Any time you want to burn fat, you have your work cut out for you. If you have a pending event coming up in three weeks and you want to look good, the challenge level is suddenly higher. As long as you have a strong will and no problem making sacrifices with your diet and exercise habits, you stand a good chance at achieving your goal. Although three weeks is not a lot of time to make significant changes, you can definitely see marked improvements with your body.
Step 1
Restrict your calories to promote fast weight loss. Begin by tracking your current intake for a couple days to get a starting point. Cut back by 1,000 calories and make that your new total per day. This will cause about 2 lbs. of weight loss a week and 6 lbs. by three weeks. Because 3,500 calories is equivalent to 1 lb.
Step 2
Base your diet around low energy density foods. According to MayoClinic.com, low energy density foods have high volume but are low in calories. Eating these foods allows you to fill up while not overdoing it on your caloric intake -- these include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and lean meats.
Step 3
Include small snacks between your meals. The goal is to keep your appetite under control throughout the day. If you become ravenous, you run the risk of overeating at mealtime and blowing your chances of losing fat in three weeks. Fix snacks that are small and healthy. Whole grain crackers with hummus dip, an apple with 10 almonds, low fat yogurt with fruit and air popped popcorn are healthy options. Keep your snacks in the range of 100 to 200 calories.
Step 4
Replace all the liquid-calorie beverages in your diet with water. Water is calorie-free, it hydrates the system and it also flushes impurities from your body. Give up the flavored lattes, slushies, soft drinks, processed fruit drinks and alcoholic beverages. Not only are these beverages high in calories, but they do not give you a full feeling when you consume them.
Step 5
Perform high intensity interval training to burn fat fast. Interval training is performed by alternating bouts of high and low intensity throughout a workout. Choose a form of cardio that you enjoy and start with a light warmup. Exercise at an all-out effort for 20 seconds, then ease back to a light effort for 40. Continue this pattern for 30 to 45 minutes and finish with a light cooldown. Work out on three alternating days a week.
Step 6
Integrate circuit training into your fat loss plan. Circuit training builds muscle, which is metabolically active, and it also burns a high amount of calories. Perform a series of exercises that target all your major muscle groups like pushups, shoulder presses, back rows, triceps dips, biceps curls and squats. Aim for 12 to 15 reps, take 30- to 45-second rest breaks in between each set and repeat the circuit four times. Work out three days a week on noncardio days.
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