What's The Best Way To Lose Weight Fast?

Many of us who are somewhat overweight feel we'd be happy if we could just lose about 25 lbs (give or take!). But - we want to lose weight fast, and in the right places...Is this a realistic goal, or does it only happen in TV ads?

Well it is possible but not overnight, - if you want to keep healthy. Too rapid a weight loss can be very harmful to your body, so you have to pick a safe goal. This is normally a maximum of 3lbs per week. So losing 21 lbs is going to take you almost two months.

Not fast enough? Well check with your doctor before you embark on a more ambitious program to lose weight fast. Remember, you really have two goals:

- Lose the weight

- Avoid regaining it

Some diet plans are quite aggressive. The Atkins diet (in phase 1) can cause you to lose weight quite quickly. Meal replacement products like Ensure also help. Of course reducing portion sizes, and eating smaller amounts more often can help a lot in achieving your weight loss goal.One problem is, once you are on a restricted food type of diet you may well be missing out on important nutrients that you body needs. You should be taking vitamin supplements and choosing the foods you eat very carefully to get the maximum nutritional value.

Another key factor is water. Any weight loss program has a risk of dehydration. You need to drink the well-known '8 glasses of water per day' - at least.

Strength training exercises are a must if you are trying to burn off excess fat. This type of exercise will cause your body to get the energy it needs from stored fat reserves. Other exercise like aerobics, walking or cycling are good for burning calories, so you will not end up each day with an excess that can get converted to fat. Finally, stretching exercises like Yoga are excellent for toning your body and increasing the flexibility in your muscles and joints.

Now if this all sounds like a lot of work - it is! But if you want to lose quickly (and safely) then you don't have much choice. Ask yourself - "how motivated am I"? If you are really serious about getting in shape then this is a good way to start. However, losing weight is kind of like quitting smoking. You can't go back to your old habits. Like the famous coach Yogi Berra said 'baseball is 90% mental -- the other half is physical!'. In other words a lot of this stuff is in your head. If you can't get around this, then you are in trouble from day one.

The best way is to start off with a diet program that will cause you to lose weight fast. After you've lost some initial pounds you should be motivated to continue. Then it's time to ease off into a more gradual type of diet and exercise routine that will lead to long-term weight loss and a significant change in your lifestyle.

Remember, it is possible and lots of people do it - and you'll feel better not only physically, but mentally as well.

Author Bio:
Mike is a fitness enthusiast, runner and walker. He is a contributing editor for the Get In Shape web site. Learn more weight loss tips on their page Can You Really Lose Weight Fast?