If you’ve ever attempted to lose weight, you know it’s easier said than done. A complex combination of factors, including genetic makeup, hormonal imbalances, mental health, and chronic illness, can create an uphill battle for women on their weight loss journey. And while obesity rates are slightly higher in men, women often encounter greater challenges when slimming down to support their health. Additional factors like lower muscle mass, a slower metabolic rate, and hormonal differences can make it more difficult for women to drop pounds.
When you're trying to make a change and take off weight, slow results can be disheartening and discouraging. Fortunately, there are ways for women to lose weight fast without resorting to fad diets or jeopardizing their health.
Is It Possible to Lose Weight Quickly and Keep It Off?
It is possible to lose weight fast and keep it off, but how you lose the weight matters. Resorting to severe diet restrictions, intense exercise regimes, or questionable weight loss pills is a potentially dangerous way to shed weight and can lead to health complications.
Decades ago, fad diets and women's weight loss pills were all the rage. You couldn't turn on the television without seeing an ad for a product promising you the waistline you'd always wanted. Even today, you can come across weight loss "hacks" and absurd diets on social media that claim to help women see results quickly. Unfortunately, the approaches of the past for fast weight loss can be detrimental to your health.
Rapid weight loss is unsustainable when you substantially restrict your calorie intake or commit to an over-the-top exercise routine. Quick results from crash diets and extreme exercise are almost always temporary. The weight typically returns once you stop maintaining that unhealthy lifestyle, and fast weight loss from such measures can lead to malnutrition, gallstones, dehydration, and electrolyte imbalances.
You can lose weight quickly and stay in shape, but fad diets, rigorous exercise, and so-called "magic" weight loss pills are not a safe strategy. When you want to shed weight quickly and maintain your new silhouette, your best option is to seek guidance from a healthcare professional.
Medical Weight Loss: A Clinician-Backed Approach
Medical weight loss involves taking a prescription medication to lose weight under the guidance and supervision of a licensed healthcare provider. There are clinically-researched weight loss injections and oral tablets available, including Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus, and Mounjaro, that can help women take control of their health and live a life of confidence.
With this modern approach, there’s no need to worry about questionable weight loss products or routines. Throughout the process, you receive personalized care that takes your unique health profile into account, a prescribed treatment that supports sustainable weight loss, and expert guidance to give you peace of mind.
Because a weight loss doctor is looking closely at your medical history to determine your eligibility and create a plan that fits your needs, you can rest assured that starting treatment is a healthy strategy.
How GLP-1 Medications Can Help Women Lose Weight Faster
GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy are changing the way women lose weight and keep it off. GLP-1 medications mimic the actions of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a hormone that plays a vital role in regulating blood sugar levels.
Originally, scientists developed GLP-1 medications to help people with Type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar levels. Today, the ability of GLP-1 medications to regulate blood sugar levels and reduce hunger and cravings make these medications a game-changer for those struggling to lower their calorie intake and lose weight fast.
Produced naturally in the body mostly by the intestines and colon, GLP-1 hormones help to:
- Trigger the release of insulin from the pancreas, a hormone which helps lower blood sugar levels by allowing cells to take up glucose from the bloodstream.
- Reduce the release of glucagon, another hormone that raises blood sugar levels, further contributing to blood sugar control.
- Signal the brain to promote feelings of fullness, leading to reduced food intake and potentially weight loss.
- Slow down stomach emptying, which can also contribute to feelings of fullness and reduce the rate at which glucose enters the bloodstream.
GLP-1 medications contain the active ingredient semaglutide and are available in two different treatment formats. The most well-known brand name is Ozempic, a weight loss injection you take once weekly. Another option for women is Rybelsus medication, a weight loss pill you take daily. Wegovy is a weight loss injection alternative to Ozempic. The main difference between the two is that Ozempic is approved to treat Type 2 diabetes and Wegovy is a higher-dose version that’s approved for weight loss.
When taken under the supervision of a healthcare professional, GLP-1 medications can have a profound effect on your weight loss journey, making it easier to create the calorie deficit needed to achieve rapid, sustainable weight loss.
Best Diet Strategies to Lose Weight Fast
Everyone needs calories for the energy to maintain good health and keep important biological functions working, but when you consume more calories than your body needs, they get stored as fat, resulting in weight gain.
The key to fast weight loss is to burn more calories than you consume through healthy eating and exercise. While every woman's body is different, limiting calorie intake to about 1,500 calories or less is typically recommended for successful weight loss. Here are some tips for modifying your meal prep to better manage weight:
- Monitor your caloric intake and modify your diet to consume more nutrient-dense foods.
- Choose whole, unprocessed foods over fatty foods, snacks and sugary sweets.
- Add more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and beneficial fats to your meal plan.
But what happens when you can’t control what you eat? Disordered eating is a significant problem in Canada, with 2% of Canadians struggling with overeating and 80% of eating disorder patients being women. When food noise disrupts your health, weight loss medications can help regulate hunger cues in the brain, silence obsessive thoughts about food, and enable a healthy relationship with what you eat.
Best Exercise Strategies for Rapid Weight Loss
You can't create the calorie deficit required to lose weight without spending time exercising. Here are some strategies most experts recommend to burn calories:
- Focus on moderate-intensity aerobic exercise that raises your heart rate. Brisk walking, jogging, and swimming are great cardio-based activities you can try.
- Aim to spend at least 150 minutes exercising throughout the week.
- Incorporate strength training to build lean muscle. This may help increase your resting metabolic rate.
As your body gets accustomed to regular exercise, consider devoting more time to being active and exploring more challenging activities. Finding a strong support group of people who encourage you to start active hobbies and make healthy menus can help you stay motivated and focused on your journey.
Start Your Weight Loss Journey with the Right Approach
If you’re ready to take the next step toward your weight loss goals, seeking guidance from a licensed healthcare professional is a smart place to start. A weight loss doctor can give you access to weight loss treatments like GLP-1 medications, which can support healthier choices in diet and exercise to increase calorie burn.
By using these expert tips for rapid, sustainable weight loss and receiving extra medical help, women can find it easier to take control of hunger and cravings, achieve more weight loss month-to-month, and promote energy for active living. Set yourself up for success with a weight loss strategy that puts your overall health before quick results.
