weight loss tips

 

The calculator will tell you how many calories to eat per day to maintain your weight, lose weight, or lose weight fast.

You can also download free, easy-to-use calorie counters from websites and app stores. They’re healthier, more filling, and much less likely to cause overeating than processed foods.

Eat slowly. The more weight you have to lose, the faster you’ll lose it.

Unless your doctor suggests otherwise, losing 1–2 pounds per week is usually a safe amount. Many factors determine your specific needs, but generally, an average person needs (9Trusted Source):

56–91 grams per day for the average male

46–75 grams per day for the average female

Diets with adequate protein can also help:

reduce cravings and obsessive thoughts about food by 60%

reduce the desire to snack late at night by half

make you feel full

In one study, people on a higher protein diet ate 441 fewer calories per day (10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source).

Healthy protein sources include:

meat: beef, chicken, pork, and lamb

fish and seafood: salmon, trout, and shrimp

eggs: whole eggs with the yolk

plant-based proteins: beans, legumes, quinoa, tempeh, and tofu

Low carb and leafy green vegetables

Don’t be afraid to load your plate with leafy green vegetables. The first week is usually a loss of both body fat and water weight.

If you’re new to dieting, weight loss may happen more quickly. Here’s a list of 5 calorie counters to try.

Note that eating too few calories can be dangerous and less effective for losing weight. A steady weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week is recommended for the most effective long-term weight management.

That said, many eating plans leave you feeling hungry or unsatisfied. They’re packed with nutrients, and you can eat very large amounts without greatly increasing calories and carbs.

Vegetables to include for low carb or low calorie eating plans:

broccoli

cauliflower

spinach

tomatoes

kale

Brussels sprouts

cabbage

Swiss chard

lettuce

cucumber

Healthy fats

Don’t be afraid of eating fats.

Your body still requires healthy fats no matter what eating plan you choose. These are major reasons why you might find it hard to stick to a healthier eating plan.

However, not all diets have this effect. Some foods are better for weight loss than others. Make sure your doctor is also aware of any new exercise plans.

If lifting weights is not an option for you, doing some cardio workouts such as walking, jogging, running, cycling, or swimming is very beneficial for weight loss and general health.

Both cardio and weightlifting can help with weight loss.

If you opt for a low carb eating plan, it’s not necessary to count calories as long as you keep your carb intake very low and stick to protein, fat, and low carb vegetables.

If you find yourself not losing weight, you may want to keep track of your calories to see if that’s a contributing factor.

If you’re sticking to a calorie deficit to lose weight, you can use a free online calculator like this one.

Enter your sex, weight, height, and activity levels. Aim to reduce your calories by a sustainable and healthy amount based on your doctor’s recommendation.

Here are 9 more tips to lose weight faster:

Eat a high protein breakfast. Each meal should have protein, healthy fats, and veggies.

If you’d prefer to lose weight while still eating complex carbs, add in some healthy whole grains such as:

quinoa

whole oats

whole wheat

bran

rye

barley

Breakfast ideas

poached egg with sliced avocado and a side of berries

spinach, mushroom, and feta crustless quiche

green smoothie with spinach, avocado, and nut milk and a side of cottage cheese

unsweetened Greek yogurt with berries and almonds

Lunch ideas

smoked salmon with avocado and a side of asparagus

lettuce wrap with grilled chicken, black beans, red pepper, and salsa

kale and spinach salad with grilled tofu, chickpeas, and guacamole

BLT wrap with celery sticks and peanut butter

Dinner ideas

enchilada salad with chicken, peppers, mango, avocado, and spices

ground turkey bake with mushrooms, onions, peppers, and cheese

antipasto salad with white beans, asparagus, cucumbers, olive oil, and Parmesan

roasted cauliflower with tempeh, Brussels sprouts, and pine nuts

salmon baked with ginger, sesame oil, and roasted zucchini

Snack ideas

cauliflower hummus and veggies

healthy homemade trail mix with nuts and dried fruit

kale chips

cottage cheese with cinnamon and flaxseeds

spicy roasted chickpeas

roasted pumpkin seeds

tuna pouches

steamed edamame

strawberries and brie

How fast will you lose weight?

You may lose 5–10 pounds (2.3–4.5 kg) of weight — sometimes more — in the first week of a diet plan and then lose weight consistently after that. Lifting weights has particularly good benefits.

By lifting weights, you’ll burn lots of calories and prevent your metabolism from slowing down, which is a common side effect of losing weight (13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source).

Try going to the gym three to four times a week to lift weights. Fiber supplements like glucomannan can also help (21Trusted Source, 22Trusted Source, 23).

Drink coffee or tea. If you’re trying to lose weight faster than that, speak to your doctor about a safe level of calorie reduction.

Aside from weight loss, a low carb diet can improve your health in a few ways, though the long-term effects are not yet known:

blood sugar levels tend to significantly decrease on low carb diets (30)

triglycerides tend to go down (31)

LDL (bad) cholesterol goes down (32Trusted Source)

blood pressure improves significantly (33Trusted Source)

Other diet types that reduce calories and increase whole foods are also associated with improved metabolic markers and slower aging (34, 35Trusted Source, 36Trusted Source). This refers to the calories used to digest, absorb, and metabolize food.

Thermic effect of activity (TEA). Sleep is important for many reasons, and poor sleep is one of the biggest risk factors for weight gain (27Trusted Source, 28Trusted Source, 29).

For more tips on weight loss, read about natural tips for losing weight here.

These sample meal plans are low carb, which limits carbs to 20–50 carbs per day. Here is a list of healthy weight-loss-friendly foods.

Eat soluble fiber. Eating a high protein breakfast could help reduce cravings and calorie intake throughout the day (16Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source).

Avoid sugary drinks and fruit juice. These are the calories you use during exercise. One study showed that drinking water before meals reduced calorie intake and may be effective in weight management (20Trusted Source).

Choose weight-loss-friendly foods. Eating quickly can lead to weight gain over time, while eating slowly makes you feel more full and boosts weight-reducing hormones (26Trusted Source).

Get good quality sleep. If your doctor recommends it, there are ways to lose weight safely. Caffeine consumption can boost your metabolism (24Trusted Source, 25).

Base your diet on whole foods. Olive oil and avocado oil are great choices for including in your eating plan.

Other fats such as butter and coconut oil should be used only in moderation due to their higher saturated fat content (12Trusted Source).

Exercise, while not required to lose weight, can help you lose weight more quickly. Empty calories from sugar aren’t useful to your body and can hinder weight loss (18Trusted Source, 19).

Drink water before meals. This makes them more filling to keep you satisfied.

A 2020 study confirmed that a very low carbohydrate diet was beneficial for losing weight in older populations (2Trusted Source).

Research also suggests that a low carb diet can reduce appetite, which may lead to eating fewer calories without thinking about it or feeling hungry (3Trusted Source).

Note that the long-term effects of a low carb diet are still being researched. TEA can also include non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), which accounts for the calories used for activities like yard work and fidgeting.

If the number of calories you consume equals the number of calories you burn, you maintain your body weight.

If you want to lose weight, you must create a negative calorie balance by consuming fewer calories than you burn or burning more calories through increased activity.

. Reduced calorie diets can also lead to weight loss and be easier to maintain for longer periods of time.

If you opt for a diet focusing instead on whole grains over refined carbs, a 2019 study correlated high whole grain with lower body mass index (BMI) (4Trusted Source).

To determine the best way for you to lose weight, consult your doctor for recommendations.

2. It can also be difficult to adhere to a low carb diet, which may lead to yo-yo dieting and less success in maintaining a healthy weight.

There are potential downsides to a low carb diet that may lead you to a different method. If you’re new to the gym, ask a trainer for some advice. This could be with a low carb eating plan or by reducing refined carbs and replacing them with whole grains.

When you do that, your hunger levels go down, and you generally end up eating fewer calories (1Trusted Source).

With a low carb eating plan, you’ll utilize burning stored fat for energy instead of carbs.

If you choose to eat more complex carbs like whole grains along with a calorie deficit, you’ll benefit from higher fiber and digest them more slowly. This is the number of calories your body needs to maintain normal bodily functions, such as breathing and pumping blood.

Thermic effect of food (TEF). Studies show that soluble fibers may promote weight loss. Eat protein, fat, and vegetables

Each one of your meals should include:

a protein source

fat source

vegetables

a small portion of complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains

To see how you can assemble your meals, check out:

this low carb meal plan

this lower calorie meal plan

these lists of 101 healthy low carb recipes and low calorie foods

Protein

Eating a recommended amount of protein is essential to help preserve your health and muscle mass while losing weight (5Trusted Source).

Evidence suggests that eating adequate protein may improve cardiometabolic risk factors, appetite, and body weight, (6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).

Here’s how to determine how much you need to eat without eating too much. Low carb diets and whole food, lower calorie diets are effective for weight loss and may be easier to stick to than other diets.

Here are some ways to lose weight that employ healthy eating, potentially lower carbs, and that aim to:

reduce your appetite

cause fast weight loss

improve your metabolic health at the same time

One way to lose weight quickly is to cut back on sugars and starches, or carbohydrates. Ultimately, you may find a more balanced diet that includes complex carbohydrates is more sustainable.

Weight loss occurs when you consistently consume fewer calories than you burn each day.

Conversely, weight gain happens when you consistently eat more calories than you burn.

Any food or beverage you consume that has calories counts toward your overall calorie intake.

That said, the number of calories you burn each day, which is known as energy or calorie expenditure, is a bit more complicated.

Calorie expenditure is composed of the following three major components (1Trusted Source):

Resting metabolic rate (RMR).