When people think of a fast fat loss diet, extreme dieting often come to mind but in reality the only safe, effective and natural way to lose fat fast is through nutritional alterations and exercise. For the best results good nutrition can be paired with both aerobic and strength training forms of exercise.

Before you begin a fast weight loss campaign it’s important to keep in mind that your body is programmed to maintain your current weight. This can be very frustrating for some people, who often conclude that their weight does not change no matter what they do. It is true that substantial weight changes don’t occur overnight (except for water-weight fluctuations), but everyone is capable of altering their weight.

The simplest, and often most effective method for fast fat loss is to calculate how many calories your body needs a day to maintain your current body weight and then consume less than that. This creates what is called a “calorie deficit”, in which your body doesn’t have quite enough fuel from the calories consumed during the course of the day and therefore must used stored energy in the body (i.e. fat).

To calculate the amount of calories your body consumes in a given day, otherwise known as your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), use the following formula:

Women: 655+(4.3 x weight)+(4.7 x height)-(4.7 x age)
Men: 66+(6.3 x weight)+(12.9 x height )-(6.8 x age)

Increase this BMR by a certain percent (20=very low, 30= light activity, 40= exercise most days) , depending on your daily level of activity.

Now that you have calculated your adjusted BMR, you know how many calories your body uses in a given day. Take that adjusted BMR and subtract 500 calories to get your target number for weight loss. Now it is your job to keep track of the number of calories you consume, which is not fun in the beginning, but gets much easier. This can be done online, with smart phone applications, or with a pencil and paper. Keep in mind that everyone’s body is slightly different, so you may need to make adjustments to create a larger or smaller caloric deficit. Additionally, while the foods you eat are up to you as long as you stay below your calorie limit, most suggest consuming foods that are digested slowly and make you feel full longer like whole grains, fruits, vegetables and protein. Also note that creating too large of a deficit may cause your body to think you are in a state of starvation, which will lead your body to absorb food calories more efficiently.

If you carefully create a calorie deficit you will lose weight fast. If you want to lose body fat even faster however, you should also consider adding exercise to your regime. The most effective exercise routines will include both aerobic exercise (running, swimming, biking), with strength training (weight lifting). Sustained aerobic exercise will burn calories and help you reach your deficit, and strength training will burn calories as well as build lean muscle. Lean muscle can replace fat and help burn more calories even while at rest. Also keep in mind that you can do strength training without getting bigger looking, lean muscle is just that–lean. Both forms of exercise can also increase your metabolism.

As mentioned above, everyone is different in their starting weights, BMRs and activity levels, but in the end if you create a calorie deficit through nutrition and exercise you will lose weight.