Losing 45 lbs. in just four months is an aggressive, but achievable, goal. As with other weight-loss programs, the key is burning more calories than you take in. The difference simply lies in how many fewer calories you eat. As you take on this difficult task, be forgiving with yourself. If you fall behind and lose only 30 lbs. in 12 weeks, you will still have made significant progress in your weight-loss transformation.
Prepare for Your Weight Loss
Step 1
Spend two to five days tracking what you eat. Do this prior to beginning your four-month weight-loss project. Record what you eat, how much you eat and approximately how many calories are in each item.
Step 2
Total the number of calories you ate over the period you tracked.
Step 3
Divide the total from step 2 by the number of days you tracked. This is your average daily calorie intake.
Step 4
Weigh yourself twice during the time you journal your eating habits. Divide by 2 and use the result as your starting weight.
Begin Your Diet Plan
Step 1
Adopt a diet where you eat 700 fewer calories per day. If you diet for 120 days, this is half of the approximately 160,000 calories you'll need to cut out in order to meet your goals. This total is rounded up to leave you room for bad days.
Step 2
Plan and prepare your meals ahead of time whenever possible. This makes it much easier to stick to your diet as compared to making things up as you go along.
Step 3
Take a multivitamin every day. This will help fill any nutritional holes left by your reduced food intake.
Step 4
Drink a glass of water before each meal. Also drink water as your first response to between-meal cravings. This fills your stomach with zero-calorie liquid and helps you resist temptation.
Execute an Exercise Plan
Step 1
Access an online calorie-counting program. Choose one that tells you how many calories you burn via exercise.
Step 2
Identify exercises you would like to do that burn approximately 700 calories in one hour. Running, cycling and swimming are good candidates.
Step 3
Perform your chosen exercise every day. As you start, you may need to work out longer and at a slower pace.
Step 4
Invite a buddy to work out with you. This can help you stay on track by making the workout more enjoyable and reducing chances of skipping exercise.
Tips and Warnings
- Weigh yourself twice per week to track your progress. If you're not losing 2 to 3 lbs. each week, ramp up your diet or exercise. If you're losing more than 3 lbs., you can even ease off a bit.
References
- "You: The Owner's Manual"; Mehmet Oz et al; 2005
- "Body for Life"; Bill Philips; 2006
- "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy"; Walter Willett, MD; 2007
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