How To Start Losing Weight FAST (5 Steps To Take)

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HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT FAST

When I was trying to lose weight, I didn’t know what to do or where to start – and I wasted so much time trying things that didn’t work, which was frustrating and expensive.

It took me years to figure out what actually worked, and what didn’t – and so I really wanted to share 5 ways that you can start to lose weight fast!

In this post, I’m going to show you 5 steps to take to start losing weight fast – this has been tried and tested.

I’ve been through it all – I’ve tried all of the fad diets, I’ve tried different workout methods, and I spent years trying to lose weight (while I saw no results). Finally after years, I started to discover simple some methods that actually got me the results that I was looking for – and I’ve lost 40 lbs since then.

I know first hand how confusing the topic of weight-loss can be. There are so many big companies who market fad diets (that don’t work) and dangerous diet pills simply to make money – so trying to sift through information online about diet and weight-loss can be a daunting task.

♥

So that’s why I’m going to show you exactly how to start losing weight – in 5 simple steps.

5 STEPS SUMMARY

STEP 1 – Eat a decent breakfast each morning

STEP 2 –  Do a 16 minute HIIT workout

STEP 3 – Eat a balanced diet & be mindful of calories

STEP 4 – Do 5 basic toning exercises

STEP 5 – Start right away

STEP 1: EAT A DECENT BREAKFAST

If you’re wanting to lose weight or get into better shape, the first thing that you’re going to want to do is simple – eat a decent breakfast in the morning.

HERE’S WHY: What you eat (or don’t eat) for breakfast sets the tone for your entire day of eating. You see, if we don’t eat a filling breakfast (or we don’t eat at all), we are often more likely to snack and binge on treats throughout the day. This is just because we are hungry and our bodies are craving nutrients and calories.

Skipping breakfast? If we skip breakfast and just snack throughout the day (or graze constantly), then we might be consuming way more calories than if we just ate a decent sized breakfast.

Hungry after breakfast? If we don’t eat a breakfast that keeps us full for a decent amount of time, then the same thing will probably happen – we might end up snacking and consuming way more calories than what we needed.

Snack foods (even healthy ones) and treats are usually much higher in calories than regular meals.

EXAMPLE – Breakfast Vs. Snacks

A bowl of wholegrain oatmeal for breakfast with 1 teaspoon flat coconut oil (stirred in), topped with 1 Tablespoon almond butter and fresh banana slices – would keep me fuller for longer (cause I’d be getting whole carbs, healthy fats and protein) and would give me sustained energy throughout the morning. When I eat a breakfast like this, I feel satisfied for ages and don’t feel the need to snack all morning. This breakfast would be roughly 350-400 calories, which is also great for if I’m trying to lose weight.

If I don’t eat a decent breakfast (or don’t eat breakfast at all), then I might feel tempted to snack on energy bars, handfuls of nuts, cookies and who knows what else. The energy bars and nuts might be healthy, but these 2 foods are still high in calories.

Eating a balanced meal with whole carbs (not processed carbs), healthy fats and good protein will keep you fuller for longer.

WHAT DOES A DECENT BREAKFAST LOOK LIKE?

When I was trying to lose weight, I tried so many breakfast combinations (I also tried skipping breakfast for almost 2 years) – and after lots of trial-and-error, I found some great breakfast combinations for sustained energy and a fuller feeling in my tummy.

Here are 3 easy breakfast ideas (with recipes) that you might like to try below. These are 3 of my faves!

I created each of these recipes to be filling and give sustained energy – each one contains good carbs, healthy fats and healthy protein. Each recipe also contains roughly 400 calories – the perfect amount of cal for a weight-loss breakfast!

Why carbs + fats + protein? A meal that contains whole carbs, healthy fats and protein will give you sustained energy and will give you the nutrients that you need – to feel good and to lose weight.

3 EASY BREAKFAST IDEAS

BREAKFAST IDEA 1: Nourishing Oatmeal

Ingredients:
-1/2 cup whole rolled oats cooked with 1 + 1/2 to 2 cups water
-1 flat teaspoon coconut oil
-pinch cinnamon
-Optional: 1 teaspoon 100% pure maple syrup/ raw honey or xylitol to sweeten
-Tablespoon unsweetened almond butter or 14 raw almonds
-1/2 to 1 cup blueberries or 1/2 to 1 banana

Method:
Bring the oats + water to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Once cooked, stir in the coconut oil, cinnamon and sweetener. Top with nuts and fruit.

Total Cal: Roughly 400

BREAKFAST IDEA 2: A Balanced Smoothie

Ingredients:
-1/2 cup frozen blueberries
-1/2 banana
-2 Tablespoons dry rolled oats
-1/3 avocado
-1 cup unsweetened almond milk/ milk of choice
-1 Tablespoon unsweetened almond butter
-handful baby spinach
-1 teaspoon raw honey (optional)
-ice to taste

Method:
Blend all ingredients together, serve chilled & enjoy!

Total Cal: Roughly 400

BREAKFAST IDEA 3: Easy Eggs with Avocado

Ingredients:
-2 eggs (boiled or poached)
-1/3 avocado
-1 slice wholegrain/ gluten-free toast or 1 grapefruit

Method:
Cook eggs and serve with avocado and 1 slice toast (or 1 grapefruit). Eat & enjoy!

Total Cal: Roughly 400

STEP 2: DO A 16 MINUTE HIIT WORKOUT

Got 16 Minutes? Studies have shown that people who do several minutes of high intensity exercise a few times a week are more likely to lose weight than people who spend a longer amount of time doing low intensity exercise, the same amount of times each.

The Best News? 16 minutes is all that you need for an effective HIIT workout!

What Is HIIT? HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training.

Interval training refers to a type of cardio workout that mixes higher-intensity and lower-intensity exercise. It is generally performed for a shorter period of time than most endurance style cardio workouts.

Endurance training refers to a type of cardio workout that increases endurance capacity – it is generally performed at a low- intensity to moderate-intensity level for a lengthy period of time.

THE BEST EXERCISE FOR FAT-LOSS?

Deciding which form of cardio is best for you really depends on the outcome that you are wanting to achieve from it.

Most people think that in order to be healthy (and lose weight), they should be running long distances every day (endurance training) – but does running long distances really make a person healthier, or thinner?

If we look at how many calories are burned during interval and endurance training, let’s say for example while sprinting or jogging, we will see that sprinting burns more calories than jogging.

This is because sprinting is higher in intensity compared to jogging, and therefore our bodies need to metabolize more energy during the period of a sprint.

During a HITT workout – if we perform a 30 second sprint a total of 8 times, we are only sprinting for a total of 4 minutes (the balance of the 16 minute workout is “rest” time). Isn’t that awesome?

THE FACTS?

1. Studies have shown that high-intensity exercise done over a short period of time can result in exceptional physical and health benefits, more than low-intensity exercise done over long periods of time.

2. Studies have also shown that interval training is much more effective for weight-loss than endurance training, this is because HIIT training boosts the metabolism like no other kind of exercise method.

3. Research tells us that interval training can help to lower body fat, improve muscle tone and boost energy levels – more than long distance endurance training sessions.

THE 16 MINUTE WORKOUT

1. Use the cardio equipment at the gym (the elliptical and the treadmill are perfect) or simply go outside with a stopwatch.

2. Warm up (this does not have to be long, just until you feel warm)

3. Sprint as fast as you can for 30 seconds and then recover until your breathing is back to normal (usually 90 seconds). In your recovery time you will walk if you ran during the sprint.

4. Repeat this combination 8 to 12 times.

Example: Sprint as fast as you can for 30 seconds + recover 90 seconds x 8 times = 16 minutes. Workout over.

Here’s more info on how to do a 16 minute HIIT workout: liezljayne.com/16-minute-workout-challenge/

STEP 3: EAT A BALANCED DIET + BE MINDFUL OF CALORIES

WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL WITH CALORIES?

A calorie is just a fancy name for a measurement (or a unit) of energy. To put it simply, calories are fuel for the body.

Our bodies rely on calories everyday for fuel, so that it has energy for our cells. When our cells have energy to use then our bodies are able to function normally – meaning that our organs can work, we can move around, we can walk, we can run, we can laugh, we can work and we can play.

Calories are NOT bad, but body weight does come down to a simple equation of calories in versus calories out.

If we are wanting to lose weight, we still need to consume the vital nutrients (water, macronutrients and micronutrients) every day to remain healthy.

If our bodies do not get these basic nutrients, we can lose muscle and bone mass and may suffer from malnutrition. Malnutrition can result in various health problems.

To lose weight in a healthy way, we need to reduce the number of calories that we consume through eating while making sure that we are still getting the vital nutrients that our bodies need. A very low-calorie diet increases the risk of various health problems and is not recommended.

GENERAL RULE? If we eat more calories than what we burn, then we can gain weight and fat. If we burn more calories than what we eat, then we can lose weight and fat.

THE SIMPLE EQUATION? Weight-loss comes down to a simple little mathematical equation of calories in versus calories out.

HOW IT ALL WORKS

If you use up (or burn) more energy (calories) than what you consume (eat) in a day, then you will lose weight (burn body fat).

If we want to lose weight (lose body fat), we need to reduce the number of calories that we consume each day to create an energy deficit.

When the body has adapted to this deficit, body fat can then be burned to supply the energy needs for daily activities, normal body functioning and physical movement.

Basically, when we eat fewer calories than what our bodies need, our bodies are forced to use excess fat stores to meet our energy requirements.

Obsessive calorie counting is not healthy and I do not recommend it, but being mindful about our calorie intake is very important if one of our personal health goals is weight-loss.

WHAT IS A BALANCED DIET?

A balanced diet is simply a diet that it contains carbs, fats and protein – because each of these food groups are essential for the body, and they are all healthy.

Benefits of a balanced diet? A balanced diet promotes sustainable weight-loss, it gives us more energy physically, it makes us feel better mentally & emotionally and it keeps us fuller for longer. A balanced diet also helps to boost the metabolism.

HOW DO YOU EAT BALANCED?

Eat whole, unprocessed carbs (brown rice, quinoa, potatoes, sweet potatoes, vegetables, fruit, etc.), and healthy fats (avocado, cold-pressed oils, nuts, seeds, etc.), as well as good protein (nuts, seeds, free-ranged eggs, legumes, good quality lean cuts of meat and wild caught fish).

Eating healthy carbs such as vegetables and whole grains will help to fill you up initially after a meal – but adding healthy fats and protein to a meal will help to keep you full hours after eating a meal. A nourishing meal contains, healthy fats, whole carbs and good protein.

A healthy, balanced diet boosts the metabolism and promotes fat-loss! When your body is getting all of the nutrients that it needs (carbs, fats and protein) then it has the potential to turn into a fat-burning machine.

Eat a healthy and balanced diet, while remaining mindful of calories for fast weight-loss. Carbs, fats and protein are all essential for healthy weight-loss!

FREE 3 DAY EATING PLAN

To give you an example of what a balanced weight-loss diet can look like, I’m currently giving my 3 day eating plan away for FREE – But won’t always be. Make sure you grab a copy!

STEP 4: DO BASIC TONING EXERCISES

Doing some basic toning exercises is very important for sculpting the body and getting rid of unwanted fat stores – and resistance training (also called strength training) is amazing for toning the body!

What Is Resistance Training? Resistance training is when you exercise your body against resistance (such as weights or your own body weight) and this builds up the muscle.

Resistance training helps to build lean and healthy body mass, and also helps to get rid of stored body fat – but that doesn’t mean it will make us bulky.

This type of training has gotten a pretty bad reputation over the past few decades with women, because generally women seem to believe that any kind of weight training will make their bodies look bulky (like a body builder).

However, resistance training does not have to make us look bulky, in fact resistance training can actually help women to create a slimmer looking body.

It is possible to perform resistance training workouts and still remain petite – it really just depends on what kind of exercises we perform, and how we perform them (our form). Having the correct form while performing workouts is crucial for us to get the results that we desire with our bodies.

5 QUICK EXERCISES TO GET STARTED:

Saying that you should do resistance training might make you feel overwhelmed, cause you might not know where to start or you might be thinking that you have to do 100 exercises every week. But don’t worry about all of that, I’ve got you covered!

Here’s what I like to call “The 5 Essential Exercises” for weight-loss – these 5 exercises helped me so much when I was trying to lose weight.

STEP 5: START RIGHT AWAY

The Biggest Weight-loss Mistake? I often get asked what the biggest mistake is that people make with regards to weight-loss and dieting – and I always give the same answer.

The biggest mistake that people make with regards to weight-loss and dieting (the reason that they are usually unable to achieve their goals successfully), is them saying “I’ll start tomorrow”.

When we start saying “I’ll start my diet tomorrow” or “I’ll start working out tomorrow”, we are often shooting ourselves in the foot. With dieting, exercising, trying to lose weight and pursuing a healthier lifestyle there is no tomorrow, only today.

I find with women that I have worked with, the ones who say “I’ll start tomorrow” always seem to be saying “I’ll start tomorrow” – and listening to this excuse over and over gets really old. Just being honest.

Often the kinds of people who say “I’ll start tomorrow” also say things like “now is just not the right time to start, I’ll start next week”, “I’m just so stressed out with work right now, I’ll start next month” and “I’ll start when I have more money”.

THE TRUTH

The truth is that there will never be an ideal time to diet, lose weight or start exercising – there will never ever be the perfect or ideal time. The best time to start is always NOW!

Yes, you might decide to start your whole exercise plan and diet properly on a Monday because it is the start of the week, but that doesn’t mean you need to binge and go crazy for 5 days before that… or even one day before that!

If you decide to binge and go crazy by eating tons of food before you start your diet “officially”, you will only be making it more difficult for yourself when you do start.

BE THE BEST YOU

The thing that brings positive change is not learning more, positive change is brought about by taking action – so take action immediately!

Turn “someday” into today and start working towards your goals now. Push yourself to the next level and decide to not let yourself settle for anything less than what you can be! Remember that there will never be a “perfect” time to start anything, and that’s why the best time to start is always now!

YOU GOT THIS!

Now you know how to start losing weight FAST in 5 steps. You may already be progressing towards your goals, or you might just be starting out on your journey – but whatever point you’re at, you have what it takes to get there!

YOU can lose weight, YOU can get into better shape, YOU can achieve your goals and YOU do have what it takes! It is possible to achieve anything that you want in life.

Always remember that (as my mom always reminds me) where there is a will, there is a way.

Here is the 3 day eating plan for weight-loss that you can download here on my blog – this is what I used to lose 40 Lbs!

Liezl Jayne xo

5 STEPS SUMMARY

STEP 1 – Eat a decent breakfast each morning

STEP 2 –  Do a 16 minute HIIT workout

STEP 3 – Eat a balanced diet & be mindful of calories

STEP 4 – Do 5 basic toning exercises

STEP 5 – Start right away

Photos by Ross Charnock for liezljayne.com – Styled by Liezl Jayne Strydom