By losing four kilos in a month in a balanced way, you can increase your self-confidence and start leading a healthier lifestyle. With the right mindset, you have a chance to lose weight and start feeling better in your own skin!
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Eat Less
Step 1. Eat 500-1000 fewer calories per day
One of the best ways to lose weight is to lower your calorie intake. By reducing your daily calorie intake by 500-1000 calories, you will be shedding 500g to 1kg per week, depending on your starting body weight and the portions you are used to eating. Combined with exercise, you can lose 4 pounds in one month.
- The daily calorie requirement equals 1200 for women and 1800 for men. Avoid falling below this threshold in order to lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way.
- To decrease your calorie intake, consult your health care practitioner or nutritionist for healthier food options.
Step 2. Count how many calories you eat each day
By calculating them, you will be able to plan your daily meals and understand if you are respecting the goals you have set for yourself. Every time you eat something, read the nutrition table on the package to see how many calories it contains, then write the number down on your mobile or in a diary.
If you're not sure, do an online search. For example, you can write "calories in a serving of brown rice" or "how many calories does an apple have?"
Step 3. Replace high-calorie foods, such as cold cuts, with fruits and vegetables
An easy way to reduce your daily calorie intake is to replace calorie-rich foods with fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, consuming these dishes will improve your overall health.
- Peaches, oranges and grapefruits contain less than 70 calories;
- One serving of tomatoes, 115g of green beans and 175g of broccoli contain only 25 calories;
- High-calorie foods to avoid include ice cream, cheese, peanut butter, potato chips, white bread, and potato chips.
Step 4. Cook, so you can check how many calories you eat
When you eat at a restaurant, it is more difficult to choose healthy and low-calorie dishes. By preparing all meals at home, you will be able to accurately calculate the calorie intake of what you eat.
Step 5. Cook in advance so as not to risk overstretching
When you are on a diet, deciding on the spot what to eat can lead you to make poor choices. By planning your meals in advance you will eliminate this risk.
- List each night what you intend to eat the next day for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and any snacks between meals.
- To save time, cook your meals in advance and put them in the freezer. Defrost them when you know you need to eat them.
Step 6. Avoid high-calorie drinks, such as sodas, cappuccinos, and coffee-based drinks
The calories contained in liquids don't fill you up like a normal meal, so it causes you to overdo it. By eliminating high calorie drinks from your diet, you can reduce your daily calorie intake. Replace them with water, tea, or tonic water.
If you are used to drinking coffee, take it absolute. Avoid if accompanied by other ingredients rich in fat and sugar
Step 7. Drink a glass of water before eating to promote satiety
If you are still hungry after meals, you will find it hard to decrease your daily calorie intake. To avoid this, you should drink a full glass of water before starting to eat. By partially filling your stomach, you will feel full faster and therefore eat less.
Part 2 of 3: Increase Physical Activity
Step 1. Train for 1 hour every day
While you can lose weight by only cutting portions, it would be a good idea to include exercise in your daily routine. It will help you lose weight faster and keep your weight under control.
- If you don't have a full hour to dedicate to physical activity every day, try splitting it into two 30-minute sessions. You can train half an hour in the morning and half an hour in the evening.
- Join the gym or take an exercise class to get you moving.
Step 2. Try to burn 500 extra calories every day when you exercise
If you burn 500 extra calories daily, you will lose around 500g per week. This weight loss, combined with that due to a lower daily calorie intake, will cause you to lose 4 pounds in one month.
Step 3. Choose a high intensity aerobic activity to burn a significant amount of calories
Since you are trying to lose 4 pounds within a month, you need to follow a high-intensity exercise program to burn off a lot of calories. While moderate aerobic exercise, such as walking and swimming, can help you, high-impact aerobic work will allow you to burn them in greater amounts and in a shorter amount of time. Here are some high-intensity aerobic exercises you can try:
- Race;
- Bicycle;
- Hiking;
- Jump the rope;
- Aerobic gymnastics.
Step 4. Be more active throughout the day to burn off more calories
Look for ways you can include moderate physical activity in your daily routine, such as walking up the stairs to the office instead of taking the elevator. If you move more during the day, you can reach your daily goal of consuming an additional 500 calories.
- If you live close to your workplace, start walking or cycling instead of driving.
- Make it a goal to walk for 30 minutes a day during your lunch break.
Step 5. Do muscle strengthening exercises to gain lean mass as you lose weight
Compared to aerobic work, they will not allow you to burn more calories, but they will help you strengthen your muscles as you lose weight. In this case, alternate training between aerobic exercises and anaerobic exercises. Keep in mind that you will likely need to eat less, as you won't need many calories to run them.
Weight lifting, exercise with body building machines, pushups and pushups are all muscle strengthening exercises to try
Part 3 of 3: Keeping Track of Progress
Step 1. Write down what you eat in a food diary
It is not easy to remember how many calories you consume each day. This is why the use of a food diary is useful: you can consult it at the end of the day and calculate how many calories you have assimilated to know if you are on the right path. Every time you eat something, write it in your diary indicating your calorie intake.
- The food diary does not need to be on paper. You can write down the foods you consume on the "Notes" function of your smartphone or use an application to help you keep an eye on your diet.
- Some apps to try are Food Diary, YAZIO and Lose It !.
Step 2. Keep track of how many calories you burn while exercising
As with food, it's a good idea to write down how many calories you burn off each day when exercising. This way, you will understand if you are losing weight by moving. If you notice that over time, even if you eat less and exercise, you do not reach the 1000 calories to decrease every day, you will know that you need to change your weight loss regimen.
- To figure out how many calories you burn while exercising, enter the exercises to be performed and the time it takes to perform them in an online calorie consumption calculator.
- For example, you can find it by consulting this site.
Step 3. Weigh yourself every day in the morning
Since you are looking to lose weight in no time, you need to keep track of your progress. So, by weighing yourself daily, you will determine more accurately if you need to eat less and exercise more.
