Table of Contents
How can I lose weight in 7 days naturally?
For a variety of reasons, people want to reduce their weight, and many fall victim to fad diets that promise noticeable effects quickly. Although there are techniques to speed up your weight loss efforts, it’s crucial to realize that losing weight too quickly can have unintended consequences.
Safe, effective, and long-lasting weight loss is more about the journey than it is about a scale-based destination and an impending deadline, like so many other aspects of life. For professional tips on how to reduce weight and keep it off, continue reading.
Experts Offer Five Safe and Sustainable Weight Loss Strategies
1. Make Long-Term Adjustments to Your Lifestyle and Behavior
Albertson advises against using the word “diet” when attempting to reduce weight. Dieting can be uncomfortable and cause hunger, which makes you think about food all the time—exactly what you want when attempting to reduce weight. Rather, she advises focusing on taking care of your body first and viewing weight loss as a component of becoming healthier.
“Losing weight is a challenging task, and while you can’t completely control the number on the scale, you can manage your diet, exercise routine, and other factors that affect weight, like stress and sleep,” adds Albertson. She advises making rewards for yourself when you reach your SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-sensitive) goals.
2. Pay Attention to the First 5–10%
Consider the health advantages that can result from even small weight loss rather than overwhelming yourself with an unachievable goal like “I need to lose 25 pounds.”
Bennett says, “Set smaller, achievable targets.” “You can significantly improve your health and lower your risk for illnesses like type 2 diabetes, stroke, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer by losing just 5% to 10% of your total body weight (TBW).”
3. Cut Back on Highly Processed Sugar and Carbohydrates
What you eat matters most while trying to lose weight, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association[1]. If you enhance the quality of the meals you eat, the pounds will drop off faster.
Reducing your consumption of sugar and quickly digested carbs is one of the best methods to lose weight, according to Bennett. Specifically, you should eliminate or significantly reduce your consumption of items high in glycemic load, like sugary snacks, processed carbohydrates, and soft drinks. You’ll lose weight more quickly if you avoid or consume less French fries, chips, crackers, and similar foods.
4. Consume More Vegetables
Studies indicate that adopting a plant-based diet is not only more conducive to weight loss than low-calorie diets, but it is also more manageable[2]. It also provides a wealth of nutrients and other health advantages.
According to Albertson, “Produce supports weight loss because it’s rich in water and fiber, which both take up space in your stomach so you feel full but have no calories.” Indeed, a Brazilian study discovered a clear link between improved weight loss and consuming more fruits and vegetables.
Albertson advises starting with five servings of veggies each day and working your way up to seven or nine. “Start your day with a green smoothie, eat fruit for snacks and desserts, and have a salad or chopped vegetables with your lunch,” the woman advises. “For dinner, try making more stir fries, adding vegetables to your pasta meals, and whisking them into soups.”
5. Increase Your Protein Intake
Consuming more protein can help you feel less hungry and keep your muscle mass from eroding.
“You can improve appetite control and manage your body weight by eating around 25 to 30 grams of protein—two scoops of protein powder or four ounces of chicken breast—per meal,” advises Dr. Albertson. “The optimal approach is to ensure that each meal includes one serving of high-quality protein.”
Additionally, according to Albertson, women over 50 require much more protein than men do—1 to 1.5 grams per kilogram of body weight per day—while men and younger women only need.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. “After 50, women need more protein, especially as they get closer to menopause, because estrogen levels drop and skeletal muscle mass, strength, and regenerative capacity are lost,” the expert says.
6. Sip More Water
Independent of food and activity, research demonstrates that drinking more water is linked to weight loss[4]. Drinking lots of water can help fight sugar cravings and promote satiety. Liposomal metabolism, the body’s mechanism of burning fat for energy, also requires water.
“As far as a minimum water intake recommendation goes, I recommend the eight by eight rule, which is eight ounces of water eight times a day,” says celebrity trainer Jordan Morello of Florida, who works for the fitness platform Sweat Factor. When they include this [rule] into their personal routine, “my clients are usually surprised by how much this simple thing can curb cravings and leave you more satiated throughout the day.”
One more water trick? Aim for two glasses of water before to every meal. This little step can also enhance weight loss, according to studies.
7. Have a Balanced Breakfast
Listen up, people who skip breakfast. Reducing your early fuel intake is not a good idea if you’re attempting to lose weight. Actually, research repeatedly demonstrates that skipping breakfast is linked to obesity and overweight[6].
Furthermore, a study published in the Proceedings of the Nutrition Society revealed that those who skip breakfast typically eat diets of lower quality overall and consume fewer minerals, including calcium, iron, and vitamin D.
However, any breakfast will not do. “You want a well-rounded, blood-sugar-balanced first meal of the day with ample protein, healthy fats, and what I call quality carbs like fresh berries to think more clearly, perform more efficiently, and be in better moods,” adds Bennett.
8. Get Up and Take More Action
Increasing your non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), or the amount of energy you use for all activities other than sleeping, eating, and exercising, is one of the simplest ways to lose weight. Simple adjustments like walking rather than pushing a cart when doing your shopping, parking further away from the mall entrance, using the stairs rather than the elevator, or even just tapping your toe can result in hundreds of more calories being expended.
Alternatively, make an effort to stand more often than to sit. According to studies, just switching from sitting to standing increases daily energy expenditure, which in turn results in more calories expended and, eventually, weight loss.
For instance, you can burn an extra 35 calories every hour if you weigh 160 pounds and alternate between sitting and standing. This adds up to an extra 280 calories per day, 1,400 calories per week, and almost 70,000 calories annually.
Albertson advises setting a timer on your computer, Fitbit, or phone to remind you to get up and move about every hour. “You may reduce your blood sugar and heart disease risk, as well as burn more calories.”
9. Use the Weights
Calorie-burning muscle burns more than fat. How then do you increase your muscular mass? Strengthening exercises.
It’s a good idea to incorporate resistance training into your weight loss strategy because of the “afterburn effect” in addition to the calories you’ll burn throughout your workout.
Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC, is a measure of how long after exercise an individual’s oxygen absorption is raised to aid in muscle recovery. After strength training sessions as much as during them, this rise increases metabolism.
Furthermore, your resting metabolic rate (RMR) increases as you gain muscle mass. How many calories your body needs to function at rest depends on your RMR. The more food you can eat without gaining weight, the higher your RMR.
Strength training is essential for losing weight and keeping it off, especially beyond age 50 because muscle mass, which burns calories, decreases at a rate of 1% to 2% annually, according to Albertson. Cardiovascular activity is frequently highlighted. “Muscle mass loss can be slowed down with strength training.”
10. Avoid Going Too Far
When it comes to losing weight, cutting calories too quickly or working out nonstop could really work against you. Most individuals believe that extreme methods are necessary to achieve weight loss, but it is more beneficial to give yourself enough time to recover.
According to certified personal trainer Rob Darnbrough, CEO and co-founder of The Smart Fit Method in California, “many people will double down on the stressor (i.e. catabolic phase) that they are doing when they get frustrated that they haven’t lost weight.” “They might run farther, work out twice as long, or cut back on their food intake, for instance. But in reality, the anabolic recovery period is when all of the outcomes we hope to achieve from completing the aforementioned actions take place.
According to Darnbrough, the body gains muscle mass and sheds fat mass during the anabolic phase as it heals from the stressor. Thus, invest as much time and energy into rest and nutrition as you do in your exercises, rather than pushing yourself to the limit, which can result in overtraining and decreased outcomes. “Try to balance your ratio of stress to recovery to create sustainable results,” advises Darnbrough.
11. Check in with a Partner for Accountability
It can be lonely at times to lose weight, but you don’t have to do it alone.
Accountability is effective, according to research. In one study, just 25% of individuals who attended the meetings alone were able to sustain their weight loss for six months after joining the program with friends[9]. In contrast, two-thirds of people who started the program with friends were able to do so. Naturally, a lot of organizations advise having a champion or sponsor when trying to lose weight.
“Checking in with an accountability partner every day is one of the best ways to consistently eat better and shed weight steadily,” advises Bennett. “Your best friend, favorite coworker, or romantic partner doesn’t have to be your accountability partner. Just look for someone who wants to lose weight the same way. It’s also not necessary for you to converse daily. Simply text one another to let each other know that you’re eating well and maintaining your routine. You can rely on your spouse for support if you’re feeling tempted by junk food. At that point, you ought to give them a call.
12. Reduce Your TV Watching
In fact, the more television a person watches, the more weight they gain, thus couch surfers looking to reduce weight should switch off the TV.
In one study, which gathered data from over 50,000 middle-aged women over a six-year period, it was discovered that participants had a 23% increased risk of obesity and a 14% increased risk of diabetes for every two hours they watched television per day.
Watching too much television is associated with gaining weight mainly because it is a sedentary pastime that frequently results in mindless eating. Therefore, switch it off or perhaps switch to an exercise program on the channel.
13. Get Back in Touch With Your Satiety Cues
In relation to mindless eating, you can rewire your brain to lose weight by learning to listen to your body’s natural signals of hunger and fullness.
Dieting coupled with eating on-the-go or while occupied with other activities, like as watching TV or using your phone, can seriously detach you from your body’s normal hunger and satiety cues, according to Albertson. “In addition, we were taught to clear our plates as kids instead of eating until we were full.” Consistent overeating is the result of portion sizes growing significantly—by as much as 60% for items like snack foods.
Albertson advises against overindulging and instead to aim to eat when you are hungry and stop when you are satisfied. “Try recording how hungry you are before, during, and after meals to get back in touch with these signals instead of tracking what you eat.”
14. Get More Rest
One of the finest things you can do to keep your weight in check and your general health is to get a good night’s sleep. Research indicates that insufficient sleep is linked to weight growth and various other health issues. Researchers found that middle-aged American women who slept for little more than five hours a night had a 15% higher risk of obesity than women who slept for seven hours a night, based on an analysis of 16 years’ worth of data.
The hormones ghrelin and leptin, which control hunger, may be affected by inadequate sleep, making people feel more peckish throughout the day. Inadequate sleep also raises cortisol levels, which can make belly fat and other body fat more difficult to shed.
“Counting back seven to nine hours from the time you have to wake up is a great tip,” advises Darnbrough. “Most of us can’t control what time we have to get up, but we can control when we go to bed.” “To improve your deep sleep and REM, I also advocate the 3-2-1 rule, which is to stop working three hours before bed, to stop eating two hours before bed, and to stop using digital stimuli one hour before bed.”
15. Look for Non-Edible Alternatives to Comfort Food
It’s referred to as “comfort food” for good cause. But emotional eating has the potential to quickly ruin any attempts to lose weight.
“Instead of reaching for food to feel better—since eating releases the feel-good neurotransmitter dopamine—raise levels of oxytocin, the love hormone, either by soothing touch, playing with a pet, or getting a hug,” advises Albertson. “When you’re stressed, which raises cortisol levels,”
Oxytocin has been shown in animal studies to decrease caloric intake and improve metabolism[12]. Another small human trial discovered that giving males oxytocin for eight weeks encouraged them to lose weight.
“A self-compassion break will allow you to give yourself the care you need so you will be less likely to eat if you’re experiencing difficult emotions,” advises Albertson, “even though more research is needed to understand exactly how increasing oxytocin can impact weight and appetite.” “Keep in mind the abbreviation HALT, which stands for lonely, exhausted, angry or nervous, and hungry. Eat if your body is telling you to. When faced with challenging emotions, ask yourself, “What do I need?” and provide for your basic needs. It’s not food if you’re not hungry.