Quick weight loss doesn't come easily. If you want to drop 2 or more lbs. per week, you need to make changes in your lifestyle that you can keep up over time to make sure the weight stays off. Before you start, take stock of your current habits and commit to altering them in the name of becoming healthier and happier. And consult your doctor before beginning a diet or exercise program.
Method
According to the National Institutes of Health, the only proven method for weight loss is burning more calories than you consume, ideally through a program of regular physical activity and balanced, low-calorie eating. Although it's tempting to lose weight as quickly as you can, most medical organizations recommend losing no more than 2 lbs. per week, since people who drop weight faster than that are less likely to keep it off.
Meal Plans
Of diet and exercise, diet is more effective at encouraging weight loss, according to MayoClinic.com preventive medicine specialist Donald Hensrud, M.D. Whereas it's difficult to control how many calories you burn through exercise, you can control how many calories you cut out of your diet if you keep careful tabs on what you eat.
Cut 1,000 calories from your daily diet to lose 2 lbs. per week. Focus on foods with low energy density when you plan meals, which means eating foods that have high water, fiber and protein contents and low calorie and fat contents. Use plenty of beans, legumes, vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, whole grains and nonfat dairy.
Exercise
For quick weight loss, go with vigorous and high-intensity aerobic exercises, since they burn the most calories. For example, MayoClinic.com notes that for a 160-lb. person, an hour of running at 8 mph burns nearly 1,000 calories and an hour of rollerblading burns more than 900. In contrast, low-impact aerobics and weightlifting burn about 365 and 220 calories per hour, respectively. Work out for at least 45 minutes at a time on five or six days per week for weight loss. If your doctor OKs it, you can exceed those guidelines to get quicker results.
Considerations
Since it can be tough to transition into a demanding diet and exercise program, do it by making a variety of small adjustments. For example, embrace convenience by using a low-calorie meal replacement to replace one full meal every day, and get up 30 minutes earlier in the morning so you can work out before you start your daily activities.With the assistance of your doctor, pick changes you can sustain over time so that your health will remain a high priority.
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