How to Lose 16 Pounds Fast

Losing weight and getting fit are two of the most popular New Year's resolutions year after year. Losing fat comes down to taking in fewer calories than you use; you can do that by eating less, exercising more or both. To lose 1 pound of fat, you need a deficit of 3,500 calories. A sustainable rate of weight loss is 1 to 2 pounds a week, so it should take you at least eight weeks to lose 16 pounds.

Instructions

• 1

  Use an online calculator to figure your Basal Metabolic Rate, which is the number of calories your body burns every day at rest. Once you know this number, subtract at least 500 calories. If you eat 500 fewer calories a day, you should lose 1 pound a week. You can subtract more calories through exercise.

• 2

  Exercise first thing in the morning.

  Do a cardio workout before breakfast. According to a study published by the Journal of Physiology, people who exercise before breakfast burn more fat and lose more weight than those who exercise later in the day.

• 3

  You'll find healthier food in the perimeter aisles of the grocery store.

  Focus on eating healthy foods. A good rule of thumb is to shop only the perimeter of the grocery store, where you find fresh produce, meat and seafood. The middle aisles contain prepackaged and processed foods that are often higher in calories and lower in nutritional value.

• 4

  Cut down on alcohol consumption. Calories from glasses of beer or wine can add up quickly, so cutting out or at least cutting down on alcohol is an easy way to subtract calories.

• 5

  Replace your regular cardio routines with interval training, which is a shorter workout that alternates short bursts of intense exercise with slower recovery exercise. For example, you could sprint and then jog or walk.

• 6

  Building muscle will help you burn more calories.

  Pick up weights. Muscle cells burn more calories than fat cells so the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn.