Are your clothes starting to feel a little tight? Maybe you’re carrying a few extra pounds that you’d like to lose as quickly as possible?
Although many experts estimate that a healthy rate of weight loss is approximately 1-2lbs per week, it’s perfectly safe and feasible to lose anything from 3-7lbs in as little as one week depending on how you go about it.
You don’t even need to starve yourself or follow some ridiculous fad diet! The following are just a few tips you can implement to lose 5lbs in the next 7 days:
Cut out the junk food. You know that eating fast food, takeaways and high sugar, highly processed foods are only going to add large numbers of calories to your diet. When you want to lose weight, you’ve got to cut them out. That doesn’t mean that you need to go hungry. You can eat plenty of vegetables instead. Veggies are low in calories and will fill you up, making it easier to stick to your diet.
Get some exercise. Exercise isn’t always easy when you haven’t done it before, but it’s a necessary evil if you want to lose weight quickly. Plus you won’t just lose weight – you’ll also improve your overall health and have more energy. Something as simple as going for a 30 minute walk, 4 times a week, will get your heart rate up and the fat burning.
Eat slower. In today’s society we are almost always short of time, and many people end up rushing through their meals. Studies have shown that your body doesn’t realise it is full until at least 20 minutes later. Until that time most people continue to eat. By giving yourself more time to eat, you will feel full after eating less.
Eat low calorie snacks. Although you don’t want to spend your days snacking (your calorie count will soon mount up if you do this) it is a good idea to have 2-3 snacks in between meals during the day. This will keep you from feeling hungry and grabbing something convenient like a chocolate bar, and will also help you to eat less at meal times. Have a look online and you’ll find many ideas for snacks that are 100 calories or less – an apple, a boiled egg, some carrot sticks, a small handful of nuts etc.
Drink plenty water. Fizzy drinks, fruit juices and energy drinks are all high in calories. Drink at least 2 litres of water daily (approximately 8 x 8oz glasses) for optimum health. Water has zero carbs, zero calories, and flushes toxins out of your system that may lead to putting on extra weight. Add a lemon wedge or mint leaves if you find drinking plain water too boring.
Get enough sleep. If you don’t get enough sleep you will lack energy, your system will be sluggish and your body prone to putting on weight. Try to get 7-8 hours sleep every night and wake up energized.