Losing five pounds in 25 days is achievable with a little bit of know-how, determination, and discipline. To lose fat weight, you must burn more calories than you consume. Therefore, the journey begins with the application of simple math. One pound of fat equals 3,500 calories. Thus, in order to lose five pounds in 25 days, you will need to create a deficit of 17,500 calories, which averages out to be 700 calories a day. A combination of exercise and a healthy diet is optimal for losing the weight and keeping it off.
Determine Current Caloric Needs, Intake and Expenditure
Step 1
Journal for three days to determine how many calories you normally consume and burn through physical activity on a daily basis. Knowing these numbers will give you an understanding of how many calories you must cut to create a deficit.
Step 2
Calculate your resting metabolic rate, or RMR. Your RMR is the amount of calories needed to maintain basic bodily function like breathing. Your RMR accounts for 65 to 75 percent of total daily energy expenditure and does not account for daily physical activity. Ideally, you want to consume at least the same amount of calories to meet the demands of your RMR, and ensure that you expend more calories than this number to create a deficit. Therefore, if your RMR is 1,400, the minimum amount of calories you need to consume is 1,400. Burn additional calories through physical activity.
To determine your RMR
Men: (10 X Weight in Kilograms) + (6.25 X Height in Centimeters) – (5 X Age) + 5
Women: (10 X Weight in Kilograms) + (6.25 X Height in Centimeters) – (5 X Age) – 161
Step 3
Determine how many additional calories you will burn in physical activity energy expenditure and how many calories you will decrease in diet. Remember that the goal is to create a daily deficit of 700 calories. Factors that will influence this determination include time, convenience, and resources. For example, you may decide that you are more willing to exercise than to cut out anything from your diet. Therefore, you may choose to expend an extra 500 calories in exercise and only cut out 200 calories in your diet.
Create a Deficit of Calories Through Exercise
Step 1
Perform cardio exercises such as swimming, biking, and running to burn excess calories. Exercise aerobically for 20 to 60 minutes per day, three to five days per week. Cardio exercise is a short-term calorie burner.
Step 2
Strength train all the major muscles in the body two or three days per week. Perform 10 to 15 repetitions for two to three sets. Strength training is a long-term metabolism booster.
Step 3
Increase daily activities such as walking distances, performing household chores, and climbing stairs. Any extra daily duty adds to the total caloric expenditure to lose weight.
Create a Deficit of Calories Through Proper Nutrition
Step 1
Choose foods that are rich in nutrients and low in calories and fat. Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean meats are optimal examples of foods that supply sufficient nutrients without excess calories. Fiber provides a sensation of feeling full which is good for reducing the compulsive need to eat.
Step 2
Control the portion sizes of food to cut calories. Vegetable, fruit, and whole grain portions should be about one cup per serving. Lean meat portions such as chicken and fish should be the size of a deck of cards.
Step 3
Eat five to six small meals a day. Eating small meals throughout the day keeps the metabolism stoked and the body full so that you will not feel the need to binge packing on excess pounds.
Step 4
Drink plenty of ice water to keep the stomach full and to assist with the elimination of waste. The body burns additional calories to warm up the ice water once in the body, boosting the metabolism. You should drink half your body weight in ounces. For example, a 150 pound person should consume 75 ounces of ice water daily.
Journal Your Progress
Step 1
List your daily goals at the beginning of your journal. List how many calories you will burn through exercise each day and how many calories you will cut out each day. For example, to create a deficit of 700 calories a day, you may decide to expend an additional 500 calories by cycling for 45 minutes and cut out 200 calories by passing on the 32 ounce soda pop.
Step 2
Record your physical activity energy expenditure in your journal on a daily basis to ensure that you are burning enough calories. Record how many calories you burn through structured cardio exercise, everyday activities, and weight training. This number should reach the caloric goal that you established when you calculated your caloric deficit through exercise.
Step 3
Record the number of calories you consume at every small meal. The number of calories in food can easily be found either within tables online or listed on the packaging.
Step 4
Weigh yourself every five days and log your results. Make adjustments in your plan, if necessary. You know if you are on the right track if the scale is going down.
Tips and Warnings
- Avoid reducing caloric intake to extreme lows. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that calorie levels never drop below 1,200 calories per day for women or 1,800 calories per day for men.
- Please consult with your physician before beginning any new exercise program or diet.
Things You'll Need
- Calculator
- Scale
- Journal
Member Comments
melbaby_605 June 28
I have a question, I am trying to understand the RMR and calculating proper nutrient needs to lose weight, if I consume 1,400 calories and burn 600, that would make my net to 800 calories. Does that mean that I need to net the RMR need at 1,400 or what? I am confused.