A six-week body makeover is a good way to set up a short-term weight-loss and fitness goal. So long as you change your habit safely and keep your expectations realistic, it is possible to make a noticeable change in your body in that time frame. The number of calories you should take in to help change your body in six weeks depends on a number of factors, all of which must be taken into consideration.
Calories and Weight Loss
MayoClinic.com notes that a healthy weight loss rate is no more than 1 to 2 lbs. per week. Setting yourself a weight-loss goal of 10 lbs. over a 6-week period is reasonable. One lb. of fat is equal to 3,500 calories. So over the next six weeks, you will need to cut 35,000 calories from your diet, which works out to about 5,830 calories a week, or about 830 calories a day. According to Harvard Health Publications, to find the number of calories you would require to maintain your current weight, you should multiply your current weight by 15, if you are already moderately active. So if you are a 200-lb. man, to keep your current weight you should consume 3,000 calories a day. To lose 10 lbs. in 6 weeks, you should bring your daily total calorie intake down to 2,170. This is an estimate, of course. Your specific needs will vary somewhat depending on your age, weight, gender and activity level.
Where to Cut Calories
Cutting calories may be easier than you think. Swapping out two, 8-oz. glasses of soda for water will save you 180 calories. Forgoing the mayo and cheese on your daily sandwich can save you about 150 calories. Taking the skin off your chicken will save you 50 calories. Having one egg at breakfast instead of two will save you 90 calories. And serving yourself a 1/2 cup of pasta instead of 1 cup of pasta will save you 110 calories. To stave off hunger, switch to whole grains, which break down more slowly in the body and help you feel full for longer, and add extra vegetables and fruits to your diet. This will provide you with extra bulk for a small number of calories.
Calorie Guidelines
If you burn 200 calories a day through exercise, that's 200 calories you don't have to cut from your diet. Exercise will also help you obtain more dramatic results that go beyond weight loss and help tone, firm and shape your body. The heavier you are, the more calories you will burn during exercise. One hour of biking burns between 292 and 436 calories, depending on your weight; one hour of brisk walking burns between 277 and 414 calories and one hour of jogging burns between 584 and 872. These values are for people between 160 and 240 lbs. and may be more or less if your weight falls outside of this range.
Caution
The focus of all weight loss should ultimately be your health, with a better physique as a bonus. Going on an extreme diet or exercise plan in an attempt to lose a large amount of weight in a short amount of can be dangerous for your health and may set you up to fail at weight loss in the future. The minimum number of calories you can consume and still receive the nutrition you need is 1,200 if you are a woman and 1,500 if you are a man. Less than this amount, and you may put yourself at risk of serious health problems.
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