How can I lose the weight I have gained quickly?

Question:

Hi My name is Kaila,

I am from the U.S. and am currently living in Spain for 10 months on an exchange program.

I am 17 years old and weight 56 kg, 5 foot 1.

Before leaving I weighted 48 kg 5 foot 1.

I don’t want to come back being like 20 pounds heavier. I don’t know if it’s normal or not to gain that much weight and not grow.

How can I lose that weight that I have gained quickly? I am self-cautious of returning and having my friends see me because I feel i look really heavy and am not happy with how much I weigh now. What can I do to lose it QUICKLY? I only have 2 months left.

I never gained weight so fast before and here I have put it on so quickly. It’s really weird for me. I am eating normal and not terribly. I am not sure what the problem is.

Thank you for your help

Kaila

Answer: (by our weight loss expert, Hara Hagikalfa – View Author Bio)

Dear Kaila thank you for your question.

Firstly I will answer your question about putting on weight so fast. There can be many absolutely normal reasons why that happened. Change of environment and climate could be one of them, you said you have been in Spain for about 10 months, and it may sound like a long time, however, our body can take time to acclimatised completely and go back to its usual rhythms. I would assume that also a lot of daily habits may have changed that could influence your metabolism or your eating habits. Sometimes accumulation of a lot of small changes can make a big difference. An average of 8 kilos gained in 10months is not a massive amount and it could have happened easily.  I must note that your BMI (body mass index)  is within normal range and you wouldn’t be considered overweight. I understand that it is important to feel comfortable in yourself; however, I would suggest that 5 to 8 kilos max weight loss should be enough and I would not suggest any more as you would be running the risk of becoming underweight.

Before you start any kind of diet I would suggest that you keep a diary of the food you eat for a couple of days. A week would be best as it can give you a fuller picture but I sense that you are eager to start losing weight as soon as you can.  The diary will give a picture of what you eat, what time, how much etc. From that you can compare what you used to eat before you went to Spain and also find things which you may not realised were there. You can see my article Weight loss: An introduction to a healthier life style for more information about it.

In addition, you may want to make a note of when did you start to put on weight. Was it gradually through the 10 months, was it sudden, was it after a specific time, i.e. exams and so on. By finding the route it will help you to deal with the problem easier. For example things such as stress, feeling low, increasing alcohol intake, and starting oral contraception, not sleeping well can all affect weight gain. It could well be having too much fun with your friends and sleeping late or studying too much and being stressed that have increased your weight gain. Think of your everyday habits as well and what may be different now. Could it be that you used to walk 30min to school every day, or that you were more active and had higher energy expenditure?  If you have any concerns at any point about putting on too much weight unexplained always consult a medical professional. You should also consult a medical professional if you have any medical conditions, before taking on any diet or exercise.

In terms of losing weight I can suggest the following tips:

1. Have a delayed protein breakfast. Carbohydrates can make you feel hungry and tend to lead to snacking in between meals or a large meal for lunch. See also some tips I have provided in What should I eat to get rid of love handles?

2. Lower your carbohydrate intake through the day. If you want to lose weight quite fast it may mean that you may be strict with your diet in some respects. You can still have balanced meals which contain all the nutrients and you don’t feel hungry. For example try to limit the sugar in coffees, and teas, avoid sugary drinks such as juices, milkshakes, coke etc. Have a large salad with chicken, fish, tuna (protein) and only one slice of bread. In general have loads of vegetables and salads with meats which are grilled instead of fried. Have some carbohydrates in the form of bread or potatoes but limit the amounts.

3. Avoid takeaways, fast food, fried foods, and rich sandwiches with sauces such as mayonnaise (avoid sandwiches all together if possible). Alcohol can also add to calories.

4. Exercise will increase energy expenditure (calorie burning in simple terms) so if you can take on some exercise or even just being more active such as walk instead of taking a bus, swim or cycle, whatever is best suited for you. Even just 30min a day can help in increasing weight loss. It is best to combine resistance with aerobic exercise (resistance –i.e. weights, aerobic – i.e. running). Also for aerobic exercise you will need to make sure that you are eating enough carbs which is the main fuel during aerobic exercise.

5. Keep well hydrated. At the beginning what is lost is mainly water so make sure you keep hydrated. Especially if the Spanish weather is hot.

View all questions and expert weight loss advice

To lose weight fast and healthy you need to understand how metabolism works

Many people believe that the reason they are overweight is due to their metabolism, which is slow. You many times hear the phrase: “It is the fault of my metabolism, which is slow.” It is a phrase we have heard or said many times, probably trying to explain or justify why, while we are not eating too much, we have a tendency to fatten! Is there any truth in the above sentence? According to experts, the metabolism (i.e. how many calories we burn) actually varies from person to person and is usually … faster in children, young people, people who exercise, men, pregnant women and those who have the genetic tendency to burn many calories. Nevertheless, even if you do not belong to any of the above categories, there are some secrets that will help you find out your metabolic rate and then make it your ally. Knowing how metabolism works you will be able to lose weight fast and healthy and not gain the weight back.

What is the metabolic rate?

The metabolic rate is the rate at which our body burns calories. It consists of the basic metabolic rate which is equal to the amount of calories the body burns every day to carry out its basic functions, namely for maintenance (it is therefore the energy we need to operate the lungs, heart, the vessels, kidneys, liver, etc.). It is obvious that the basic metabolic rate is not the same in all humans, since it is changing and influenced by other factors such as age, exercise, genes, and smoking.

Who have a faster metabolic rate?

People who exercise regularly: This is because the more muscular you are, the higher the combustion you body is doing, even when it is at rest.

Men: Since typically men have more muscle mass than women.

Fat people: A fat man, even if it is just fat and not well trained, needs more power to maintain his body than a man less bulky and or thinner.

People that have a genetic tendency to have a faster metabolic rate: That means that it is likely that two people who have the same weight and the same amount of muscle mass have different basic metabolic rate due to their genes.

Young people: Because the basic metabolic rate decreases as the years pass (about 300 calories per decade), mainly because people lose more muscle mass, but also because they tend to exercise less.

Children and adolescents: During the body development the energy needs become greater-and thus the basic metabolic rate is proportionally greater.

Pregnant women: During pregnancy, and later, when the mother is breastfeeding her baby, there are increasing demands for energy. This is because during pregnancy the metabolic needs of the baby are added and during breast-feeding there is the need to produce milk that is rich in calories. Also, women have faster metabolic rate immediately after ovulation, because there is a slight increase of progesterone.

In winter, the basic metabolic rate of all people is higher. Because of the cold the energy needs of our organization is greatly increased.

When does the metabolism increase?

In people suffering from specific diseases that increase metabolism, such as hyperthyroidism.

In people with fever.

In people with stress. It is true that acute stress generally increases the metabolic rate, because of the increased requirements of the body for energy. Instead, when the stress is chronic, it negatively affects the metabolic rate, making it slower due to the chronic hormonal disturbances caused.

For smokers, and those who consume substances such as coffee, tea, etc., which stimulate the sympathetic system and hence contribute to increased metabolic rate.

Exercise: The best way to increase our metabolic rate

The easiest and healthy way to make our metabolism faster is fortunately in our hands and not different from physical activity, and this includes both aerobic exercise (walking, jogging, swimming, various sports) and exercises with resistance (weights).

If we exercise we will have double benefits: We will increase our muscle mass (which would increase the basic metabolic rate, even in calm hours) and we will burn more calories during exercise. Also, you should know that there are two types of muscle fiber, the type 1 and type 2 – the type 1 muscle fibers are those that consume more energy (calories). Exercise except that it helps in the overall increase in muscle mass, increases muscle fibers especially type 1, which consume more energy (calories) even if we are calm. A minimum of 3 to 6 hours of exercise per week is the best. Through the day we can allocate the time devoted to exercise as desired, but also we can combine different types of exercise for maximum benefit: 15 walking in the morning, 15 evening and 15 running in the evening, along with exercises with weights.

How we can calculate our basic metabolic rate?

Women: B.M. = 655 + (9,6 x W) + (1,8 x H) – (4,7 x A)
Men: B.M. = 66 + (13,7 x W) + (5 x H) – (6,8 x A)

BM = Basic Metabolism, W = Weight in kilos, H = Height in cm, A = Age in years

Useful tips to increase your metabolism

Apart from regular exercise, which is the best way to increase your metabolism, you can also:

Consume tea and coffee, which are substances that stimulate the sympathetic system, thus increasing the metabolism. Except from this there are some drugs and certain substances that increase metabolism because they also stimulate the sympathetic system. Many of these substances are illegal in many countries (many belonging to the banned anabolic such as ephedrine and caffeine).

Avoid the chronic stress, as stress affects our metabolism and increases the tendency for abdominal obesity.

Follow a steady daily life routine, eat well, sleep well, because when the body gets ‘de-organized”, the metabolism becomes slower

Eat many small meals (6), because the process of digestion increases metabolism slightly and ultimately we burn more calories.

Prevent the deprivation diets (less than 1,100 calories for women, less than 1,400 for men), since they will lead us to gain more weight and to do our metabolism even slower. This is because the first weight you lose fast in deprivation diets is mainly liquids, then muscle and fat tissue, but later you regain mainly fat. So basically we gain more weight, have less muscle tissue (we lost it in the process of losing weight), and thus a slower metabolic rate, and also have more fat, which also leads to generally lower metabolic rate.

Understandings how metabolism works and by following the weight loss advice above you can greatly assist and accelerate your weight loss efforts.

Free weight loss advice for healthy weight loss

Weight loss does not mean that you should cut all the small everyday pleasures that enhance your full of stress life. You just need to improve your existing nutritional habits. This requires patience and perseverance. This is known as «the Food Behaviour Modification», and has proved that this is the best weight loss advice that can lead to a successful weight loss. An additional advantage of this method is that it helps you maintain the weight you lost. The ingredients that will help you to change your dietary behaviour is knowledge on nutritional issues and self control. To succeed in the self-control you usually need the assistance of a specialist. This article provides for free, weight loss advice that can help your lose weight in a fast, consistent and healthy way.

Items that usually need improvement in a successful weight loss process are: the frequency we eat certain foods and the frequency of meals. In order to be able to improve in this area please consider the following weight loss advice:

Eat a variety of foods from all levels of the food pyramid.

This means the daily consumption of milk, vegetables and fruits, from which we receive the required amounts of trace elements, minerals, vitamins and fiber, which is necessary for proper regulation of all metabolic functions of our organism. More specifically, milk should be included in our diet (2-3 portions) each day according to sex and age of the individual. Regarding fruits, this should be in 4-5 portions daily, while for an individual a vegetable salad to accompany the main meal of the day is enough. This is a very important weight loss advice because it is vital for our organism to receive all nutrients. Some weight loss diets suggest otherwise and this is simply not healthy and should be avoided.

Also it is recommended the daily consumption of certain foods from the group of «Cereals and bread», the number of which depends on our individual characteristics. Food items in this group are: bread, pasta, cereals, potatoes, legumes, etc. It is advisable not to eat meat more than three times a week, of which two will be covered by some kind of low fat meat low in cholesterol, such as chicken and turkey. This will help you to bring fish in the weekly diet more often, so as to support our organism every day with high biological value protein.

Fish that we should eat more often should be high in fat. Latest studies have shown that the fat in fish contains a high percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids omega-3, consumption of which has been associated with reducing cholesterol levels in humans. Finally, as an additional source of fat we should use only olive oil, which forms the basis of the Mediterranean diet and has been associated with the prevention of many diseases such as coronary heart disease, cancer of the bowel etc. Of course the amount of oil we use should be controlled, especially during our weight loss efforts, since it is an extremely comprehensive source of energy.

Another advice that can really make a difference is to control or minimize during your weight loss efforts the consumption of sweets and alcoholic beverages, since they carry a lot of calories.

A very important weight loss advice is to take your meals regularly during the day, without any omission. There are no brochures or specific hours that you should be eating the meals. This is something you will have to adjust to your own personal habits and lifestyle. So your goal should be to provide your body regularly, every 3-4 hours, small meals in order to supply energy to cope with the most efficient way the continuing obligations.

Little weight loss tips which can help your weight loss effort, are:

Chew your food slowly.
Never buy food hungry.
Prepare a list of what items you need in advance and do not add to it while shopping.
Drink daily at least 7-8 glasses of water. Water does not add weight. Instead it can help you lose weight.
To keep a diary for a specified period to record what, where and when you eat and under what conditions (eg, boredom, irritability, anxiety). Watch what are the problematic conditions and replace food with some other activity.
Keep always with you snacks with low calorie value.
When faced with a very attractive meal remember that this is not your last chance to eat this food. Satisfy your self by eating only a small part of it.

If everything your read now seems too good to be true, you can try, with the help of a nutritionists, who will determine the quantities needed, and you need to convince your self that weight loss can ultimately be a pleasure…

Too often we hear from them about our different views on healthy eating. The question is whether force if scientifically justified. Most often these are misconceptions and erroneous views, but unfortunately not knowing the adopting and repeating the following in our daily diet. Here the most views most often are nothing more than myths.

Question: I will not eat breakfast so i will accelerate my weight loss efforts because I eat fewer calories

Weight loss advice: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. After hours of night sleep, a proper and balanced breakfast provides the body with the necessary energy for a good start, prevents us from looking for snacks during the day and certainly it does not give us unnecessary calories, since we have all day to burn them! A cup of milk (130 calories full fat, 100 calories low fat) with half cup of cereal (100-120 calories the 40gr) or with three toasts with a little honey (120-140 calories), can supply you with calcium, phosphorus and magnesium, which give strength and power.

Question: A good breakfast can make you feel hungry during the day.

Weight loss advice: Imagine that your metabolism is like a clock. If you put in a battery will start to work and will not stop unless you remove the battery. So if you do not provide your body with the «battery» (food) will not start working. In short it will not do any combustion. Conversely, if you supply it from the morning with a good breakfast will not only makes combustion (resulting in starving all day), but you will feel a greater well-being and mental clarity, to continue the rest of your day.

Question: Eat SALAD when you want to loose weight

Weight loss advice: The salad is a colourful, creative way to get nutrients. Vegetables are a valuable ally for health because they are rich in vitamins, minerals, micro nutrients and fiber. The vegetables can be eaten in any form: fresh, frozen, canned, dried or in juice form. The value in terms of energy efficiency is very low (10-50 kcal / 100 g) and almost all vegetables contain no fat and no cholesterol.

So do not be afraid to consume plenty of vegetables, and never get in the process of counting the portions of salad you eat, but only the oil you use.

Question: When you follow a weight loss diet you should eat only boiled-Grilled with Salad.

Weight loss advice: For many years there is the prevailing view that a weight loss diet equals baked or boiled dishes with no flavour and taste. Or even the combination of «roast with salad» at each meal. This has resulted in the person who wants to lose weight to lack not only valuable nutrients from the starch group, but also certain foods, which they are integrated in the diet immediately after they stop the weight loss diet, thereby regaining the lost weight! No food alone can constitute the sole means for a healthy eating. The nature is also the first to teach this rule, giving food characteristics such as odour, colour, taste and causing the people to choose from a wide variety of foods. Do not be afraid to combine protein with carbohydrate (starch), i.e. the meat with rice or potato or macaroni or mashed potatoes. On the contrary you should have this combination in every meal for 2 reasons: 1) the carbohydrate (starch) has protein-protective properties that help the digestion and absorption of food. 2) You cannot deny your self a tasty lemon potato for a whole life!

Question: I should not eat oily fish when I am on a diet

Weight loss advice: All fish are beneficial. Both the small fish (e.g. smelt, anchovy, smelt a) consumed with the bone, providing valuable calcium, which helps to “build” strong bones and fat (e.g. herring, salmon, mackerel, sardines, sea bream) containing omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which act beneficial to the cardiovascular system. Some fish may have fat but it is not saturated fat, but polyunsaturated fat.

Question: Beef has less fat than pork

Weight loss advice: The difference between the fat in beef and pork is the fat in beef is contained in the muscle fibers, while in the pork is visible. So do not be afraid to eat a pork steak (of course without the visible fat) or a tenderloin steak.

Question: Your weight may suddenly go up

Weight loss advice: Sometimes you cannot loose weight although you make great weight loss efforts. Other times you may notice a sudden weight gain or you may feel very inflated although you may have not eaten too much the previous days. These examples are indicative of the situation known as fluid retention, where the body keeps more fluids than you need. The phenomenon of fluid retention is more often on women, which experienced it at least once a month. This is because fluid retention is a typical symptom of women periods. During the period (two to three days before) the because of fluctuations of body hormones the problem of retention is created. These variations and the particularly high levels of estrogen affect the balance of the body fluids leading to the kidneys to retain more sodium and then retain more water in order to restore balance. The best solution to reduce the phenomenon of retention is to drink more water. You need to drink at least one to two litres of water a day. In this way helps to balance fluids in your body and proper functioning of the kidneys primarily responsible for the elimination of excess water and sodium. In conclusion, do not be afraid when you see that you have suddenly gained weight!

Question: Bananas are fattening

Weight loss advice: Bananas are rich in vitamins A, B and C, and potassium, calcium, phosphate, carbohydrate, and natural sugar (assimilated), keeping the levels of blood sugar constant. The banana is considered the most important supplier of energy to the brain. In addition, helps to regulate blood pressure and water balance in the body. A medium banana (100 grams) has 98 calories and the difference with other fruits is that it contains more sugar and not fat. So do not be afraid to eat a banana, always in moderation.

Question: Grapefruit helps break down fat

Weight loss advice: The grapefruit is important because this fruit is an excellent source of vitamin C and carotene (Anticancer). It has been found to reduce cholesterol and helps to combat atherosclerosis. The term given to it by many, as fat burner is not valid because there is no scientific evidence that it contains enzymes that help burn fat.

10 Weight loss tips for a fast and healthy weight loss

1. Start your day with 30 minutes running (hungry) before breakfast. When you wake in the morning the glycogen in your bodies is low. This means that in the morning running burns more fat.

2. Drink every morning a glass of water with a little lemon juice. If it is difficult to drink it then you can drink chamomile or green tea or any other warm drink and prefer to mix it with a spoonful of honey. It stimulates the function of the gut, activates the metabolism and helps to make a good preparation in the stomach before we accept the food we consume. Also, the lemon is known for its capacity to assist in burning fat and weight loss.

3. Consume 1 to 2 servings of green vegetables daily. Except that can help you loose weight, they contribute to good mood and health and also help in maintaining youthful skin.

4. Replace processed white sugar with honey. Honey is metabolized better in the body and has beneficial health properties and less calories than sugar. For many people it also has much better taste!

5.Forget processed fats and anything that contains butter such as cakes, pastries, biscuits, cookies, and croissants. If you need something sweet to eat, try a low-fat yogurt, with a spoonful of honey and a few nuts. Another solution for something sweet is dried fruit. E.g. two dried figs or two plums.

6.Consume without fear protein such as chicken, turkey, fish, tuna, Solomon cooked roast or boiled.

7.Exercise! If your job is to be seated in front of an office, you need to find time to walk for 1 hour either going to work on foot or a stroll to the shops. Climb the stairs and not the elevator. Make more love. Start your favourite hobby, play tennis, go swimming or dancing. Go out with friends and dance until the morning!

8.Always take with you at work a toast with black bread and turkey so as to eat it if you feel hungry before lunch and resist the temptation of biscuits or cheese pie offered by your colleagues.

9.Get rid of the stress. Stress can be very harmful to our health, and also according to recent surveys it can also make us fat; because in times we feel stress we consume more calories without understanding it.

10.Do not postpone your weight loss diet for Monday or tomorrow but start now. Even if you eat something forbidden at noon, you can avoid the extra calories by eating less at night.

The above article gave you free weight loss advice for healthy weight loss diet. Knowing how your body reacts to weight loss diets and the nutritional characteristics of the major foods can help you loose weight in a fast and healthy weight and also in a way that you will not gain the pounds you lost as soon as you end the diet.