weight loss

Have you ever said “I desperately need to lose 25 pounds?”

I have.  I’m heading to New Orleans next week.  Thanksgiving is in 3 1/2 weeks.  Christmas is in 8 weeks.  My brother is getting married in 9 1/2 weeks. In other words, lots of big events in which lots of pictures will be taken!

Many of my friends are hoping to lose weight before Christmas concerts, corporate holiday events, vacations, etc.  Your event may be different than the events above, but if you’re looking to lose weigh quickly, I’ve put together some tips.

For starters, you’ll need to decide whether you’re hoping to lose 25 pounds of fat, water or muscle?

You see, when people talk about losing weight, they don’t always comprehend exactly what that means. Most people automatically connect weight with fat, but that’s not accurate.

If you want to lose 25 pounds just so it looks better on the scale readout, then it probably doesn’t matter whether you lose fat, water or muscle. If you want to lose that extra bulge around your middle, then you’re looking to lose 25 pounds of fat.

Regardless of whether you want to lose fat or pounds, it’s important to know that water makes up part of that loss. In fact, during the first few days of any diet, water makes up the majority of loss.

There are countless sites on the internet that claim to be able to show you how to lose 10 pounds, 15 pounds, or 25 pounds fast. What they don’t always tell you is that losing weight fast can be dangerous to your health. Of course, it all depends on what you consider ‘fast’. For some people, a month would be fast while others see it as something more immediately, like a few days or a week.

The most realistic goal would be to lose 25 pounds in 2 months because that’s far more achievable.

If you started tomorrow, you could possibly lose 25 pounds by New Years Eve!

Wouldn’t that be awesome?

While losing 25 pounds by New Years is doable, it can be risky if you don’t approach your weight loss correctly.

If you want to lose 25 pounds fast, it can’t be all water, which is the easiest to shed. Your body needs water to survive. Deprive it of too much water and it will begin to break down.

Starvation or near starvation isn’t the answer either. In fact, not eating will cause your body to retain and even gain weight. When your body isn’t getting enough nutrients, warnings go off. In a desperate effort to survive, it hangs onto everything you feed it, which adds weight.

The best way to lose 25 pounds fast is by eating foods such as meat that use more of your energy to digest it. You could eat nothing but meat, but that wouldn’t be healthy either. Your body needs a well-rounded diet that provides all the required nutrients. You can eat a well-balanced diet and still lose weight if you know which foods to choose.

Before starting your weight loss plan, take measurements of your body, take pictures of yourself from a few angles and weigh yourself.  If you have access to callipers to measure your fatty tissues, that’s a bonus! Keep these figures and pictures handy so you can see your progress.

Now…the tips you’ve been waiting for!

1)  Avoid foods that cause water retention like salt.

Cut back on salt and you’ll begin to shed weight.

2) Eat 5-6 small meals throughout the day to keep your body’s digestive process working.

3) Add foods that use more energy to digest.

These foods include meat, chicken, salmon, asparagus, cheese, carrots, squash and green beans.  (Make sure that the food your eating is as unprocessed as possible.  Eating a jar of Cheese Whiz is not going to help you lose weight!)

4) Drink water throughout the day as this helps boost your metabolism.

Try to drink 1 oz of water for ever 2 pounds of body weight.  If you weigh 150 pounds, drink at least 75 ounces of water.  If you weigh 250 pounds, drink 125 oz of water.

5) Exercise to build muscle, because muscle increases your metabolism naturally.

6) Last, but not least, make sure you’re taking a good multivitamin.

When you’re body is lacking nutrients, your cravings go into overdrive.  I’ve been taking Beyond Tangy Tangerine and I highly recommend it.  It’s really helped to reduce my cravings!

Re-take your measurements and picture each week and if you aren’t seeing results, adjust your weight loss plan accordingly.

Most importantly, stick with it!!!

If you give up, you’ll never see results.

Be loyal to your plan and you can lose 25 pounds before New Year’s Eve!