisfying meal that will keep you from snacking at night.

Try to push your “breakfast” back as long as you can – until lunch if you are able to.

This is called intermittent fasting, and it provides a variety of health benefits including improved insulin sensitivity, neurological health, weight loss, and more (19, 20, 21).

So eat light in the mornings or nothing at all.

Pro Tip: Drinking coffee in the morning can help suppress your appetite and carry you through until 11:00 AM or later.

Step 5. Circuit Train 3x per week.

Training along with a great diet is incredibly important for weight loss.

By working out, you will burn extra calories and prevent your metabolism from slowing down, which is a common side effect of losing weight (22, 23)

Many people tend to avoid the gym because of self-conscious feelings, time restraints, or various other reasons.  The good news: There is a great workout that you can do at home to burn calories and prevent metabolic slowdown!

It’s called Circuit Training, and here’s why it’s so great for women:

  • Workouts are generally 30 minutes or less
  • Can be done from wherever you want (just need a set of small dumbbells)
  • No fear of ever getting big a “bulky” but you will see some nice, toned muscles

Good circuit training programs will also vary with almost every workout that you do, so it provides variety and excitement into every workout!

Let’s recap how to lose weight quickly!

  • Step 1. Identify the problem.
  • Step 2. Focus on hitting your calorie “sweet spot” for losing weight.
  • Step 3. Eat copious amounts of protein and veggies at every meal.
  • Step 4. Eat light in the mornings (or not at all).
  • Step 5. Circuit Train 3x per week.
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Hi there! My name is Lauren, and I'm a former vegan and lover of all things health, nutrition, and yoga! The goal of this blog is to help guide YOU through the journey to happy and healthy weight loss!

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