How to Lose Weight in Just 7 Days
Weight loss is a journey and it takes time to see results, but that doesn't meant you can't see some results in a short time. You can lose up to two pounds per week--even in your first week of exercising and dieting--if you are focused and determined. Anything more and you risk good health, according to the American Association of Family Physicians.
Instructions
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Count calories. This is an essential element of weight loss because knowing how many calories are in foods is the first step to knowing how much food you can eat. One pound is equivalent to 3,500 calories, so to lose 2 lbs. in one week, you will need to burn 1,000 more calories than you consume each day, or 7,000 calories in the week. For weight loss, the consensus among specialists is to aim for consuming no fewer than 1,200 calories per day for women and 1,600 calories per day for men, according to the University of Illinois.
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Burn calories. Every activity counts. Housework, gardening and yard work are exercises that can burn calories when done quickly enough to raise the heart rate. A person weighing 200 pounds can burn approximately 220 calories walking at 2 mph and 450 calories doing low-impact aerobics for an hour.
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Eat good food. Be proactive when it comes to what you put in your body. Fruits and vegetables are healthy and have fewer calories than most processed foods. They also have very little, if any, fat. They have vitamins and nutrients necessary for your body. Grains are good because they have fiber. Eat lean meat and more fish. Avoid saturated and trans fats and fried foods. Use monounsaturated, or polyunsaturated (olive or canola) oil, fats instead. Nuts, avocados and omega-3 oils are good sources of thee kinds of fats. A 1,200-calorie menu for a day might include oatmeal (150 calories), 3 oz. of skinned light chicken breast with broccoli and a small baked potato (400 calories), an apple (100 calories), butternut squash salad (200 calories), 1 cup of beef soup (150 calories) and 6 oz. yogurt with 1 oz. of almonds (240 calories).
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Tips & Warnings
Small-term goals are good for a boost to the ego. Set short-term goals to reach in addition to your long-term weight loss goal. Small accomplishments inspire. Choose exercises you enjoy. Walking, aerobics, dancing and bike riding are just a few things you can do. You will be more likely to do something if you enjoy it.
Diet fads are bad news. They generally "overemphasize one particular food or type of food. They violate the first principle of good nutrition: Eat a balanced diet that includes a variety of foods," according to the American Heart Association. Nutritional deficiencies and muscle loss are also legitimate concerns resulting from fad diets.
