How to Lose Five Pounds Easily

There are countless diets out there, and the arguments for and against them are endless. The best you can do is investigate what kind of diet sounds right for you. A drastic reduction of carbohydrates has been known to help dieters lose weight quickly. You can also try a portion control diet -- limiting your portions may do the trick. While it's no secret that healthy eating and regular exercise will do wonders for most people, sometimes you just need a little jump start to achieve a quick five-pound weight loss. However, consult your doctor before starting any weight loss regimen, especially if you have special health conditions.

Instructions

Portion Control

• 1

  Enjoy your food, but limit your portions. Most meals served at restaurants are three times as large as your stomach. If you dine buffet-style, you could be eating as much as six times your stomach size in just one meal.

• 2

  Make a fist. The size of your fist is the approximate size of your stomach. Use this simple measurement to adjust your food intake. An appetizer portion is usually the correct size for a meal.

• 3

  Use the palm of your hand to get a sense of how much protein you should eat at any given meal. Fill the rest of your small plate with vegetables.

• 4

  Limit your dessert to three small bites. Portion control is not about depriving yourself of any sort of food -- even dessert. Portion control is about limiting the amount of food you put into your body, thus limiting caloric intake as well.

Lower Carbohydrates

• 5

  Reduce carbohydrates for quick weight loss. Limit carbohydrates such as as bread, grains, rice, starchy vegetables and fruit, and increase your intake of proteins and fats. A daily intake limit of 50 to 150 grams of carbohydrates is the ideal.

• 6

  Choose a low carbohydrate diet that fits your goals. Examples of low-carb diets include the Atkins diet and the Zone diet. Each diet has different restrictions and suggestions; experiment to determine which one works best for you.

• 7

  Consume a low-carbohydrate diet focusing on organic meat, free range poultry, fresh wild fish, organic eggs and some nonstarchy organic vegetables, such as asparagus, artichokes and broccoli. Cut out grains, beans, fruits, breads, sweets, pastas and starchy vegetables, such as potatoes. Try to eat fresh, organic foods as often as possible. This is better for your body overall, but will also help your digestive process, since fewer hormones and pesticides will be present in your food.

• 8

  Increase your water intake during your diet to flush out impurities in your muscles and other tissues. You may opt to squeeze some fresh lemon into your water, or infuse it with a few cucumber slices, for variety.