Lose Weight Fast, Anytime: The Ultimate Guide to Lose at Least 1 Pound a Week

You tried to lose weight but failed multiple times? You probably haven’t had the right approach and checklist.

Losing weight is not something that depends on mysterious factors but on counting your calorie intake, exercising regularly, and improving your eating.

So, it is far from being an impossible mission. You just have to want it enough and stay consistent.

You can lose up to 2 pounds in two weeks, or more, depending on your nutrition regime and activity level.

Eat in a Healthy Caloric Deficit

The first rule of weight loss is consuming the right number of calories daily. 

To lose weight, we need to consume fewer calories than our body needs. When our body uses the calories from our daily consumption, it will start burning the stored fat as an energy source. 

First, you need to calculate the number of calories your body burns for maintenance daily. That depends on your age, gender, height, weight, and activity level. You can calculate it online here. 

A healthy caloric deficit is consuming around 500kcal less than your maintenance caloric intake. This amount guarantees you lose 2 pounds in two weeks. (1 pound=4500kcal) You can log all your meals in your phone’s health app, My Fitness Pal, or Fat Secret.

You can go for a bigger caloric deficit as well. But, don’t consume less than the minimum recommended calorie intake– 1700kcal for men and 1200 kcal for women.

Feeling hungry all the time will push you to give up and re-gain all the weight you already lost. This is the primary reason people hate diets and think they don’t work on them. 

Studies show that starving yourself to lose weight puts the body in emergency mode making it store more fat, and slow metabolism down.

Exercise Regularly

Exercise is not only running on the treadmill. So, if you hate that or any cardio, it’s not the end of the world. 

Find the physical activity you enjoy and do it for 30-40 minutes/day, 4-6 times/week.

If you’re looking for the most efficient technique- combine high interval intense training- HIIT (2-3 times/week) and weight training.

You can incorporate HIIT in any training technique- from cardio to light weightlifting. 

HIIT means exercising in high intensity, so faster and dynamic training for a period then rest to recover. You can go full in with all you have, which is how HIIT was originally designed. 

Or you can perform HIIT in a circular way, where you train for 5 minutes, rest for 1 minute, and repeat for 5-8 intervals depending on the intensity.

Weightlifting is the best way to lose weight and keep it off forever because it accelerates your metabolism and tones your body.

Many women stay away from weightlifting because they are afraid they will look bulky. Flash news: building big muscle is not that easy. 

Quite the contrary, if you maintain a caloric deficit, your body will prioritize losing the extra fat and not have enough calories to build big muscle. 

Google training routines, follow through a YouTube video or hire a personal trainer near you to help you head-start your fitness journey. Results are closer than you think.

Clean Your Diet for Weight Loss Once and For All

Apart from being in a caloric deficit, you need to clean up your diet to lose weight, keep it off and promote better health for you.

Clean eating doesn’t mean to eat like a rabbit. The gold rule is to eat healthy 80% of your meals and leave 20% for not-so-healthy foods you enjoy.

Focus on whole nutrient-dense foods, which will not only keep you satiated but promote overall optimal health. 

Nutrient-dense foods such as vegetables, fruits, lean and quality sources of protein, high-fiber foods, offer much to our body for fewer calories.

Macronutrient Intake 

The best macronutrient intake for weight loss is:

• 30-40% protein
• 20-35% fat 
• 20-35% carb

Emphasize eating different sources of protein because it is a very satiating nutrient and helps your body lose weight. 

Use lean protein sources such as chicken breast, turkey meat, red meat, and fish. 

Secondly, another way to fit more protein into your diet is by consuming plant-based high protein sources such as lentils, beans, and chickpeas. These superfoods are also high in fiber, which is the best kind of carb to consume.

Fiber-rich food aid weight loss and should be prioritized. Studies show that consuming 30 grams of fiber each day lowers blood pressure and improves the body’s response to insulin. Some high-fiber carb sources are whole wheat bread, oats, and quinoa.

Micronutrient Intake

Micronutrients- vitamins and minerals- are often ignored when talking about dieting. Many people do not meet daily vitamin and mineral requirements. 

Try to consume as many vegetables and fruits to get all the vitamins and minerals your body needs. 

This way, you will regulate the balance of your body and help boost your metabolism. Micronutrient increases the quality of your diet and helps maintain the weight loss and lead an overall better life.

Pay Attention to Your Sleep Patterns

Sleep is paramount when it comes to health because when you are tired you will skip exercise and not have the energy to deal with your daily activities. 

Many studies have proven the link between sleep and appetite- sleep deprivation affects food preferences driving you to sugary and fat-dense foods. 

The lack of sleep will compromise your weight-loss diet because it triggers a cortisol spike which signals your body to store energy to fuel your waking hours.

Tips for healthy sleep:

• Set a specific time when you shut off everything.
• Sleep in a clean and comfortable bed.
• Eat 4 hours before sleeping, so you leave time for your digestive system to finish working as well.
• Stay away from processed and sugary foods.
• Drink water and keep a glass of water near you.

Drink Plenty of Water

Water helps your organism flush out toxins, feel full, energetic and speeds your metabolism. 

Drinking water gives you a natural perception of feeling full. In a study, people who drank 2 glasses of water after a meal ate 22% less than those who didn’t.

Choose water, rather than other drinks such as coffee, juice, sweetened tea, or sodas, because this way you will consume fewer calories. In addition, you will skip other processed ingredients and sugar that most other drinks have.

Decrease Alcohol Intake

The first reason alcohol interferes with your weight loss journey is that all alcoholic drinks contain many calories. So, by just drinking a few cups, it is easy to surpass your caloric deficit.

Second, alcohol drains your energy so you will fill sluggish all day, which will affect your workout and meals. Drinking alcohol increases the cravings for fatty and sugary foods.