Four months is a considerable amount of time to lose weight; they allow you to lose a lot of weight and make important progress towards your weight and health goals. In addition to the weight loss process, you can also notice improvements in cardiovascular performance over the course of four months if you exercise regularly. Start by making small changes in your diet and exercise routines in order to establish a healthier lifestyle within this period.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Diet Changes
Step 1. Reduce calories and portion sizes
Over the course of 4 months, you can lose a significant amount of pounds by simply keeping track of your calories and portion size.
- If you reduce about 500 calories per day from your diet, you can lose about 0.5-1 kg per week. This means that in four months you should lose about 7-15 kg.
- Another way to lower calorie intake is to monitor portion size; large ones can tempt you to eat more food with each meal, leading to more calories than your body requires.
- Weigh the food trying not to exceed 250-500 g of food at each meal; this should make you feel satisfied but not too full.
Step 2. Aim to follow a balanced diet
Regardless of how many pounds you want to lose or how many calories you reduce from your diet, it is always important to stick to a balanced diet.
- A well balanced diet means eating foods that fall into all food groups almost every day; you should also choose appropriate portions and vary the foods within each food group.
- Include about 85g of lean protein in your diet with each meal. Foods like poultry, eggs, tofu, legumes, fish, or low-fat dairy products are fine.
- Make sure that half of your dish or meal is fruit or vegetable. Add about 250g of cooked vegetables or salad or some fruit with each meal or snack. Both fruit and vegetables make dishes more filling without adding a lot of calories overall.
- Eat 30g of whole grains. Eating one or two servings of this food daily helps add healthy fiber to your diet.
Step 3. Limit snacks
Eating some snacks every now and then does not compromise and does not block the weight loss program; however, you need to pay attention to the type of snack you choose when you decide to eat one during the four months you want to lose weight.
- Planning and scheduling snack times well can actually help you lose weight, as they offer a boost of energy, an addition of nutrients or "fuel" if you are physically active.
- If you choose to eat snacks during your weight loss plan, opt for snacks that provide 150 calories; this way, you keep a low calorie intake and you can still lose a decent amount of pounds within the 4 months you have established.
- Make sure your snacks also include proteins and fruits or vegetables; a combination of protein and fiber helps increase energy and make you feel satisfied for a longer time.
- Eat a snack only if you really need it or if you have a real physical hunger, otherwise avoid them, if the stimulus is due to boredom or stress.
- Here are some clever examples for snacks: a small serving of Greek yogurt, some fruit and low-fat cheese, 30g mixed nuts, a hard-boiled egg and 50g grapes.
Step 4. Avoid industrially processed, calorie-rich foods
During the 4 month weight loss plan, you need to limit or try to avoid certain foods. Processed ones can slow or block your attempt to lose weight if you eat them regularly or in large quantities.
- Many industrially processed foods are high in calories, added sugars, fats, preservatives and harmful additives. You need to limit these products when you want to lose weight and choose a more nutritious diet plan instead.
- Avoid those processed foods that do not help you lose weight, such as: sugary drinks (regular sodas, alcohol, coffee drinks and fruit juices), breakfast croissants, candies, cakes and pies, biscuits, frozen meals, ice cream, pre-cooked meals, fried foods, chips, crackers, and ready-made canned meals.
Step 5. Drink adequate amounts of fluids every day
Water plays an important role in the weight loss plan; drinking properly is important for health and diet.
- Most doctors recommend drinking at least 8 glasses of water every day; however, if you are more active, you should also drink 13.
- You can understand that you are properly hydrated when you don't feel thirsty during the day and your urine is a lemonade-like color or very pale yellow at the end of the day.
- Water is great for weight loss, as it can calm your appetite throughout the day. Also, by drinking a large glass of water before meals, you can only eat a small portion, as the water already makes you feel a little full.
Part 2 of 3: Add Physical Activity to Lose Weight in Four Months
Step 1. Do 150 minutes of cardio every week
In addition to nutrition, another important factor for the weight loss plan is physical exercise, especially cardiovascular exercise. Although limited to the four-month period, this type of training greatly affects weight loss.
- Regular cardio sessions throughout the week help support your weight loss plan. This type of training increases your heart rate and allows you to burn a significant amount of calories.
- At a minimum, you should devote 150 minutes a week, equivalent to 2.5 hours, to cardio or aerobic activity; in this way, you can enjoy several weight loss and health benefits.
- Some moderate cardio activities you can consider are: light walking / running, dancing, cycling, aerobics classes, or water aerobics.
Step 2. Plan 1-3 days of strength training
In addition to cardio, it is also healthy to add this type of exercise, which helps you lose weight.
- By performing 20 minutes of strength exercise 1 to 3 times a week, you can build lean muscle mass, preventing osteoporosis and speeding up your metabolism.
- By increasing lean muscle mass, the body is able to burn more calories at rest; within 4 months, you can notice a significant difference in the body's muscle mass and metabolism.
Step 3. Increase movement in normal daily activities
While a greater amount of cardio and strength training offers more benefits for your purpose, an increase in daily activity is equally effective. Also in this case, carrying out this type of activity over 4 months allows you to obtain tangible effects in terms of weight loss.
- The term "daily activity" means the whole set of exercises that are already part of a standard day. For example, taking the stairs, walking to and from the car in the parking lot, walking to the mailbox or doing housework.
- Many studies have shown that even these simple activities are as beneficial for weight loss and overall health as planned or structured cardiovascular exercises.
- Think about some ways to increase exercise in general. For example, you can park your car further away from the office; you can decide to walk for 10 minutes during your lunch break or do a yoga session, you can take the stairs more often instead of taking the elevator. These are occasions that give you the ability to move more and burn more calories throughout the day.
Step 4. Have a rest day or two during the week
Within four months, you can make significant improvements in both weight and physical performance; however, you need to be cautious and careful to avoid injury as you increase the amount of exercise.
- It is important to take care of your body and allow it to rest during the days of the week when you are not exercising.
- Many improvements in strength and muscle mass are actually achieved during rest. In addition, the body needs to rest and recover in order to maintain its current physical performance.
- Not to mention the fact that if you don't plan a day to recover, you can block your weight loss progress or enter a stalemate (or plateau).
Part 3 of 3: Reviewing Your Weight Loss After Four Months
Step 1. Keep a journal
It is ideal for any weight loss plan, but it is even more so when you plan to lose weight for as long as 4 months.
- You can write down your goals and progress.
- Also, it can be a great help for keeping track of foods and noting what you eat; it helps to empower you and gives you an idea of what is effective or not in the diet plan.
Step 2. Track your weight and body measurements
During the four months of the diet, you should write down your weight and other measurements.
- Keeping track of your progress can help you determine what works in your diet and what isn't effective.
- Weigh yourself approximately every 1-2 weeks; try to do it always wearing the same clothes (or naked) and always at the same time of day, to evaluate more precisely the progression of weight loss.
- In addition to the weight, you should also write down the different body measurements; detects the circumference of the waist, hips, thighs or arms. Take measurements only once a month, so you can see the improvements.
Step 3. Make changes
Once you've finished your four-month diet, you need to review your progress, goals, and any other changes you want to make.
- After this period, you should feel satisfied with the results achieved in terms of weight loss. In this case, try to respect the healthy lifestyle changes you have adopted; if you go back to your previous habits, you risk regaining the weight you lost.
- If you are enjoying the results you have achieved and think you would like to lose more weight, continue to follow your diet and exercise regimen.
- If you've had a hard time losing weight and still want to lose more pounds, you need to reconsider your diet plan. Maybe you didn't get enough exercise, or you ate snacks more often than you should have. Review your food diary or training plan to see where you can make changes; make the necessary changes and proceed with your project!
Advice
- Always consult your doctor before starting a weight loss diet plan.
- If you experience any pain or discomfort while exercising, stop immediately and see your doctor.
- While it is possible to lose some weight in four months, trying to lose about 15 pounds is too much in this time frame. You have to prolong the diet.
