From Mayo Clinic to your inbox Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview.

Losing weight is a gradual process that requires time and effort. But there are some ways to speed up your weight loss journey safely.

A healthy weight loss diet shouldn’t just make the numbers on the scale go down; it should also help you get healthy “numbers” in other respects — and generally make you feel good. 

Chewing or mastication initiates the process of digestion. Some preliminary research found that chewing each mouthful thoroughly and prolonging meal duration reduced food intake.

Some research indicates that those with low vitamin D blood levels are more likely to be obese and not get enough exercise.

Obesity Reviews 2017: Prevalence of personal weight control attempts in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

We get it. Everyone would prefer a quick solution for weight loss. But losing 20 pounds in a month isn’t a healthy (or realistic) goal for most of us. Rapid weight loss often leads to an eventual rebound, landing you back where you started.

There are plenty of ways to lose weight without going on a diet or exercising. The above tips are a great way to start making positive lifestyle changes.

The purpose of the Mayo Clinic Diet is to help you lose excess weight and find a healthy way of eating that you can sustain for a lifetime.

In addition, the healthy habits and kinds of foods recommended here on the Mayo Clinic Diet — including lots of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, beans, fish and healthy fats — can further reduce your risk of certain health conditions.

Our team thoroughly researches and evaluates the recommendations we make on our site. To establish that the product manufacturers addressed safety and efficacy standards, we:

The painful pleasure of a successful workout ✅ Punish yourself for shortchanging your workout or diet.

Does this sound familiar? You overate tonight so you decide to eat less tomorrow. Another day or two of very low calories go by to make up for overeating a few days ago and you end up binging again - and the cycle continues.

Dropping weight permanently and naturally is usually a little-by-little effort. If you’ve got a high school reunion or wedding coming up, try to resist the temptation to crash diet your way to weight loss.