If you're a few days away from attending a special event, such as a high school reunion, a friend's wedding, or a picnic at the beach, it's natural to feel like you need to lose a few pounds. You will be more confident and appear more attractive if you are able to overcome the excess of 3-4 kilograms of body weight. This article describes a fast and safe way to lose weight with visible results in about 2 weeks, for example by changing your diet and exercising regularly. In addition, make sure the weight that has been lost does not increase again. Although the crash diet is quite tempting, make sure you run a diet program that is safe, healthy, and can be maintained in the long term.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Changing Your Diet
Step 1. Adjust the diet by reducing the consumption of 500-700 calories every day
Start a diet to lose weight by reducing calorie intake. You can lose -1½ kg in a week if you reduce your consumption of 500-700 calories per day. Thus, you can lose 3-4 kg of body weight in 2 weeks.
- Don't eat less than 750 calories a day or eat less than 1,200 calories a day. Essential nutritional needs are not met if you run a diet program that is too strict.
- Reducing excessive calorie consumption does not accelerate weight loss. Remember that you should lose weight little by little in a safe and healthy way.
- Download an online calorie calculator app to find out how many calories you've been consuming and how many calories you need to reduce.
Step 2. Prioritize eating lean protein sources, fruits, and vegetables
The fast and proper way to lose weight is to run a diet by consuming half a plate of protein and half of fruits and vegetables because these foods are low in calories and contain many essential nutrients. In addition, you will feel full longer than if you consume carbohydrate sources.
- Consume 1 serving (100-120 grams) of a fat-free protein source with each meal. A serving of protein sources is about the size of a checkbook.
- Fat-free protein can be obtained by eating poultry, eggs, low-fat dairy products, fat-free beef, pork, seafood, tofu, and legumes.
- Do not forget to eat fruits or vegetables with every meal. Consume 1-2 servings of fruit (½ cup chopped fruit or 1 small fruit) and 3-5 servings (1-2 cup green vegetables) every day.
- When on a diet, you can eat it with grilled salmon and broccoli, grilled chicken salad, stir-fried vegetables with shrimp, and vegetable and cheese omelets.
Step 3. Limit carbohydrate consumption
One of the healthy menus when dieting is high-carb foods, but research shows that weight loss is faster if carbohydrate intake is limited.
- You can eat carbohydrates if you have enough time to lose weight. Avoid carbohydrates if time is limited.
- Grains that undergo minimal processing are whole grains so that their nutritional content (healthy bacteria, bran, and endosperm) is still very high. In addition, whole grains are high in fiber and contain other essential nutrients. If you want to eat whole grains, choose whole grains, such as quinoa, oats, 100% whole-grain pasta or brown rice.
- Refined carbohydrates have undergone a long process so that their nutritional content (eg fiber) is very low. Therefore, limit the consumption of bread, rice, pasta, bagels, biscuits, pretzels, chips, sponge, tortillas, or cakes.
- You can avoid all these foods at once or eat 1-2 servings per day. You will lose weight faster if you reduce your consumption of high-carbohydrate foods.
- If you want to add whole grains to your diet, choose whole grains because they contain much higher fiber and nutrients than refined grains.
Step 4. Eat 1-2 servings of high-protein snacks
You can lose weight quickly and reach your target of 4½ kg in 2 weeks if you meet your essential nutritional needs by eating protein sources. In addition, you need to consume 1-2 servings of high-protein snacks every day, depending on your fitness, for example:
- A cup of Greek yogurt, a hard-boiled egg, 60 grams of beef or protein bar, or a glass of shake.
- Make sure you consume only 100-200 calories with each snack because high-calorie snacks slow down weight loss.
Step 5. Avoid high-calorie liquids
Soda, sugary coffee, fruit juices, sports drinks, and alcoholic beverages are usually high in calories. These drinks can slow or hinder weight loss. So, replace it with a clear sugar-free drink.
- Get in the habit of drinking clear sugar-free drinks of approximately 2 liters per day to keep the body hydrated throughout the day.
- Take time to sip fluids during daily activities, such as plain water, sugar-free water with flavors, and caffeine-free coffee or tea.
Step 6. Skip the crash diets
Don't be tempted by trendy flash diet ads that promise weight loss in a very short time. This diet program is usually not useful, unsafe, and the results do not last long. In addition, it is easy to gain weight again.
- Avoid diet programs that prohibit the consumption of certain food groups and recommend that you eat as few foods as possible or less than 1,200 calories per day.
- Do not run a diet program that uses liquids or laxatives because it is harmful to health.
- Also, look for information before going on a diet that suggests taking supplements or diet pills to speed up weight loss. This method is not safe and the results do not last long.
Part 2 of 3: Exercising
Step 1. Spend at least 75 minutes of high-intensity cardio per week or 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio per week
Cardio exercise is useful for burning excess calories, thus accelerating weight loss. The more you exercise, the 4½ kg weight loss target can be achieved in 2 weeks.
- High-intensity aerobic exercise is an activity that increases your heart rate and makes your breathing rate so fast that you have trouble pronouncing several words in succession. Even if the effect is the same, you can still say short sentences with ease when doing moderate-intensity cardio.
- Examples of high-intensity aerobic exercise: running, cycling, high-intensity interval training, or boxing.
- Examples of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise: walking, jogging, dancing, or using an elliptical machine.
- If possible, set aside more time for aerobic exercise each week. You will lose weight faster if you exercise frequently.
- Do high-intensity interval training consisting of high- and low-intensity exercise. This exercise is very effective in reducing body fat so that it can lose weight quickly.
- Don't exercise for too long or too hard while on a low-calorie diet. You need to eat enough to train well. Therefore, do not limit your calorie intake to less than 1,200 calories per day, especially when you want to exercise.
Step 2. Learn how to use dumbbells or a machine for weight training
Muscle strengthening exercises can't lose 4½ kg of weight in a short time, but they are useful for toning muscles. This exercise is perfect if you want to lose weight for a special event, such as a friend's wedding or a school reunion.
- 30 minutes of muscle-strengthening exercise a day, 3 times a week can speed up weight loss by boosting your metabolism, but it will take longer.
- If you've never worked out with weights before, work with a physical therapist or fitness trainer to learn proper technique and posture. Use a mirror to check your posture and prevent injury.
- Use your body weight as a weight. Have a fitness coach teach you how to do planks, side planks, mountain climbers, push ups, and pull ups. Flow yoga, barre, pilates, and TRX bands are great ways to learn techniques to strengthen muscles using your own body weight.
Step 3. Take active breaks 1-2 days a week
You need to rest a few days a week. Exercising every day without resting increases the risk of injury because the muscles are overworked.
- Active rest helps you recover after your workout while still moving (and burning calories). Right now, you're not exercising at moderate or high intensity, but that doesn't mean you're sitting still all day. Instead, do light impact or relaxing exercises, such as practicing yoga or walking.
- Schedule active breaks 1-2 days a week. Make sure you get an active rest the next day after a high-intensity workout or muscle-strengthening workout.
Part 3 of 3: Maintaining Weight Loss
Step 1. Take time to weigh yourself regularly
Record your weight before going on a diet. Monitor progress by weighing at least once every 10 days.
- Studies show that people who regularly weigh themselves tend to be better able to control their weight and diet. If you don't have time to weigh yourself every day, make sure you do it once a week to record your weight.
- Continue weighing yourself once your target is reached so you can immediately detect unwanted changes, such as weight gain.
Step 2. Get used to regular exercise consistently
This step is useful not only for weight loss. More exercise is needed to maintain weight.
- Do an exercise routine that you enjoy. You don't need to exercise for too long or at high intensity, but at the very least, do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week on a regular basis.
- In addition, you need to practice strengthening muscles to keep the weight from gaining more weight.
Step 3. Pamper yourself once in a while
Do not neglect a healthy diet after the weight loss target is achieved. In order to maintain your weight, you must continue a healthy diet with a balanced menu. You can eat your favorite foods, but only occasionally.
- You are free to choose your favorite food, such as ice cream, dinner at a restaurant, or drinking fruit juice, but only 1-2 times a week, not often. However, choose wisely the definition once in a while according to you.
- If your favorite food often appears on the menu, the weight usually goes up again.
- If you indulge yourself by eating your favorite foods, compensate through your diet or lifestyle, for example by spending more time exercising at the gym, increasing the intensity of your cardio workout, or reducing the portion you eat throughout the day.
Tips
- Make sure you consult your doctor before starting a weight loss program. Doctors are able to explain how to lose weight that is safe and healthy according to your needs.
- Avoid fast or trendy diets. Diet programs that seem too grandiose or too easy are usually unsafe and useless.
- Find out your limits. If you can't go on a daily diet, start dieting every other day while trying to change your diet. The same goes for exercise schedules.
- If you eliminate carbohydrates to lose weight and then eat them again later in the day, you can lose a few pounds because of the loss of body fluids.
