How to Lose Weight Fast

Scientists and dieters alike have been chasing fast weight loss for decades, but the old adage holds true: eating fewer calories is still the secret to successful dieting. The trick is figuring out how to eat less without feeling deprived or hungry. Going on a crash diet that eliminates whole food groups or causes constant hunger is like trying to hold a breath: it seems easy at first, but eventually it becomes impossible. Instead of imbalanced crash diets, try feeling fuller longer to lose weight quickly.

Fill Your Plate and Still Lose Weight

The phrase "portion control" sounds like dirty words to many dieters who remember meager plates of butter-free toast and a single egg, but the latest dietary guidelines from the USDA show how to enjoy a full plate and a full belly while dieting. Think of the plate in quarters and fill one quarter with a lean protein such as chicken, fish or beans. Use another quarter for a healthy carbohydrate; try brown rice, quinoa or a couple of red potatoes in their skins. The other half of the plate belongs to vegetables. Dairy and dairy alternatives belong alongside the plate in the form of a glass of almond, soy, rice or cow's milk.

Vegetables aren't magical; although they're low-calorie and nutrient-dense, adding sauces can raise the calorie content. Instead, learn the joys of roasting. Roasted vegetables have more flavor and texture than their mushy boiled alternatives. Cook in stock or wine whenever possible to add flavor without adding many calories.

Add Foods, Subtract Weight

Fad diets make a fuss about the foods the dieter must give up, possibly for life. Depending on the diet, everything from cake to potatoes to butter may be "bad" food, off-limits forever. Constantly focusing on what must go can leave a dieter feeling miserable; what's taking the place of all the "bad" stuff leaving the refrigerator?

Turn that view on its head and start looking at diet as an additive process. Don't give up ice cream, add high-protein Greek yogurt. Instead of forsaking fries, add crunchy snow peas to the plate. Look for ways to enjoy more foods on a regular basis. Dieting doesn't have to mean deprivation, but it does mean going farther afield to find tasty low-calorie alternatives to calorie-dense favorites.

Don't consider any meal complete without a fruit or vegetable. No one gains from eating too many carrot sticks, so indulge freely in high-volume, low-calorie foods and the weight will melt away.

The trick is figuring out how to eat less without feeling deprived or hungry