Rapid weight loss diets are often not sustainable. Instead, learn about eating and lifestyle changes to safely lose weight fast.
Sometimes, quickly losing weight has adverse side effects. For example, rapid weight loss can lead to regaining all or more of the pounds lost. You are more likely to lose water, muscle, and bone than body fat.1
In contrast, quickly losing weight—under the supervision of a healthcare provider—can be helpful for people with certain health conditions, like obesity and diabetes. Rapid weight loss helps control blood sugar, insulin, cholesterol, and blood pressure.2 From there, you can build the momentum to ease into long-term lifestyle changes.
Does Losing Weight Fast Work?
Some evidence suggests the rate of weight loss does not necessarily promise results down the road. For example, 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 reduce weight by 15%. Then, the researchers placed people who lost 12.5% or more weight during phase one into a second weight maintenance plan for 144 weeks.3
At the end of the study, the subjects who lost weight gradually and those in the rapid weight loss group regained most of their lost weight. Those 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.3
Risks of Quickly Losing Weight
Many diets—such as a very low-calorie diet, intermittent fasting, and fad diets—advise restricting your calorie intake to lose weight quickly. For example, people on a very low-calorie diet may only eat 800 calories daily to lose three to five pounds weekly. Of note, consuming only 800 calories daily is dangerously low. Research has found that a very low-calorie diet can lead to binge eating, extreme fatigue, and loss of muscle and bone.4
Healthcare providers often advise against those diets, at least for long-term weight maintenance. The very low-calorie diets are often reserved for adults with obesity who need to lose weight for health reasons, such as in type 2 diabetes or before weight-loss surgery. What’s more, healthcare providers do not recommend using these diets for more than 12 weeks.2
Again, a very low-calorie diet is not recommended for everyone. People who need to follow one for medical reasons also need strict medical supervision.5 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:2
- 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 one to two pounds weekly. Those changing hormones increase the risk of weight regain if you do not adopt sustainable eating and lifestyle habits.2
How To Safely Lose Weight
Keeping weight off requires making changes you can sustain long-term. Therefore, the key to losing weight fast, and maintaining a healthy body weight, is to rethink some of your eating and lifestyle habits.
Limit Processed Foods
Most weight loss tactics focus on what foods to cut out of your diet. You will 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.
Those foods often trigger water retention and bloating, affecting your weight and how your clothes fit.6 Generally, processed foods pack more concentrated calories or carbs per serving, which creates surpluses that interfere with weight loss.7
Highly processed foods typically lack the necessary vitamins, minerals, and fiber to maintain health.8 For example, fiber adds bulk to your meals, satiates your appetite to help manage weight, and aids in regulating blood sugar and insulin levels.9
Replace highly processed foods with nutrient-rich whole foods. Eating too little can make you feel hungry and fatigued, diminishing your energy and focus.1011 In response, you might consume more food and regain lost weight.
Additionally, avoid swapping those foods with so-called “diet” products made with artificial sugars. Those faux sugars can stoke a sweet tooth and inhibit appetite regulation.12 What you replace these foods with is just as crucial as nixing them.
Eat More Vegetables
Try incorporating vegetables into every meal. Vegetables can be low in carbs and pack fiber, water, and nutrients. Research has found that aiming to consume three servings of vegetables daily, or one serving per meal, is optimal.13
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.
For each meal, 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 carbs.14 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. To get your fill, blend nut butter in a smoothie, serve avocado with eggs, toss salads with extra virgin olive oil vinaigrette, and drizzle pesto over cooked vegetables.
Finally, don’t omit nutrient-rich, whole-grain carbs 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 one cup or one-half cup of cooked, fresh carbs at each meal. Not eating enough carbs might result in lingering hunger or cravings, plus spontaneous snacking that hinders results.
In other words, avoid falling into the old trap of making meals out of steamed vegetables and plain grilled chicken. In addition to feeling hungry, you’ll burn out quickly and deprive your body of essential nutrients.
Drink Water
You do not have to give up coffee to lose and maintain weight. Still, try your coffee with unsweetened plant-based milk, sugar in the raw, maple syrup, or cinnamon rather than refined or artificial sugars or cream.
After a cup or two of coffee, switch to water. Experts advise consuming 91–125 fluid ounces, spread evenly throughout the day.15 Your water intake may vary depending on your weight and activity level. For example, you will want to replenish any lost weight with water if you exercise.16
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.
Try to limit your alcohol intake. Often, alcohol is high in empty calories and low in nutrients.17 For a long-term strategy, 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
In addition to diet, physical activity is a key part of weight loss. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises exercising for 150 minutes weekly, which equals 30 minutes daily, five days per week.18 Try incorporating light-to-moderate aerobic and strength exercises.19
Beyond weight loss, physical activity has several benefits, such as:20
- Builds strong muscles
- Helps protect against and manage cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes
- Energizes you
- Promotes healthy sleeping patterns
- Supports your mental healthy by reducing 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.21
Other eating habits that you can try include:21
- 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? If so, try catching and reframing any negative thoughts while eating. For example, 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.21
Build a Support System
Lastly, having a support system of trusted friends, family, and healthcare providers can help you lose and manage weight. Your support system can ensure you stick to your goals and encourage you to continue.21
Who Should Not Attempt Quick Weight Loss
Before starting your weight loss journey, examine your relationship with food. Consult a mental healthcare provider 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 is 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 healthcare provider
A Quick Review
Extreme methods of weight loss often foster unhealthy habits and run the risk of regaining lost weight. Plus, highly calorie-restrictive diets are not recommended for everyone and can lead to nutrient deficiencies without proper medical supervision.
Instead of adopting a diet that promises rapid weight loss, manage your weight with a sustainable eating plan that gives you all your recommended nutrients. Lean on your support system when you need it, and exercise regularly for maximum long-term health benefits.
