Choosing to lose 2 lbs. per week is an attainable goal if you have a plan and stick to it. To lose 2 lbs. effectively, you must make improvements in your diet that require you to take in fewer, but healthier calories through the foods and beverages you consume. Because there are 3,500 calories in 1 lb. of fat, you will need to cut 7,000 calories per week to lose 2 lbs., which equals 1,000 calories per day.
Step 1
Identify the foods in your diet that are high in calories, such as doughnuts, chips, cookies, fatty meats, fried foods and sugary beverages. After you identify the junk food you regularly eat, look at the nutrition label on the back of the food to determine how many calories are in the food. Cut all junk foods from your diet to reduce your daily caloric intake by 1,000.
Step 2
Reduce the portion size of the meals you eat. Choose to eat your meals on a saucer-sized plate instead of a full-sized plate. Because you are reducing your total portion size, you will reduce the total number of calories that you are intaking per day. If possible, do some research to determine the caloric content of the foods you commonly eat for meals. Calculate how many calories you are saving by cutting your portions by approximately one-half.
Step 3
Consume a well-balanced diet, consisting of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, fish and beans. These foods are high in dietary fiber, which slows the absorption of food in the digestive tract. The slower absorption allows energy, or glucose, from foods to be released into your bloodstream slowly, which prevents it from being stored as fat. In addition, drink a full glass of water with your meals to help you feel full.
Step 4
Weigh yourself at the same time each day to make sure you are on track to losing 2 lbs. per week. Write down your daily weights in a journal to make sure you are averaging 2 lbs. of weight loss per week.
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