Trying to get skinny fast can be a daunting task, but it’s not impossible. When you know which foods to eat and which to avoid, you'll be on track to finally see that scale budge.
In this article, you'll learn everything you need to know about getting skinny faster than you thought possible using a keto diet, including a step-by-step plan. And if you want a more customized approach to your weight loss plan, consider taking our free test.
Before you start trying to get skinny fast, it's important to ask yourself a few questions.
First, why are you trying to lose weight quickly?
Do you have an upcoming event that you want to look a certain way for? Is there some type of competition you are entering? Or, are you trying to lose weight quickly because your physician encouraged you to do so?
Weight loss is easier and more sustainable over the long run when attempted at a slow, consistent pace. Consider taking a slower approach instead of trying to get skinny fast. Don’t let vanity get in the way of healthy weight loss.
Knowing what goal to aim for will help you define what “skinny” and “fast” mean to you. For example, you might see “skinny” as a healthy weight, but someone else might perceive it as having a specific body fat percentage (such as 20% or lower).
And fast could mean one month for you but one year for someone else.
Healthy weight loss is generally considered to be 1-2 lbs per week. Losing weight more quickly than this requires a strict calorie restriction and an increase in physical activity. These behavior modifications can be difficult to maintain long-term if the change is too extreme when compared to your current habits.
Consider transitioning to a long-term plan after you lose your initial goal weight.
Before you try to get skinny fast, consult your doctor. Be honest with your goals. Your doctor will let you know if you have any health conditions that should stop you from going on an accelerated weight loss diet. They can also help you assess your current weight and determine the healthiest goal weight for you.
Additionally, consider talking to a nutritionist or getting a tailored nutrition plan to make sure you have no nutritional deficiencies in your diet plan. Cutting calories from your diet can easily lead to deficiencies if you’re not eating enough healthy foods.
Not sure where to start with your nutrition? Take our free test to get a nutrition plan that works for you and your current health goals.
Have you established why you want to slim down quickly? Here are nine steps you can implement into your lifestyle to lose weight fast — but in a healthy way.
Before we explain what a calorie deficit means, let’s define the word “calorie.”
Calories are units of energy, like a joule or watt. They are present in the foods you eat. Your body uses the calories from food to power itself.
But the fat in your body is also energy. When you consume more calories than your body needs to function, your body stores those extra calories as fat for later use.
Calories also come in the form of proteins and carbohydrates (sugar, starch, and fiber molecules). But your body can’t store extra calories unless it converts them to fat molecules first.
To lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories than you’re burning, ie calorie deficit.
And to lose weight quickly, that deficit needs to be bigger than if you wanted to lose weight more slowly.
Try a deficit of between 500 and 1,000 calories per day. But don’t go too low, either.
How low is too low? You can calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and avoid going underneath.
Your BMR is the amount of energy your body needs to keep your body alive if you do nothing all day except lie in bed. It’s the energy you need to breathe, digest, pump blood through your veins, regenerate cells, and more.
Here are two calculations for BMR, depending on whether you’re a man or a woman:
Women: BMR = 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)
Men: BMR = 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)
So if you’re reducing the number of calories you eat per day, stay above your calculated BMR. This will ensure you’re giving your body the energy it needs to perform its basic functions.
Liquid calories are sneaky. They’re the calories you can find in foods and beverages you don’t need to chew.
You can drink several hundred calories quickly without realizing it. Even liquid “food,” like a fruit smoothie, can be higher in calories than you realize — even though its contents are nutritious.
Drinks like sugary coffee, soda, and juice are full of sugar, which is a type of carbohydrate. That means they’re also filled with calories.
Additionally, most drinks have no fiber content and little to no protein. This means your body will metabolize the drink much more quickly than it would if you ate a snack packed with lean protein and fiber.
Choose whole fruits over fruit juice when you’re craving something sweet.
Insufficient sleep is linked to obesity. That’s because your body adapts to too little sleep by consuming more food to get enough energy.
In short, this means you’re more likely to eat more than your body needs when you don’t get enough sleep. So if you want to get skinny fast, make sure to prioritize a good night’s sleep.
Getting more sleep will allow you to feel more energized and less hungry throughout the day. Aim for at least seven to nine hours of sleep per night — although some people will require more or less.
While it’s possible to lose weight on a diet plan higher in carbs, you might struggle to do so.
Limiting your carb intake allows you to focus on high-protein foods, which can help people lose weight fast. High-protein foods also keep you satiated longer.
Foods that are high in carbs include (but aren’t limited to):
While you can include carbs in your diet, you should choose whole foods and grains over refined products, such as white bread and white pasta.
Interval training combines short bursts of high energy exercise with longer, slower periods of recovery. Usually your recovery time is twice as long as your high energy interval. Workouts are shorter and more effective. Combine sprints and recovery in the following activities:
Aerobic exercise (another word for cardio), especially when done in intervals, has been shown to result in clinically significant weight loss.
Make sure to drink plenty of water while doing any form of cardio.
Cardio isn’t the only type of exercise you can do to get skinny fast. You can also try heavy resistance (or strength) training — either on its own or in addition to cardio.
Not only does heavy resistance training help burn fat quickly, but it also helps prevent muscle loss while you’re losing weight — making it one of the best exercises for overall fitness.
Strength training also helps increase your muscle mass. A body with a higher muscle mass burns more calories than a body with a lower muscle mass — even while standing still or even sleeping!
The more muscle you build, the easier it’ll be to lose and maintain your weight.
Protein is essential for muscle growth and repair, and it also helps you burn fat faster.
Eating protein-rich foods also helps you stay satiated longer.
Make sure to include plenty of lean protein sources in your diet, such as:
Limit your intake of protein sources that are high in saturated fats, such as beef, pork, and fattier cuts of chicken. While all animal protein contains some saturated fats, chicken and fish are among the leaner options.
No matter your weight loss goals, increasing your vegetable intake is always a great idea.
Vegetables are dense in nutrients and vitamins, making them an excellent source of nutrition for people on a weight loss diet.
You can also eat whole fruits throughout your day. Be careful not to overindulge in fruits, though, as they’re typically higher in calories than vegetables.
For example, 100 g of an apple is roughly 52 calories (although it can depend on the exact apple type). On the other hand, green bell peppers contain only 20 calories per 100 g.
Make a meal plan every week while you’re on a weight loss diet.
If you set a plan ahead of time, you’ll be less tempted by fast food and convenient snacks, and it’ll also be easier for you to plan your grocery shopping.
If you need help planning your meals, you can get the clarity and peace of mind you need by taking our free quiz.
The speed at which you’ll lose weight will depend on several factors.
For example, if you adopt a ketogenic diet — a high-fat, low-carb diet — you’ll eat foods that are high in healthy fat and low in refined sugars and carbs. As a result, weight loss will likely be fast — meaning you’ll probably see results within the first few weeks of starting the diet.
However, your exact results will also depend on your metabolism, your age, your overall health, and your calorie consumption.
The amount of water retention you have before you begin the diet can also affect your results. If your body isn’t currently retaining a lot of water, you won’t experience as much water weight loss as someone with more water retention than you.
As such, there’s no way to know for sure how fast you’ll lose weight — on a keto diet or otherwise.
We’re guessing you don’t just want to lose weight fast — you also want to keep that weight off for good.
If that’s your goal, it’s important to make lifestyle changes.
For example, you may see people who suggest going on a week-long juice-fasting diet. But what happens when you reintroduce solid foods into that diet? You’re likely to gain back the weight you lost while fasting.
Choose a diet with foods you’d be happy eating long-term. Once you’re at your goal weight, slowly up your calorie intake to your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).
To calculate your TDEE, you first need to calculate your BMR (shown above).
Then, multiply this figure by the following numbers, depending on your activity level:
Make sure you keep eating at your TDEE after you’re done losing weight. If you start eating more than your body needs, your body will begin storing those extra calories as fat again. Keep doing strength training workouts to help speed up your metabolism and build more muscle.
Trying to get skinny fast can be a frustrating experience, especially if you have no idea what you should be eating and how much. It can also be dangerous. But with the help of a keto diet, you can eat to satiety while maintaining a caloric deficit that’ll help you lose weight.
Did you know that every plan at CertifiedKetoDiet is tailored to not just your body and health but also your food preferences? With a custom weight loss plan overseen by nutritionists, you’ll never be stuck eating something you don’t enjoy.
Take the test today to get a weight loss plan sent directly to your inbox.
.svg){kind=small}
