8 Steps to Lose Weight Quickly

Below we lay out easy and actionable steps to start getting your weight down quickly. Implement these steps and be consistent with them and you're guaranteed to see results.

Now, before we get in to it - it's important to recognise that weight isn't everything and losing weight should always be approached in a healthy, sustainable way.

However, there are times where you might want to get your weight down quickly and you can absolutely do this safely and effectively, whilst also doing it quickly.

Some scenarios might be:

• Post holiday season e.g. Christmas or Easter when you've consumed a lot of food and alcohol and your weight is a bit higher than usual

• In the build up to an event such as a holiday or wedding and you have a set time frame you're working towards

• You've just gotten to the point where enough is enough and you want to get your weight down

Understanding Weight Loss

We all need to manage an Energy Balance throughout the day. Energy Balance is the relationship between energy in (calories) and energy out (what your body uses).

If Energy In is greater than Energy Out = Gain Weight

If Energy In is less than Energy Out = Lose Weight

If Energy In is the same as Energy Out = Weight Stays the Same

Not exactly rocket science.

So, in order to lose weight, we need to create a deficit between the Energy In and Energy Out. This can be done through eating less, exercising more, or a combination of the two.

When there is a deficit, your body uses stored fat reserves (among other things) to make up the difference. And so weight and body fat goes down.

Let's get in to the steps required to start losing that quickly.

Step 0 - Creating a Calorie Deficit to Lose Weight

Firstly, you need to know how many calories you should be consuming to lose weight. Here is an ULTRA SIMPLE way to work out your calories for a deficit:

Your weight in lbs x 10

So, take your weight in lbs and multiple it by 10 - that's your starting weight loss calorie target. It's that easy.

Here's some examples:

You weight is 200lbs = Weight Loss Calorie Goal = 2000kcal per day

You weight is 174lbs = Weight Loss Calorie Goal = 174kcal per day

If you usually use Kgs or Stone for your weight then here are the conversions to lbs:

Weight in Kg x 2.2 = weight in lbs (e.g. 100kg = 220lbs)

Weight in Stone x14 = weight in ibs (e.g. 9 stone = 126lbs)

Use google to convert it to save you the time.

If you're not losing weight as quickly as you'd like then drop the multiple to x9.

If you're losing weight quicker than you'd like or it's too hard then increase to x11.

0.5 - How Your Calories and Macros Should be Broken Down to Lose Weight Quickly

So, you've got your calorie target. Now we need to know how much protein, carbs and fats you should be eating on a daily basis.

Protein:

Your Bodyweight in lbs x1 = Daily Protein Target in Grams (g)

e.g.

If you weigh 200lbs = 200g Daily Protein Target

If you weigh 150lbs = 150g Daily Protein Target

Protein has 4 calories per gram so whatever your daily protein number is in grams, multiply that by 4 to get the calorie amount.

Carbs:

Start with 50g which is equal to 200 calories.

Fat:

Whatever the remaining calories are, after deducting the protein and carbs, equals your fats target. You can also add some extra protein instead of using it entirely on fat, if you prefer. Fat has 9 calories per 1g and so once you have the calorie number, divide it by 9 for the gram amount.

So, you put it all together for 4 numbers:

Daily Calorie Target

Protein

Carbs

Fats

Let's go through a couple examples:

Example 1

Weight = 200lbs

Daily Calorie Target = 2000kcal

Protein = 200g (800kcal - which is 200g x 4 calories)

Carbs = 50g (200kcal - which is 50g x 4 calories)

Fats = 111g (1000kcal which is 2000 minus the 800 from protein and minus the 200 from carbs)

Example 2

Weight = 178lbs

Daily Calorie Target = 1780kcal

Protein = 178g (712kcal - which is 178g x 4 calories)

Carbs = 50g (200kcal - which is 50g x 4 calories)

Fats = 96g (868kcal - which is 1780 minus the 712 from protein and minus the 200 from carbs)

If you want us to calculate your calories for you, send a request to bank@wearehpt.com and include your weight and we'll work it all out for you.

Step 1 - Track How Much You're Eating

Use MyFitnessPal or any other food tracking app to measure how much you're actually consuming on a day to day basis. We can't stress how important this is. It's amazing how much you're eating and you likely don't realise.

Do you have to do it forever? NOOOO. But you need to understand what a good day at your calorie intake level looks like so you can be consistent with it longer term.

Research evidence is clear - those who track how much they're eating lose significantly more weight.

Side Note - Don't listen to influencers who tell you that calories don't matter. Of course they matter. It's not difficult to understand that the volume of food you eat is important when trying to lose weight. You can eat too much of a good thing. Calories are calories and eating 10,000kcal worth of the best quality of chicken, eggs, beef etc in the world will still cause weight and body fat to go up. Volume is important, so make sure you track what you're eating and drinking.

2 - Cut Out Sugary and Starchy Carbohydrates

Why does cutting out carbs help with weight and fat loss? Well, let's take a look:

Less Bloating

Carbs contain starch and sugar which inflames the body, not just in the stomach but all over the body. It's just that for most people it's very noticeable in the stomach. We've all felt that at some point after having a big pasta dish - it can almost feel like you're pregnant.

Less Water Retention

When you consume carbohydrates you're body also stores more water alongside them. For every 1g of carbohydrates you take on your body will store 2.7-4ml of water. Eating less carbs means retaining less water and you'll immediately start to feel lighter.

Stable Energy Levels

Because you're not taking on sugar, you don't get the peaks and troughs of blood sugar levels which give you mini highs and then lows straight after. How many times have you had a big carb lunch, felt good for a little bit but then feel like you're going to crash by 3pm and need the next hit of energy. This is because the sugar from the carbs you eat raises your blood sugar level, giving you a feeling of being high on energy. But then your body has to release insulin in to the blood to pull the sugar out (high blood sugar levels for too long are a big problem, see diabetes) and so the blood sugar levels drop leaving you deflated and tired. If you don't take on the sugar / carbs in the first place then your energy and blood sugar levels remain much more stable.

Less Resources for the Body to Use as Fat

Contrary to popular belief, fat doesn't make you fat. The over consumption of calories makes you fat and typically the main problem for people these days is the over consumption of ultra-processed foods and poor quality carbohydrates which are high in calories, low in nutritional quality and are converted and stored as fat very, very easily. The less you consume of these, the less resources the body has to actually store fat.

Cut all of these foods out completely:

• Rice

• Pasta

• Bread

• Noodles

• Cookies

• Chocolate

• Crisps

• Muffins

• Croissants

• Biscuits

• Sweets

• Sandwiches

• Ready Meals

• Anything beige or sugary

• Anything with a large amount of ingredients (we'd say 3-5+)

The first 3-14 days will be tough as your body will crave carbs but once you get over the initial craving hurdle you will very quickly settle in to a routine and feel a millions times better for it.

Again, this isn't forever - but for if you want to get weight moving down quickly. You can reintroduce carbs when your weight and body fat approaches a level that you're happy with.

3 - Focus on a High Protein Diet

A high protein diet is critical when trying to lose weight for a few reasons. Aim for a daily protein intake of:

Your bodyweight in lbs x1 = Daily Protein Target in Grams (g)

Retaining Muscle Mass

Muscle mass is good weight and we ideally want to have a high amount of muscle mass. Muscle is made of protein (as well as some other bits and bobs) and so ensuring you take on enough protein whilst trying to lose weight is very important. This is because when you're in a calorie deficit, your body will look for reserves for energy and resources. We want the body to focus on utilising the fat reserves you have for this, not by breaking down muscle. Breaking down muscle is very inefficient for the body but it is an option when you're in a calorie deficit. Ensuring your protein intake is high will reduce this a great amount as well as providing the building blocks your body needs to maintain a higher amount of muscle.

Helps You Feel Full

Eating a higher amount of protein will help you feel fuller for longer, meaning that you'll be less tempted to eat other foods.

Thermic Effect of Food

Roughly 20-30% of calories from protein are burnt off just consuming the protein - yes, you read that correctly. It's called the Thermic Effect of Food. Your body burns calories when digesting the food you eat. For Protein, this number is 20-30%. For carbs it can be as low 3-5%, especially when the carbs are poor quality.

Try to Include Plenty of the Following in Your Diet

• Chicken (leg, thigh, breast)

• Turkey

• Beef (steak, mince,

• Lamb

• Pork

• Eggs

• Salmon

• Prawns

• Cod

• Trout

• Seabass

• Protein Powder

4 - Eat 100-200g of Green Veg With Every Meal

This ensures you get plenty of vitamins and minerals in but it will also mean that you get plenty of fibre, meaning you'll feel much fuller and stop you from reaching for craving related foods.

5 - Walk 8-10 Thousand Steps Per Day

An easy one to track using your phone. Walking is fantastic for weight loss because it not only burns a lot of calories but is also very low intensity, meaning you can do it with less energy and you won't be stiff or sore from doing it, meaning no recovery time. Walking also has massive benefits for mental health and stress relief as well as just allowing your body to move and be mobile. So get out and walk more.

6 - Get Some Exercise In

A pretty obvious one. Exercise burns energy and that helps you lose weight when combined with the right diet. We're not going to go in to the specifics of what exercise, intensity, frequency etc you should be focusing on as you could literally write a book on the subject. Just make sure you get the exercise in! Do anything. Something you love. Gym, sports, cardio. Start off by fitting the exercise in regularly and then look to optimise.

Weekly goals for exercise:

• If you're currently doing nothing or once per week = aim for 2x per week of 30-45 minutes

• If you're currently training 2x per week = aim for 3-4 times per week of 30-45 minutes

• If you're currently training 3+ times per = keep up with that and focus heavily on getting the diet right

7 - Sleep 7-9 Hours per Night

Sleep has a big impact on a number of factors that can help you drop weight. Always aim for at least 7 hours per night. Many clients tell us they "can get by on 4 or 5 hours" but the reality is, it'll catch up with you at some point. Sustained periods of reduced or poor quality sleep negatively effect weight and overall health. Go to bed!

Low amounts of sleep or poor quality sleep can lead have negative effects on the body:

Elevated Cortisol Levels and Water Retention

When you go through a period of reduced sleep length or poor quality sleep, your cortisol levels can become elevated. This can lead to higher levels of water retention as well as effects on other important hormones such as reduced testosterone which can lead to lower muscle mass levels and negatively effect metabolism and body fat levels in the long term.

Metabolism

Consistent, good quality sleep can potentially have a positive effect on your metabolism - the calories you burn throughout the day.

Appetite

The obvious reason sleep is important for weight loss is that when you've not slept well, you're tired the next day. When you're tired, you need energy to help you get by. That energy usually comes in the form of quick and easy snacks to provide an energy hit. Countless studies have shown that poor sleep leads to increased calorie intake the next day.

It's also been shown that poor sleep disturbs the hormones relating to hunger and satiety: gherlin and leptin. We don't need to go in to the finer physiological details here, but when you sleep poorly the ability of these hormones to regulate themselves properly is reduced, leading to an increased appetite.

8 - Focus On Good Quality Whole Foods

Eat single ingredient foods. Here's a good rule:

If you can't kill it, pluck it or pick it, then don't eat it

Can you pick a bagel from a bagel tree? No. Don't eat it.

Can you pluck a custard cream from the ground? No. Don't eat it.

Can you kill a Krispy Kreme donut? No. Don't eat it.

Again, really simple and straightforward rule to follow to live healthier and get your weight down. Another great rule is that if a food has an advertisement on TV then it's not good for you. When was the last time you saw broccoli advertised? Thought so...

Conclusion

We're pretty sure that after reading this, you'll think that none of these steps are ground breaking ideas or secret intel that hasn't been seen anywhere else.

The reality is: losing weight is straightforward in theory, it's just not easy to do.

Food will always taste good and doing nothing is easier than doing something. This means, for the general population, it's more likely that you'll eat more calories and not burn enough, leading to weight gain. There's a reason 2 out of 3 people in the country are overweight or obese.

Combine that with late nights working or browsing addictive social media, reaching for feelgood foods when stressed or emotional, and the easy availability of ultra processed foods, it's no wonder that weight loss is so hard.

The implementation of the above guidance is where the trick really lies. That's a topic for a whole nuva' day...

Stay strong, be consistent and the results will follow.