Regardless of your weight, the most effective way to lose excess pounds before the start of school involves a combination of diet and exercise. There are variations to this method of weight loss, based on the amount of weight you hope to lose and the time frame in which you want to lose it. These two factors dictate the level of diet and the intensity of exercise required to meet your goal.
Step 1
Establish your weight loss goal, taking into account the amount of time remaining before your first class. If you have 2 months and 15 lbs to lose before the start of school, that's just over 7 lbs a month, or almost 2 lbs a week. This is a completely attainable target.
Step 2
Figure out the amount of calories you need to maintain your present weight. Your body at its existing weight has a specific caloric need. Using your height in inches, your weight in pounds and your age in years, you can arrive at this number:
Women: 655 + (4.7 x inches) + (4.35 x pounds) - (4.7 x years)
Men: 66 + (12.7 x inches) + (6.23 x pounds) - (6.8 x years)
Take this solution and multiply it by 1.2 to arrive at your body's caloric need to sustain its present weight.
Step 3
Reduce your daily caloric consumption below your body's caloric need. The National Institutes of Health state that you need to create a deficit of 3,500 calories in order to lose 1 lb of weight. If you have 2 months and 15 lbs of weight to lose before the first bell rings, eating 500 calories less than your body's caloric need each day translates into almost 9 lbs of total weight loss. You're over halfway to your goal.
Step 4
Incorporate exercise into your day-to-day routine. Since you're trying to lose weight prior to the start of school, it's most likely summertime. This means there are many outdoor pursuits that can help you burn additional calories. Walking, biking, swimming, jogging and playing tennis, basketball or other competitive sports are all great options. To get an idea of how many calories you can burn in a given activity, consult the Health Assessment Tool in the Resources section.
Step 5
Take a summer job that keeps you active. Many summer jobs available to high school and college students increase activity levels, encouraging the body to burn more calories and promoting further weight loss. Camp counselors, lifeguards and bike couriers are just a few positions that can keep the body active. Waiting tables, walking dogs, painting houses, working construction and landscaping can all improve fitness levels and thereby help you to shed those excess pounds before the start of school.
Step 6
Consider heading to camp as a camper. If you're interested in sports, there's probably a camp geared toward your particular game. Not only do these camps improve your skills, making you a better competitor, but they also promote physical fitness and increase your level of activity, which can help you lose weight. Football, baseball, basketball, soccer, tennis, gymnastics and cheerleading all have camps devoted to the sport.
Step 7
Enlist the help of high school or college friends. It's often easier to lose the weight with the support of friends. Plan activities with your friends that not only keep you outside and on your feet but that are also fun. Kayaking, hiking or cycling trips can get you and your high school or college friends outdoors and burning calories.
Tips and Warnings
- As you work to lose weight, make sure you're not drinking your calories. Juices, sodas and beverages containing alcohol not only contain calories, but these calories are often empty due to the high fructose content. Just drink water; it's the safest bet. Start tracking your calories in a notebook. To keep tabs of what you're eating, the caloric value of foods and the amount of calories burned through exercise, jot it all down in a notebook. This can help you from going over your calories for the day, ensuring weight loss.
- In keeping with the recommendations from the National Institutes of Health, men shouldn't reduce their caloric intake below 1,500 calories. Women should have at least 1,200 calories a day. If you plan on going below these numbers, consult with your doctor.
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