Losing a pound a week seems daunting. In reality, this weight loss goal is possible and can be done in a healthy manner.
The math sounds complicated but is actually quite simple. In order to lose one pound, you have to burn 3,500 more calories than you consume. To break that down, you need to burn an average of 500 more calories than you eat every day. In short, find a way to cut 500 calories from your diet daily. [i]
Here are a few easy ways to do that:
- Stop drinking your calories
Drinking juice, soda, and sugar-filled coffee drinks has become second nature to most people. How unhealthy could a drink be?
Let's say you have a Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino with breakfast, a 12-ounce can of Dr. Pepper with lunch, a Monster for a little boost at work, and another can of Dr. Pepper with dinner.
That's 680 calories.
One 9.5-ounce Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino is 180 calories. A can of Dr. Pepper is 150 calories. A can of Monster contains 200 calories. If you completely cut out these unhealthy drinks, you could be on your way to losing over a pound per week. [ii]
A simple solution is to replace these drinks with cold water. Cold water boosts your metabolism and fills you up. If you want a caffeine fix, learn to drink black coffee. Don't be afraid to reward yourself with one can of soda per week!
- Find time for twenty minutes of cardio
It's hard to find time to exercise, so start small. You can fit twenty minutes of cardio into your day.
Stop by the gym on the way home from work and hop on the elliptical. Jog for twenty minutes when you get home. You can even speed walk for ten minutes before work and ten minutes before you go to bed.
Jogging two miles burns roughly 200 calories. Cardio burns fat, and it's good for your heart! Once you feel confident you can manage twenty minutes, gradually add a little more time to your workout routine.
- Cut down on sweets
We all know sweets are bad for us, but reality doesn't hit until we see the numbers.
Let's say you eat two donuts for breakfast each morning. You have some self-control, so you only order plain glazed donuts. After dinner, you treat yourself with a brownie.
That's roughly 500 calories.
One glazed donut from Krispy Kreme contains 190 calories. [iii] If you decide to branch out and get the fancy donuts, the calorie count goes way up. Depending on the type of brownie and brand of mix, one brownie is around 125 calories. [iv] These treats don't seem like much, but munching on them really adds up.
If you cut sweets out of your diet, you can easily drop some weight. Similarly to sugary drinks, feel free to treat yourself to one sweet per week as a reward.
Losing one pound per week is definitely possible. Choose one or two habits in your life to alter. Small changes make a huge difference!