Need some quick weight loss tips?
A high school reunion. A wedding. A beach vacation.
That big lifetime event that seemed so far away for such a long time is creeping up and you forgot to lose those 10 or 20 pounds. What do you do?
There are plenty of changes you can make for quick weight loss, but the first step is to know how much you should actually be eating. If you need to lose weight, you are likely taking in more calories than your body needs to be healthy.
Calories in vs. Calories out
Quick weight loss comes down to taking in fewer calories than you expend on a daily basis. You need to burn more calories than you consume.
First, you need to know how many calories you should be eating in a day. To maintain a healthy weight, an average woman needs to eat about 2,000 calories per day. To lose one pound per week, an average woman needs to go down to 1,500 calories per day.
An average man, however, needs to eat about 2,500 calories per day to maintain his weight, and 2,000 calories per day to lose one pound per week.
These numbers are based on the average body build and do not suit everyone. Your weight-loss calorie intake depends on various factors, including your age, height, current weight, activity level and metabolic health among others. Use a weight-loss calculator to determine the daily maximum number of calories you should be eating to lose weight.
Another way to go about it…
Be aware of how many calories you usually consume on a daily basis and subtract that number by 500 or 1,000. Since one pound equals 3,500 calories, reducing your caloric intake by 500 will allow you to lose one pound per week. If you reduce your caloric intake by 1,000, you're better able to lose two pounds per week.
It is important that you aim to lose weight at a healthy pace. While you may be eager to get the pounds off as fast as possible, a healthy rate is to reach a weight loss of about 0.5-2 pounds per week. It is proven that people who lose weight gradually and steadily are more likely to keep the weight off long-term.
Furthermore, you need to burn more calories on a daily basis than you take in. Participating in regular exercise will help you burn excess calories.
Now you know the basic formula for quick weight loss. You might be thinking, if it's that easy, why haven't I been able to do it? Read on for simple tweaks you can make to naturally reduce your calorie intake and increase your calorie output.
Simple Tweaks for Quick Weight Loss
Restricting calories isn't easy (or fun, for that matter). People have a hard time keeping weight off because it's easy to fall back to their favorite, calorie-laden foods. Here are a few tricks you can incorporate into your diet to make you feel more full, more energetic and crave better-for-you foods.
Eat more protein.
Protein is a power nutrient that makes you feel full longer, making it easier for you to eat less over the course of a day. High-protein foods take more work to digest and metabolize, so you are burning more calories while processing them. A diet high in protein is also good for building lean muscle and keeping your metabolism working.
Aim to consume between 0.5-1 grams of protein per pound of your body weight. Getting about 30 of those grams at your breakfast meal will help you regulate your appetite all day.
Choose water over soda.
If a high percentage of your daily calories comes from soda and other sugary drinks, such as fruit juice, alcohol, and chocolate milk, giving these beverages up is an easy way to start losing weight quick.
Liquid calories don't get registered by the brain in the same way as calories that come from food. Calories from beverages are empty calories and are not likely to make you feel full like calories from food should.
Two cans of soda per day add approximately 24 to 35 pounds of fat per year. People have reported that by giving up those two cans per day, they were able to lose 20 pounds in six months without even exercising.
Replacing that soda with water not only reduces your caloric intake but also increases your caloric burn throughout the day. Also, drinking water before meals can help you reduce how much you eat. If water sounds too boring for you, coffee and green tea are great solutions as well.
Imagine how much faster you can lose weight by drinking more water, eating more fruits and vegetables and exercising in addition to giving up soda.
Move more.
Part of the equation to quick weight loss is expending calories. In addition to reducing your caloric intake, you need to exercise and move your body to burn more calories. If you simply reduce calories without exercising, the weight will not come off as fast as it would if you added in exercise.
For overall health, it is beneficial if you can aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise five days per week. But if you're starting at zero, there are plenty of small adjustments you can make to burn more calories throughout the day.
Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park at the furthest parking spot. Take your furry friend and go for quick 15-minute walks during your breaks at work. This way you'll help your dog lose weight, too.
When you restrict calories, it is important to do some weight-bearing exercise as well. Eating fewer calories reduces your metabolism, which can lead to loss of muscle mass. The only way to keep your metabolism up and burning more calories is to exert your muscles by lifting weights.
If you don't have access to a gym, body weight exercises, such as push-ups, squats, and planks work just as well.
Losing weight and keeping it off doesn't have to be hard. Implement these tips and remember to burn more calories than you take in and you'll lose weight in no time.
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