I want to preface this article by saying every body shape and size is beautiful. There is no such thing as the perfect weight, size or shape. Every single human body is perfect the way it is. Now that we’ve cleared that up, if you’re keen to shed a few kilograms quickly for whatever reason, there are several ways you can go about this. Now, it’s also important to note that losing too much weight too quickly isn’t healthy either, and if you are wanting to quite drastically drop weight in quickly, it’s best you do it under the guidance of a health physician. This is especially necessary if you have any conditions such as Diabetes or Insulin Resistance (which might make dropping weight quickly harder to do). There are some safe practices you can adopt, however, to drop a decent amount of weight in two weeks if you really want to, which we go into more detail below.
Diet: Less Carbs, More Protein
When it comes to weight loss, diet is the most important factor. When it comes to losing weight through diet, anyone who is eating less calories than they are burning off during the day is going to shed some kilograms. That’s basic science. However, it’s not just calories in versus calories burned off. You can speed up the weight loss process by eating a low carb, high protein diet. A low carb diet is a way to minimise the amount of fat your body stores, while protein is harder to break down, so your body uses more energy to convert the protein into a form your body can use for energy. A low carb meal might look like two poached eggs with lean greens, a chicken salad (hold the croutons!), or fish and steamed vegetables.
Lower Your Daily Calories
Depending on your height, weight and activity level, each person needs a different number of calories per day to either stay at the same weight, lose weight, or gain weight. To lose weight, you need to eat less calories than your body is expending through exercise and daily movement. Here is an example of a calculator that will tell you how many calories you need to lose weight, and then you can track calories via apps like MyFitnessPal.
Calories can be sneaky, however, often hidden in food sources and things you probably wouldn’t think have a high amount of calories. For example, condiments and sauces are often high in sugar and calories, and having sauce with every meal can easily push you over your daily calorie count. A little snack here or there can also cause you to eat more calories than you need each day, as do drinks like Coke, fruit juice and energy drinks. Stick to water, use herbs and spices for flavour, load up on veggies and only consume lean meats.
And, it almost goes without saying, when you’re trying to lose weight in two weeks, stay away from junk food and processed food. Say goodbye to cakes, biscuits, excess bread, lollies… anything that is high in carbs and sugars but doesn’t have any nutritional value and won’t leave you full for long.
Workout: Strength and HIIT
A good diet is only part of the equation when trying to lose weight in two weeks. Exercise and diet must work together to improve your health and ultimately help you reach your goal of weight loss. Now, it’s a common myth that heaps of cardio will help you lose weight. While cardio is important, it’s not as effective as resistance training combined with High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Resistance or weight training helps build muscle, which in turn helps you burn fat faster. Meanwhile, HIIT involves doing bursts of exercise for 30 to 60 seconds at a time, and then resting in between. HIIT is an excellent way to burn lots of calories in a short time, while having the added benefit of keeping your body burning calories even after the workout is over.
Try Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is a simple and popular way to kick-start fat-burning by giving your digestive system a way to catch up and burn calories. It essentially teaches the body to use its stored fat for energy. Intermittent fasting doesn’t focus on specific nutrients or involve eating or avoiding particular foods. Instead, it focuses on controlling when you eat and more importantly, when you don’t, through a fasting schedule. There are several variations of intermittent fasting that give you the flexibility to determine which approach may help you reach your goals and suit your lifestyle. The time frame, fasting window and calorie restriction will vary from one intermittent fasting plan to another.
At the end of the day…
What you don’t want to be doing is starving yourself for two weeks and subsisting off too little calories and just water. This isn’t healthy or sustainable and can lead to plenty of health complications. If you really are keen to lose weight fast in just two weeks, a sustained and healthy approach like the steps outlined above is the way to do it. If you’re still unsure, make sure you consult a health physician or nutritionist to guide you.
