Whether you are getting ready for a wedding, or just want to lose 20 pounds to get healthier, there are ways to lose the weight in only a month. According to the Mayo Clinic, it is healthier to lose weight at a rate of one or two pounds a week. However, it is possible to lose five pounds a week with the right weight loss plan.
Step 1
Calculate how many calories you should eat. One of the most important aspects of losing weight is diet. To calculate your calories, input your age, height, weight, goal (five pounds per week) and expected activity level. The results will tell you how many calories you can eat each day to reach your goals.
Step 2
Burn calories through exercise. The more calories you burn through exercise, the greater amount of calories you will be able to eat each day while still reaching your weight loss goals. You can burn calories in multiple ways including strength training, running, hiking, swimming, going for a walk, playing basketball, going for a bike ride and any other activity that raises your heart rate. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you should aim for at least 30 minutes a day of exercise five days a week. Depending on the intensity of the activity, you may need to increase your activity level to 45 minutes to an hour to reach five pounds a week of weight loss.
Step 3
Get adequate nutrition. When trying to lose a large amount of weight in a short period of time, you may be tempted to cut out important food groups to meet your calorie goals. To avoid this, continue to eat foods from the major food groups, as laid out by the United States Department of Agriculture's MyPyramid project. If your calculated calorie intake is currently too low to do this, try increasing your exercise intensity so as to gain more calories for your diet. Never let your calories drop below 1,000 per day without direction to do so by your doctor.
Step 4
Drink plenty of water. According to the American Dietetic Association (ADA), the average person loses 2.5 quarts of water everyday. When increasing your activity level, you lose even more through perspiration. Water is needed to fuel the weight loss process. To keep the process running smoothly, the ADA recommends drinking 3.7 liters of water per day for men, and 2.7 liters per day for women.
Tips and Warnings
- If you want to lose more than 20 pounds after the month is over, adjust your weekly weight loss goal to only one or two pounds a week. This gives your body more time to adjust and gives you a better chance of both sticking to your weight loss routine and keeping the weight off.
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