7 Scientifically Proven Ways to Lose Weight Fast

Weight loss can be a challenging and time-consuming process. The seven scientifically proven ways to lose weight include eating well, setting weight loss goals, exercising, and using other strategies.

For many overweight people, weight loss can be a challenging and time-consuming process. Many people find themselves wondering how to lose weight fast. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends prioritizing your long-term health over rapid weight loss. 

The most effective and healthy way to lose weight is to make lifestyle changes in your daily routine. Depending on your weight-loss goals, you can tweak these changes for faster or slower weight loss. The following methods are the best ways to set yourself up for both rapid weight loss and a lifetime of weight loss success:

You may not know what healthy weight loss goals look like when you first begin your journey. Setting appropriate goals is a crucial first step to ensuring that you succeed without becoming discouraged or unhealthy. 

If obese, experts recommend that you aim to lose just 5% to 10% of your body weight within the first six months of your program. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, you should plan on losing anywhere from 10 to 20 pounds. 

While this might not sound like a lot when first starting, it can significantly impact your overall health. Ten pounds of weight loss can both drop you down a clothing size and positively impact your blood pressure and cholesterol.  

You can set specific goals for each aspect of your weight loss plan, including your diet and exercise routines. Keep in mind that the best goals are specific, realistic, and forgiving.   

The stricter you set your goals, the faster you'll lose weight, but make sure to keep the rates healthy. 

Once realistic goals are set, the next step is to decide on the best exercise routine. Exercise is a crucial step in your weight loss journey and a primary way to get rid of the calories that you put into your body. 

Your routine should incorporate aerobic activities that get your heart rate up and strength training to build muscles. 

The exact amount of exercise you need depends on your current health and goals. Typically the more you exercise, the more calories you burn, and the faster you lose weight. Intense exercise programs exist that you can try out. You can also create one on your own or have a physical trainer design the best program for your rapid weight loss. 

A good general recommendation is to fit in at least two and a half hours of aerobic activities each week. Thirty minutes five times a week or longer sessions less often meet the recommendations. Depending on your goals, you may even want to try to fit in five hours of moderate-intensity activities. 

No matter how much time you have for exercise, keep in mind that something is always better than nothing. 

Aerobic activities include: 

• Running
• Jogging
• Swimming
• Using an elliptical machine

Another recommendation is to participate in muscle-building activities at least twice a week. Muscle is your engine, so building muscles will help you turn your current weight loss into a lifelong habit. 

Muscle training activities can include things like push-ups, weight lifting, and the use of other gym equipment that focus on particular muscles. 

It is critical to eat healthy foods to reach and maintain your ideal weight. To lose weight fast, you need to make sure that you do the following: 

• Limit high-fat foods. Choose poultry or fish over fatty red meats and low-fat options for products like milk. Steam your food instead of deep-frying it. 
• Limit other unhealthy foods. Honey, candy, pastries, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages should be limited. 
• Maintain a varied diet. Eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. 
• Avoid high-calorie add-ons. For example, avoid salad dressings and mayonnaise on a sandwich.

You'll lose weight the fastest if you completely eliminate these foods from your diet and don't allow for any cheat days. You can also try intensive calorie-cutting diets or methods like intermittent fasting where you limit the amount of time that you can eat. 

Another great way to lose weight is to change your day-to-day behavioral patterns to affect your weight loss in a positive way. In addition to diet and exercise, there are choices you can make that will actually accelerate weight loss. The more positive changes you make in your life, the faster you lose weight. 

Examples include: 

• Monitor your calories. Keep track of how many calories you consume each day and how many calories you burn. This way, you can track if you burn more calories than you consume. Many different apps and websites can help you with this process. The fewer calories that you eat, the faster you lose weight. Just avoid starving yourself or trying to do too much on too few calories. 
• Reward your success. You feel more encouraged on your journey if you treat yourself when you succeed, as long as your treats are not food-related. Instead, plan a fun activity or buy yourself something nice. You can set large rewards for milestone-type goals and smaller ones for simply sticking to your plan. 
• Control your home and work environments. Simple steps like hiding high-calorie foods and keeping low-calorie ones within eyesight encourage good habits. Eating in front of the TV can lead to weight gain. Take walks during your work break instead of eating. 
• Change how you shop. You never want to shop for food when hungry, and always shop from a pre-planned list of healthy foods. Compare labels to ensure that you buy the healthiest version of a particular product.
• Live a healthy lifestyle. Be aware of your sleep patterns and ensure that you get enough sleep. Avoid activities that are not good for your health. The better you feel, the faster you will lose weight. 

Many people find it easier to lose weight when they have a specific diet or weight-loss program to guide them through the proper steps. But not all programs are equally safe and effective for everyone. Make sure you choose the diet or program right for you before committing yourself to any routine. 

First, avoid any programs that promise unbelievably quick results. These are often exaggerated claims or based on very unhealthy practices. Also, you will want to avoid lifestyle programs that leave out exercise, have unrealistic before and after photos, or come with small-print types of exceptions. 

Good weight loss programs will involve consistent monitoring and should encourage steady goals. The best programs provide large-scale behavioral advice for losing weight and maintaining your weight loss. 

You might also choose a specific diet to help you reach weight loss goals. Examples include high-protein diets and the Mediterranean diet, which encourages things like the use of olive oil instead of butter and herbs instead of salt. 

There are tons of weight loss programs available worldwide. No one program works for everybody, so shop around until you find one that fits nicely into your daily life. 

Overweight people often hope that a particular medication will be the key to rapid weight loss, but this may not be the case. Different weight loss medications are available, but not all are safe or effective. Always consult your doctor before incorporating a new drug or supplement into your routine. 

Weight loss medications work in different ways. Some can make you feel less hungry, while others make it more difficult for your body to absorb fats. 

Health care providers typically reserve prescription medications for significantly overweight or obese persons. In research studies, people taking weight-loss medication lost 3% to 12% more of their body weight in the first year of a lifestyle program than people not taking the medication.  

Talk to your doctor to see if a prescription medication might help with your weight loss journey. 

There are situations when you should consider bariatric surgery for weight loss. Weight loss surgeries are for people who meet specific criteria. They are obese, have not been able to lose weight any other way, and are at risk of developing weight-related conditions like type 2 diabetes. 

There are a variety of types of weight-loss surgeries. They’re all designed to alter your digestive system in some way. You need to have an honest discussion with your doctor to see if one of these surgeries might be right for you.   

If you decide that surgery is right for you, it can be a great way to lose weight fast when no other methods have worked for you. These surgeries can, for example, make it physically difficult for you to overeat.