Halloween is just 3 weeks away. Are you hoping to shed some pounds to look sexy in your costume? If you’re serious about losing weight in this timeframe, here are some tricks to lose weight quickly, but in a healthy way.
Eat the right food.
Reduce your calories.
To lose fat, you should be expending more calories than you’re taking in. Exactly how many calories you need in a day is dependent on multiple factors: gender, age, weight, height, and activity level. The average female needs to take in around 2000 calories per day to maintain her current weight, and 1500 calories to lose one pound of weight per week. While the average male needs about 2500 calories to maintain his current weight, and 2000 to lose one pound of weight per week.
The best way to reduce your calorie intake is to keep track of what you’re eating. There are plenty of apps you can download to keep tabs on your daily meals. We recommend weighing all your food so you know exactly how much you’ve had.
Eat fewer sugars and starches.
Cutting back on carbs will help your hunger levels go down, so you’ll end up taking in fewer calories. With fewer carbs to burn for energy, your body will begin to feed off of stored fat cells instead. As you start eating this way, you may notice you are shedding water weight because your insulin levels will begin to lower, causing your kidneys to shed excess water and sodium.
Many drinks are high in sugar, so it’s important to pay attention to the nutrition on your sodas and mixers. When trying to lost weight, water, zero-calorie drinks, tea, and coffee will be your best options.
Eat more protein.
Eating more protein can boost your metabolism and can also reduce cravings, which will help burn and reduce calories!
Don’t be afraid of fat.
Just don’t overdo it. Fat from avocados, coconut oil or even butter is ok in moderation, as with most foods. But as you eat fewer carbs, your body will need a little more fat to run off of.
Eat your veggies.
Turns out your mom did know what she was talking about – eat your vegetables! But make sure you are eating the right ones. Lower carb vegetables contain a lot of fiber and vitamins to help fill you up and nutrients! Avoid starchy vegetables like potatoes or corn as these can spike your insulin and can be used as energy for your body, which may cause more fat storage.
Avoid processed food.
It’s best to stick with whole foods and stay away from junk food. A good rule of thumb is to only shop the perimeter of the grocery store, and try to stay out of the center aisles as that’s where most of the processed food lives.
Be sure to exercise.
Lift weights.
Lifting weight is not just for men trying to get buff – it’s recommended for both men and women as is helps promote muscle growth and raise your metabolic resting rate. Your metabolic resting rate is how many calories you burn while your body is resting, and raising this will prevent your metabolism from slowing down, which can happen when losing weight. Listing weights can also help your body continue to burn calories multiple hours after your workout.
Don’t forget the Cardio.
Walking, jogging and running, whether outside or at the gym, are great ways to burn calories and build muscle. Harvard Health estimated that a 155lb person will burn around 167 calories from just 30 minutes of walking at a moderate pace, and 298 calories from 30 minutes of jogging. Start with a 30 minutes walk 3-4 times per week, and increase the speed and frequency as you become more fit. Doing this every day will definitely help the weight loss process.
Biking is also a great form of cardio that is great for weight loss and overall fitness. Harvard Health estimated that a 155 lb person will burn about 260 and 298 calories from 30 minutes of cycling on a stationary bike and bicycle, respectively, at a moderate pace. This is a great choice for losing weight quickly at any fitness level as it’s low impact and won’t place much strain on your joints.
Combing a cardio and weight lifting routine 3-4 days per week will definitely help you burn calories, increase overall fitness, and lose weight! Also remember, as you work out your fat will begin turning to muscle in places. So while you may not necessarily see changes in the scale, you should start seeing changes in how your clothes fit and see visible changes in the mirror.
Stay active all the time.
You can still get some exercise even when you’re not at the gym. Any increase in your daily activity will help you burn additional calories which will speed up the weight loss process. Try walking or standing more throughout the day. Tracking your steps with a step counter will help you increase this activity. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, bike the work, even doing quick short exercises at your desk will help you burn quite a few more calories in a day!