Losing weight is a simple matter of burning more calories than you take in. While that formula appears simple, it can be difficult to adhere to when attempting to lose weight over a month's time. The Mayo Clinic recommends losing weight at a steady pace of 1 to 2 lbs. per week, so over the course of a month, the most you should healthily shed is around 10 lbs. The natural way to do this is through diet and exercise.
Step 1
Reduce your caloric intake. You have to create a deficit of 3,500 calories per pound of fat that you want to lose. So in order to lose 2 lbs. in a week, you have to cut out 700 calories per day through a combination of diet and exercise. The Mayo Clinic suggests you limit your diet to foods such as lean meats, low-fat dairy products, whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables.
Step 2
Engage in routine aerobic exercise. Work out for a minimum of two hours and 30 minutes per week. This breaks down to 30 minutes, five days a week. For example, running at a brisk pace for 30 minutes can burn up to 500 calories. This contributes to your calorie deficit that you are trying to create.
Step 3
Rest the appropriate amount of time. Take time off between workouts so that your body has time to recover. For example, run for two days in a row, then take the third day off. Or choose an exercise on the third day that doesn't entail the high impact of running, such as swimming. This will allow you to burn calories while still resting your legs.
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