Overview
The fastest way to lose weight is to lose body fat, water and muscle. Although losing muscle will lower the metabolism long term and make weight maintenance more difficult, exercising and eating in a way that preserves this mass will slow short term weight loss. With the right combination, the body can temporarily shed five to 20 pounds in one week.
Step 1
Find out how many calories your body requires to function and eat less. Your basal metabolic rate, or BMR, is the amount of calories your body requires to continue supporting the normal functions of your body (i.e., digestion, muscle function, etc). That is, if you consumed the amount of calories your BMR suggests and stayed in bed all day, you would maintain your current weight. If your caloric intake goes below this number, however, you will lose muscle and fat. This number can be found using a BMR calculator such as the one found at www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator.
Step 2
Cut the carbohydrates. Your body stores three grams of water for every gram of carbohydrate consumed, according to dietitian Joanne Larsen. If you cut your diet content down to 30 percent carbohydrate, you will not store as much water in your tissues and water weight will quickly fall off.
Step 3
Exercise at high intensity for at least one half hour every day. High intensity exercise utilizes massive amounts of calories and specifically targets glycogen stored in muscle tissue. If muscles are drained of their fuel source, they try to refill those stores as quickly as possible, often by sacrificing themselves. These exercises include heavy weight lifting (bench press, squat, lat pull down), sprinting and jumping.
About this Author
Nate Furlong holds a B.S. in health fitness and certifications from the NASM as a personal trainer, ACSM as a clinical exercise specialist and Flint School of Therapeutic Massage as a massage therapist. As an avid runner and exerciser, Furlong covers relevant and necessary topics in online health and fitness publications.
