What’s the Fastest Way to Lose Weight?
It’s a simple question and one that our entire Venice Nutrition teams gets asked quite frequently, especially as the New Year rolls around! We live in a fast- paced world where our every whim and need has a quick solution. We are fortunate enough that if we want something, anything, we can have it fairly quickly.
As you know, that’s not always the case with losing weight, and it’s frustrating when we are so used to getting what we want right now. A better question to ask is, “How can I lose weight the right way and permanently?” because the fastest way to lose weight isn’t always the most effective!
Though there are plenty of ways to lose weight fast, such as diet pills, fad diets, skipping meals and over-exercising, the long term repercussions may have you thinking twice. There’s no arguing that quick fixes cause a quick drop in weight. The challenge is they are NOT permanent solutions and ultimately lead to unbearable cravings, fatigue and worst of all, a loss of lean muscle mass and slower metabolism. The end result? When you stop “dieting” your stuck with a body that has a higher fat percentage and a much slower metabolism, thus causing you to have a harder time losing weight down the road. As a Nutrition Coach, I’ve seen it time and time again. And I admit that prior to learning how my body worked and the best way to fuel it, I’m guilty of crash dieting when I was younger as well. My clients that have a long history of crash dieting and extreme weight loss always have a slower metabolism and a harder time keeping weight off in the long run. And my goal is always the same; re-train their minds, then their bodies to reach their goals permanently!
The great news is through a solid health plan and a little patience, anyone (even those with a diet-packed past) can lose weight, and get fit and healthy permanently. Here’s how!
The first step is simply education, and that is why your personalized Venice Nutrition program provides you with so much information about how your body really works. Once you understand how your body works, you can learn to make it work for you. I invite you to take some time to read through your software program, particularly your Education Tab, the Help/ Support Tab and the newsletters. It’s a lot easier to make the right decisions and come up with solutions when you have the education to do so!
Next is creating a game plan that works for your lifestyle and that includes optimizing your Sleep, Nutrition, Exercise, Supplementation and Water habits. Each of these components is critical in achieving your goals. Why? Sleep is the foundation. Remember, you are what you metabolize. Without restful and consistent sleep, you can’t metabolize nutrients properly, thus dramatically slowing fat loss. Through a solid nutrition plan based on blood sugar stabilization and the right type of cardiovascular routine, you are able to burn the body fat, build lean muscle mass and increase your metabolism, even while your at rest! Adequate water intake is critical for normal cell metabolism (not to mention dehydration causes bloat, fatique and cravings!). Lastly supplementation helps to deliver the vitamins, minerals, enzymes and every other nutrient you may not be taking in through diet alone, thus promoting a healthy body weight and healthy body.
Of course, the science behind Sleep, Nutrition, Exercise, Water and Supplementation is vast (and why I encourage you to read through your software!). My point is that each of these components all make up a piece of the pie and with a slice missing, optimal results are not always achieved. That’s not to say that you have to perfect each one; life doesn’t always allow for that! Just know that even mild improvements in each area will make a dramatic and positive difference in how fast you reach your goals. The best part of all is your personalized plan with Venice Nutrition looks at you as an individual and guides through all the components of your health.
So when someone asks me, “What’s the fastest way to lose weight?”, I give them my honest answer. I tell them, “The fastest way to lose weight is to follow a nutrition plan centered on blood sugar stabilization and a cardio routine that is based on science. Make it a goal to work on achieving consistent and restful sleep, drink atleast 8 oz. of water per meal and at the very least, take a multivitamin and fish oil supplement. And lastly learn how your body works so you can make it work for you!”
It may not be the answer they were expecting, but it’s the truth. Sure, I could recommend a quick fix, but in the long run, it will only cause them more time, frustration and more body fat. If you think about it, the quick fix doesn’t seem so easy after all!
Valerie Cogswell
Venice Nutrition Coach