For some time the thinking was that losing weight slowly and steadily was the best way to keep weight off. However, a new study conducted at the University of Florida suggests that the best way to shed pounds and keep them off is to lose weight quickly in the initial stages of fighting obesity.

In the study that was published online in Springer’s International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 262 middle-aged obese women followed a six-month lifestyle program. They had to reduce their calorie intake and increase their moderate intensity physical activity in order to lose 0.45 kg per week. They were then supported for a further year with an extended care program involving contact twice a month in the form of group sessions, telephone contact or newsletters.

Women in the FAST group lost over 0.68kg per week; those in the MODERATE group lost between 0.23 and 0.68kg per week; and women in the SLOW group lost less than 0.23kg per week in that first month. The women who lost weight quickly also maintained their weight loss for longer and were less likely to put weight back on than the more gradual weight losers.

In particular, women in the FAST group were five times more likely to achieve the clinically significant 10 percent weight loss at 18 months than those in the SLOW group and those in the MODERATE group were nearly three times more likely to achieve this milestone than women in the SLOW group.

Healthy, Natural Ways to Lose Weight Quickly

• Increase the amount of time you exercise each day, or the number of days you exercise.

• Increase the intensity in your aerobic routine.

• Try interval training, a workout that includes short bursts of intensity alternated with periods of rest.

• Add strength-training to your fitness routine. If you’re already doing muscle strengthening, then increase your weight load when your muscles become used to it.

• Do a detox to get rid of toxins that inhibit liver function. The healthier your liver is the easier and quicker it is to lose weight.

• Get more sleep. This is essential to increase leptin, a hormone that controls your appetite, and to reduce ghrelin, which increases your appetite.

Another benefit you’ll enjoy when you lose weight quickly is that you’ll be more motivated to stick with your diet and fitness program.

SOURCE:
Springer Science and Business Media, “Shape up the quick way.”

Reference:
Lisa M. Nackers, Kathryn M. Ross, Michael G. Perri. “The Association Between Rate of Initial Weight Loss and Long-Term Success in Obesity Treatment: Does Slow and Steady Win the Race?” International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 2010.