Is There Such Thing as a True Fast Diet?
I guess that is probably a relative question, depending entirely on what you consider to be a ‘fast diet’. I am absolutely sure you have heard both ends of the spectrum; those that will tell you that any more than two pounds per week is not sustainable, and definitely not healthy; all the way to the friend of a friend who lost 30 pounds in one month, and kept it off. There are a lot of weight loss tips to follow that go into how fast you can lose weight; how overweight you are to begin with, what kind of a diet, your exercise versus the amount of calories you are taking in, your natural metabolic level, etc. For myself, I have lost 13 pounds in one week, but whether or not that was all ‘fat’ weight or not, I couldn’t be sure. Often times with such rapid weight loss you are losing water weight, and it’s also very common to lose muscle weight as well. For me, when I have let myself get out of shape, being able to lose 1-3 pounds per week has always been a very sustainable activity.
Families Always Succeed Together – F.A.S.T
Despite the letters in the above acronym, the FAST Diet is not entirely about how fast you shed those extra pounds. It is just what it says it is. You can substitute ‘Families’ from above for any other support group that might work for you, and you have got a diet that is based on a few people sharing a common goal. The idea is simple: you begin to diet with your support group so that you all are able to push each other toward some common goals. The benefits of doing so are fantastic:
1. You are able to still eat many of the foods you like, but everything in moderation of course.
2. You will all weigh in weekly. Doing so might keep you from cheating, knowing that your support team will find out if you were to gain a pound or two at your weigh-in.
3. Motivation – On those days you don’t want to go to the gym, you have a work out buddy who is counting on your being there. On that day where you want the donut, you have that friend there to stop you, reminding you of the goals you have made together.
Dieting is Not for the Faint of Heart, But it’s Worth it
In the end, if you are looking for a fast diet, looking to lose weight quickly, it will have in large part to do with your actions. Don’t let excuses such as, ‘oh, this is just my body type’, or ‘I will wait until summer is closer’, get in the way of what you truly want. Being in shape is a worthy goal, and there is nothing selfish about it. In fact, getting too out of shape is not only hurtful to yourself, but can be hurtful to friends and family as they begin to worry about you. If you want a fast diet you have no reason not to begin working towards that goal. Ask yourself how much weight you want to lose. If the answer is 30 pounds, divide that by 8 (roughly a good number of pounds to lose in a month) and you will come up with how long this should take you. In this case, just shy of four months. Worth it? I’d say so. So go on that diet, and do it fast, and lose that weight you have been wanting to lose for so long.