How to lose weight fast naturally and permanently in 10 easy steps

If you have ever tried to lose weight fast, naturally, and permanently but found the whole process to be overwhelming…OR,
If you have ever started a weight loss diet plan and failed to stick to eating healthy…
OR
If you have ever tried to exercise daily but failed to stick to it because you simply didn’t have enough time to fit it all in…

21-day challenge to start eating healthier

OR If you have ever taken weight loss pills and seen no results… OR If you have at any time taken weight loss pills, lost the weight, and then gained it all back after a few months…OR

If you are one of those people who is endlessly searching for and trying out the best detox drinks that will help you lose weight or If you are not happy with your current weight and would like to see a permanent shift…
…then this article on how to lose weight fast naturally and permanently is for you.

How to Lose Weight Fast Naturally and Permanently

I don’t exactly know your weight loss story but if any of the scenarios or frustrations mentioned above resonates with you, then you are in the right place.

What you are about to learn are weight loss tips that will improve your health and help you look even better. 

And if you are wondering whether you will have to give up carbs, take diet pills, or starve yourself to finally lose weight, the answer is ‘absolutely NOT!’

By the end of this article, you will learn how to do it right by making small lifestyle changes and see mind-blowing results.

The most important information that you will take away from this these steps is that there is no magic pill or quick fix to losing weight and keeping it off.

Anybody can lose weight after a few hours, days, or even weeks after jumping on a fad diet. But not only is this dangerous to your health, but you will gain back all the weight you lost because restricting calories to the point of starvation is unsustainable. 

Weight loss is neither a race nor a straight line. There will be lots of downs, just as there will be plenty of ups. You will have to learn to be patient and trust the steps I am about to walk you through.

If you have made the decision that enough is enough and want to know how to lose weight fast naturally and permanently, you have to stay consistent with everything you do from today onwards.

How to lose weight fast without going on a diet

1. Set smart goals for weight loss

You will hear this often while on your weight loss journey- weight loss is a long-term game. You might even feel discouraged along the way when you can’t see the end but one thing you must never do is give up. Use smart goals to get you from your current to your target weight.

What are smart goals for weight loss?

SMART is an acronym for a concept that was created way back in 1981 by George T. Doran. It stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound and is used for effectively setting and accomplishing goals. If you want to lose weight fast without going on a diet, use SMART goals success this way:

Specific

Your fitness or weight loss goal should specify the and when. An example of this would be, ‘’I want to lose 30 pounds (what) by 30 September (when).’’

Losing weight is neither a race nor a straight line. There will be lots of downs, just as there will be plenty of ups. You will have to learn to be patient and trust the steps I am about to walk you through. 

Measurable

This boils down to what and how of monitoring your progress.

For instance: “My goal is to lose 30 pounds. I will track my lifestyle habits with a food journal by writing down my meals and workouts for the day. I will measure my weight loss goals by (how) taking monthly progress photos, or by taking body measurements at the end of every month. ‘’

How to take body measurements for weight loss

On the day that you finally decide to take weight loss seriously and stop looking for shortcuts, you should take body measurements and write down the number on the scale. You will also need to take photos on the first day.

This is important because on some days you will face frustration when you are doing everything right, but the scale will not budge.

What you will come to learn is that the scale doesn’t always tell the full story of your weight loss efforts. Sometimes you will lose inches and not pounds. That’s why you should not jump on the scale every day.

You might need to get a printable health and fitness planner like this one or use a notebook. You are more likely to succeed with your weight loss goals when you write them down.

How do you take accurate body measurements? 

Ideally, you should always take measurements first thing in the morning. If you take your ‘Day 1’ body measurements on a Monday morning, then always ensure that you do this on a Monday morning again. You can take body measurements for fitness every second or fourth week, on the same day, at the same time.

When taking body measurements, you should always be relaxed and never suck anything in. Preferably, you should take the measurements in your underwear.

• Arms – measure around the widest part of the upper arm
• Waist – measure above the navel
• Calves – measure around the widest point of each leg
• Bust – measure around the nipples
• Hips – measure around the widest part of the hips
• Thighs – measure around the widest part of each thigh

Essential reading

• 11 Bad Foods to Avoid for Weight Loss
• 32 Foods That Burn Belly Fat Fast {Backed by Science}
• 9 Winter Weight Loss Tips
• How to Start Losing Weight for Beginners [8 Easy Steps]

Attainable

This looks at whether your weight loss goals are realistic or not. Questions that you would have to consider are: is it possible and healthy to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks, do you have the time to exercise for 60 minutes, 7 times a week?

Achievable weight loss goals would look like this:

‘’I am going to aim for losing 1.5-2 pounds per week and exercise 5 times a week for 30 minutes per day. ‘’

Setting small goals in between your current weight and goal weight will help you track your progress better and build up the motivation to hit the next milestone.

Relevant

A relevant weight loss goal answers why you are doing this and why it is important to you that you shed a few extra pounds. At this stage, your relevant reason would look like this:

‘’I am going to lose 30 pounds by 30 September by eating healthy and tracking my meals and exercising 5 times a week for 30 minutes because (why) my doctor says it will improve my mental health or quality of life or that it will improve my chances of falling pregnant.’’

Time-bound

So, you have just declared that you are going to lose weight by 30 September. The big question though is, when will you start?

This is what your time-bound weight loss goal will look like. ‘’Starting this Monday, 22 February, I am going to write down what I eat for the day, drink 2 liters of water, and exercise for 30 minutes on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. I will do this consistently and give my best because my health depends on it. I have a goal to lose up to 2 pounds a week, and by 30 September, I should have lost 30 pounds.’’

2. Plan healthy meals in advance

Meal planning ensures that you can lose weight fast without going on a diet. It is important because the chances of skipping meals are slim when you know what you are going to eat, how much you will be eating, and what time you’ll be eating.

I can’t stress enough the importance of planning and making your meals ahead of time. Start with preparing your meals including snacks, three days in advance and once you get used to the process, step up your meal prep game and do it a week in advance.

I usually use the weekends to do meal planning and grocery shopping for the week ahead. I write down what I’ll eat for breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner for each day.

I’ve come to appreciate planning healthy meals in advance because it helps me not to leave it for when I’m hungry, to figure out what I’ll eat at that particular time.

Meal planning and prepping also give you more control over temptations at cravings for junk food. You’ll also realize that once you stick with it, you’ll easily say no when there’re free doughnuts, croissants, and whatnot.

When food that you haven’t written down in your meal planner is offered to you, respect your weight loss efforts by simply saying ‘NO’. You owe it to yourself to be disciplined. You have to respect your body by respecting your food choices all the time.

3. Make a list of healthy foods to buy

After you have planned your meals for the week, the next stop is the grocery store or healthy food market. Write down a healthy grocery list based on the meal plan. You shouldn’t cut out food groups like carbs, fats because as it turns out, they are actually great for you.

Your grocery list should contain more whole foods (not necessarily organic) and less processed. Some ‘healthy’ foods may actually be bad for you. Make wise choices by reading the food labels – you will be surprised at how much sugar is in some of those low fat this and that.

If you can, avoid ‘low fat, fat-free, reduced oil, or reduced sugar’ kind of foods, as most of the time, they are not the healthiest option on the shelf. For example, skim milk will actually contain more sugar than full cream milk.

Helpful resources:

• How to maintain weight after losing it- simple steps to keep weight off
• 32 Foods That Burn Belly Fat Fast {Backed by Science}

Here’s a guide on what you should have on your healthy food shopping list.

Vegetables

• Baby marrows
• Green beans
• Cucumbers
• Lettuce
• Carrots
• Butternut
• Tomato
• Parsnips
• Spinach
• Kale
• Baby potatoes
• Peppers

Meat & Fish

• Chicken breasts
• Lean beef
• Ground turkey
• Salmon
• Tuna
• Pilchards
• Sardines
• Tilapia
• Mackerel

Dairy

• Feta cheese
• Cottage cheese
• Eggs
• Full cream milk
• Greek yoghurt

Grains & Legumes

• Lentils
• Beans
• Chickpeas
• Brown rice
• Quinoa

Fruits

• Apples
• Plums
• Pears
• Oranges
• Watermelon
• Fresh berries
• Grapes

Canned Items

• Tuna
• Beans
• Lentils
• Salmon
• Coconut milk
• Chickpeas
• Olives
• Diced tomatoes

 

4 . Cut back on refined carbs to lose weight fast naturally and permanently

So many diet plans for weight loss out there call for cutting carbs entirely. This is very risky for your health as carbohydrates play a huge role. Carbs are responsible for providing your body with energy and regulating blood glucose.

While you must never completely cut off your carb intake, you can reduce your intake of refined carbohydrates. That way, you will still maintain a balanced diet, but only with healthy carbs.

How to cut carbs

There are good and bad carbs, just as we have good fats like avocado and bad fats such as stick margarine. Let’s go over what refined carbs are and why you need to cut down on them.

Refined carbs

Refined carbohydrates also known as bad carbs, are whole foods that have been highly processed to a point where they contain extremely low nutrients and fiber. Some of the processed carbs include sugary treats like syrups, sodas, granola, cookies, and cake, and refined grains like white bread, white rice, beer, and most breakfast cereals.

Instead, you should add to your diet complex carbs because they are rich in dietary fiber. Complex carbs are good for you because they will keep you feeling fuller longer, and also help keep your blood sugar in check.

List of complex (good) carbs

• Sweet potatoes
• Rolled oats and oatmeal
• Beans
• Whole-wheat pasta
• Butternut squash
• Brown rice
• Quinoa
• Whole wheat bread
• Carrots
• Strawberries
• Bananas
• Chickpeas
• Beetroots

5. Stop eating and buying junk food

Yes, we are still talking about food because you know what they say about the 80/20 ratio- weight loss is 80% diet and only 20% exercise. So if you really want to lose weight fast naturally and permanently, you have to nail your diet.

Keeping junk food in your house is a trap! If you want to lose weight, stop eating and buying junk food. And if you have some in your pantry right now, get rid of it, now.

Don’t be that person that says ‘I’ll start eating healthy after I have eaten all the crappy food that’s left over.’ Also, you might think you are Wonder Woman and possess the strength to say no to kick temptation to the curb, when cravings creep on you. It’s easy to fall into the trap of eating unhealthy food if you have it in your house. Make it difficult to fail.

 

How to stop eating junk food and lose weight

It takes 21 days to create a habit. While some have remarkable self-discipline, this is not the case for others.  Declaring that you will stop eating junk might be easier said than done, and that is why you need 21 days to break old bad eating habits.

This 21 days of no junk food challenge how to slowly make eating healthy a habit. So many challenges out there just tell you that don’t eat this and that without showing you how to ease into it. This 21-day no junk food will teach you how to stop eating junk food and lose weight.

How to lose weight naturally with 21 days no junk food challenge

Day 1

Get rid of all the junk food in your house. Write a list of healthy foods you want to eat for 21 days and go shopping. Buy what is on the list only!

Day 2

Write down why you want to stop eating junk food. Why does it matter to you that you stop eating junk food?

Day 3

Write down a list of 10 healthy snacks that you will eat instead of junk food when the cravings hit.

This will help you: 10 low-calorie snacks for weight loss

Day 4

Cook breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks today.

Day 5

Drink more water than you did yesterday.

Day 6

Learn something new today that will keep your hands and mind busy. Try journaling, knitting, crocheting, coloring, drawing, or anything that will unleash your creative side.

Day 7

Yay! You have made it for 7 days without eating junk food! Try a homemade dark chocolate recipe. Eat one serving and freeze the rest. (Refer to the list of low-calorie snacks for the recipe).

Day 8

Go to bed an hour earlier than you normally do.

Day 9

Write a letter to yourself or a close friend telling them about how you have done so far, why you chose to do the 21 days no junk food challenge, the changes you have seen so far and how you are looking forward to a life without junk food.

Day 10

Spring clean! Today may not be spring but choose to spring clean you’re your home or just your wardrobe or kitchen.

Day 11

Write an honest letter to yourself about why you had been stuffing yourself with so much junk food. Burn it after and write a promise to yourself that no matter how low you feel, you will never use food as comfort (or whatever reason).

Day 12

Find a self-care activity you like and spoil yourself today.

Day 13

Learn how to make healthy chia seed pudding today and enjoy!

Day 14

You have gone for 2 weeks without eating junk food. Well done! Buy yourself or pick fresh flowers today.

Day 15

Break the mold today and listen to classical or cool jazz music.

Day 16

Do something really nice for a stranger today.

Day 17

Find at least 3 healthy lifestyle quotes that resonate with you. Print them and hang them where you can see them as a reminder of your new lifestyle.

Day 18

Unfreeze 2 servings of homemade dark chocolate and enjoy. If you can’t finish them, eat only one serving.

Day 19

Take a long, relaxing walk today if the weather allows it. If not do 15 minutes of calming yoga.

Day 20

Crank up your favorite music today and have a solo dance party for however long you want!

Day 21

You are amazing! Spoil yourself with one or two of these: Take a warm, pampering bath, wear a fancy outfit even if you are not going anywhere, or have a spa day, and indulge in one serving of homemade dark chocolate!

6. Calculate how many calories you should eat per day to lose weight

The success of your weight loss journey will largely depend on what you eat and how much you eat. That is why it’s so important to calculate how much you should eat to lose weight. 

You don’t have to do manual calculations as it’ll probably do your head in. There are great apps on iOS and Android that you can use to find out how much you must eat per day as well as how many calories are in your food. MyFitnessPal is one of the easiest tools to log your workouts and meals. You don’t have to use the paid version as the free features will work just as well to help you figure out the basic stuff. 

Another way you can do this is by using the old-school style of pen and paper. I honestly prefer this method because it is more real when I write down what I am eating on paper. I use a fitness planner for this. 

Whichever way route you take to tracking your meals just make sure that you write your food down BEFORE eating and not after, as you might just go over your calorie allowance. 

There are times that you’ll that the portion size looks either too small or too big. At the end of the day, what matters is how many calories are in a particular food. For instance, 100 grams of granola contains a whopping 471 calories, while 100 grams of cucumber contains only 45 calories.

In short, you should never rely on eyeballing portion sizes. Buy a digital kitchen scale and weigh your food. You need to be strict with your portions – if your diet plan says you must eat 50g of avocado, then weigh that avo!

And while you are on the weight loss journey, you will hear things like ‘calories don’t count on weekends’ – this is nonsense, always remember where you are going and how far you have come. If you aren’t going all the way, why go at all?

7. Track your workouts to lose weight fast naturally and permanently

We are now moving into the 20% part of how to lose weight fast naturally and permanently, and that is exercise.

A few years back when I joined a gym, I would just show up, lift some pink dumbbells, (very beginner-friendly) spend 40 minutes on the treadmill, and call it a day. The next day, I would repeat the process. I didn’t have a plan or any idea as to what I was doing. All I knew was I had to join a gym and exercise.

Achieving results took forever because I didn’t know the what and how of exercise.  It was months later when I had a chat with someone who saw my daily struggle. This person shared her workout plan with me which I consistently followed and weeks later, my results were amazing.

It was a complete 180° shift because I now had goals to meet at the gym, and knew what I was going to train each day. I became efficient and focused.

So, this is what you need to do, whether you have a gym membership or exercise at home.

Plan your workouts in advance. Know what you are going to do and how long you are going to do it. One of the nest workout plans for beginners that delivers insane results is this 30 workout routine for beginners. Give it a go and you’ll be blown away by your transformation. 

8. Don’t be afraid to lift heavy weights

Cardio exercises like running or walking have many other benefits but they don’t play a huge role in speeding weight loss. Strength training on the other hand will help you build muscle which in turn will boost metabolism and help you burn fat even when you are at rest.

Do strength training at least 3 times a week. You will lose mostly fat when you follow a workout routine that includes strength training.

9. Have regular rest days

Doing nothing sometimes means everything. Your body needs to recover, otherwise, you might burn out and end up giving up on your goals. Have rest days at least once a week and get at least 7 hours of undisturbed sleep at night.

Final thoughts on how to lose weight fast naturally and permanently

Weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint. It will take time and there will be also ups and downs on this journey. On your down days, don’t ever make it easy to forget how far you have come. Remember WHY you started and WHY you are trying to lose weight.

10. Consistency is key to weight loss

This is your time, make it happen! How many weeks or months from now will you continue looking for weight loss solutions but never achieve any lasting results? How many years will you continue to struggle with weight?

If you really want to lose weight naturally and keep it off for good, you must be consistent and not perfect. Keep tracking your meals and workouts, and make fitness a habit.

Follow all the above steps for 7 days and after 7 days, do it for another 7 days and then another and another until it becomes a habit!

Remember, ”you can’t cheat the grind. It knows how much you have invested, it won’t give you anything you haven’t worked for.’’

Helpful resources:

• Why women should lift weights         
• 12 Insanely Delicious High-Protein Snacks That Are Easy To Make
• How to workout at home   
• Workout motivation quotes