There's nothing wrong with quick ways to lose weight as long as you remember they're not meant to be the complete answer to weight loss. But if you're looking to lose a few pounds in a matter of days, or to get a flying start to a longer term weight loss program then this article will show you three quick ways you can do this.

1. Cut out colas and other high calorie drinks

This may not be easy if you normally drink a lot of soft, sweet drinks. But you have to cut them out. Don't opt for the low sugar variety, because the artificial sweeteners in them tend to make you crave sweet foods and your weight loss quest could become more difficult.

Instead of taking drinks of cola, drink water instead. You don't have to buy expensive bottled water - tap water left in an open container in your refrigerator overnight is just as good. First thing in the morning, and before each meal, drink a glass of water - more if the weather is hot. This will make your body feel fuller and crave food less. It will also assist in proper digestion of food and flushing of fats from your system, thereby boosting your health and "feel good" factor.

After a few days, drink a glass of cola again. You'll notice how sickly it tastes, and may never want to drink it any more.

2. Avoid all fried foods and red meat

Fried foods are invariably high in fat content and calories. You have to cut these out if you are to lose weight quickly. There are plenty of other ways to cook your food - roasting, basting, baking, grilling and boiling, to name just a few. Try keeping to fish, chicken or lean meats, and having smaller portions. If you are eating out, avoid the excessively large portions provided by default in many restaurants. If necessary, ask for a child's portion. Avoid take away foods at all costs.

Always start with soup or a salad. The soup must be water based, not cream or milk. Minestrone, vegetable or tomato is ideal. The salad must contain plenty of roughage and dark greens such as spinach. You can top it with vinegar (which helps your body deal with fat) or a low-calorie dressing.

3. Start walking or running

This part depends on how much exercise - how much walking or even running you do already. If you are much overweight the chances are that you don't do any running, and only a little, if any, walking.

But any exercise is better than none at all. If you don't normally walk much, start taking a 10 to 20 minute walk each day. This doesn't sound much but it can make a real difference to your weight if you normally don't walk at all. If you can, make it 30 minutes, but you may wish to take a little time before you get to that stage.

If you normally do a fair amount of walking anyway, then try a little running. Start with a distance and pace well within your capacity, and if you have any health issues at all take medical advice first.

Whether you run or walk, your body will adjust itself and its weight to cope with the additional demands being placed on it. You can expect to see results quickly, provided you don't skip any day's exercise and keep to the routine. They say "no gain without pain". Well, the pain doesn't have to be excessive, and yet the gain can be considerable.

Try these three quick ways to lose weight, and then check out which of the three leading weight loss programs is for you by reading this impartial review.

Copyright © 2009 Philip Gegan