8 Tips to Rapid Weight Loss

Water - Drink more water. Your body is composed of mostly water. Doesn't it make sense that water should be a major part of your daily nutrients? While most people don't tend to think of water as a nutrient, it is essential to carry nutrients in your blood, to lubricate your joints, to help your brain function properly, to keep your kidneys working well, to aid your digestive system, and it's needed in practically every biological activity that your body does. The formula for how much to drink is easy. Take your bodyweight, divide it in half, and drink that many ounces of water each day.

The Meat of the Matter - Eat more lean protein at every meal. The good proteins are fish, tofu, nuts, and beans. The bad proteins are beef, pork, and factory-farmed chicken and turkey. These foods not only contain more fat but they can also have hormones, antibiotics, and other chemicals in them.

Find the Fats - Eat the right fats. Get rid of things that can clog your arteries and put you in the high-risk category for heart attack, stroke, and high blood pressure. Remove the chicken skin. Switch to low-fat salad dressing or skip it completely. You'll actually taste the salad! Stop using corn oil and other vegetable cooking oils. When heated, they become trans-fats and are not digestible. Use olive oil, preferably extra virgin olive oil. Don't eat any margarine, partially hydrogenated oils, or fried foods.

Lose the Booze - Avoid alcohol in all its different forms - wine, beer, mixed drinks, and hard liquor. Despite what some studies might tell you, you won't lose any health benefits by not drinking alcohol. Remember that alcohol is a poison to your body and not a health food. Instead, drink herbal teas and water. 

Curb Your Carbs - Eat less white bread, white rice, white sugar. These products are refined and are stripped of their nutritional value by the processing that they undergo before making it to the store shelves. You can still eat carbohydrates. In fact, you need them daily to supply your body with energy. Work on eating foods like oatmeal, sweet potatoes, vegetables, and fruits.

Eating Raw - Raw vegetables and fruits provide nutrients and fiber. Try to eat a diet that is full of whole grains, seeds, sprouts, and nuts. Some of the best fruits to eat are blueberries, strawberries, apples, pears, and oranges.

Dump the Dairy - Reduce your intake of cheese, butter, ice cream, and milk. These foods are all high in fat content. Many people have food allergies and dairy products are often the number one problem. Doesn't it seem a little strange that we are the only living things on the planet that drink milk after we're weaned from our mothers? What's even stranger is the fact that we are the only creatures on the planet that drink the milk of a completely different species. If you still feel the need for dairy products, go for low-fat yogurt.

Muscle Up - Weight training boosts your metabolism. Muscle burns calories at a higher rate than fat. As a result, your metabolism is running at a higher level. You burn more calories even while you're sleeping when you have more muscle mass. Weight training should be done a minimum of three times per week. Alternate the training sessions - upper body one day, then lower body the next day or work on the pushing muscles for one session followed by the pulling muscles the next session. Always give your body a chance to recover by waiting at least 24-48 hours before working the same muscle groups.