If you know me well, you know that I’m not a fan of trying to lose weight in a short period of time just to look differently for egotistical reasons. Rapid weight loss isn’t necessarily very healthy either. It can cause digestive, organ and brain function problems if done the wrong way. By “wrong way” I mean diet pills, dramatic fasting, and/or exercising 2 or 3 times a day to exhaustion.
Here are my top 10 tips to help you lose weight in 3 days and beyond, so that you can create long lasting habits that will allow you to focus on fighting disease, getting healthy, and feeling as young as you can, for as long as possible.
1. Eat often ~ I know this sounds contrary to weight loss, but science has proven over and over again, that eating 5 healthy "snack size" meals throughout the day, is how you lose weight.
2. Cut out the salt ~ This means consuming less than 2 grams a day. Deli meats, cold cuts, sauces, dressings and processed foods are typically loaded with sodium, so run don’t walk away from these problem foods.
3. Drink your water! ~ For whatever reason this is still a head scratcher for a lot of people. Some schools of thought say to drink as much as a gallon of water a day. Maybe if you’re a 245 pound linebacker training twice a day. My goal is 6 to 8 eight oz. glasses a day, but your weight and activity levels really determine how much is right for you. Drink even amounts of water throughout the day, and experiment to learn what works for you.
4. Get off the hootch! ~ Yup, the empty calories in alcohol, soda pop, energy drinks, are great for gaining weight, so they all have to go if you really want to lose weight and live a healthy life.
5. Plenty of rest and sleep ~ Sleeping is healing, and it’s also when you burn the most calories. Lack of sound sleep, over training, and stress raises cortisol levels to the point where your circadian rhythm is so out of whack that you crave unhealthy food, lose your focus and desire to exercise. Good sleep, low stress, mixed with yoga and meditation is the foundation to weight loss.
6. Don’t skip breakfast ~ Eating breakfast is critical for losing weight. It’s your first opportunity to get some of your 6 to 8 daily servings of veggies, jump start your metabolism, allow you to stay fuller longer, and can assist in helping you burn calories all day long. A jug of Joe and a donut doesn't cutting it.
7. Eat Your Veggies ~ It blows my mind that so many people are lucky to get in 4 of 5 servings of veggies a week never mind 6 to 8 a day. Lack of vegetable consumption in America is one of the main causes of weight gain and life threatening disease. Vegetables are high in nutrition and fiber, and are a critical part of weight loss.
8. Eliminate Problem Foods ~ Fast food, processed foods, booze, simple carbs, and anything and everything that is loaded with fat, sugar and chemicals should be eliminated. Read labels! Know what you’re eating. If it comes from a box, bottle, can or jar, read what’s inside. Lack of fiber, high saturated fats, high sugar, high sodium, and man-made ingredients loaded with unpronounceable chemicals are NOT part of your weight loss solution.
9. Small portions ~ Tip number 9 and tip 1 go hand in hand. When you spread out your snack size meals throughout the day, the only way to lose weight is by making sure your portions are much smaller than what you’re probably used to. Waking up to 2 or 3 egg whites, a small side of veggies, and a cup of tea might not feel like enough (for some) to get you to lunch. Don’t forget that you get another meal between breakfast and lunch, and another between lunch and dinner. If the quality is high, the junk is gone, the portions small, you can still eat 5 meals a day and lose weight in 3 days.
10. Exercise ~ Shocker right? Here’s the rub though - if you train too hard and/or too long it can actually cause weight gain, especially if your training consists of just weight lifting, and hard core resistance exercises. When you’re trying to lose some weight early in your journey, it’s smart to add yoga, light cardio and high rep resistance.
These 10 tips are how you lose some weight in 36 hours. These same 10 tips are how you maintain good health for the rest of your life.
