How to Lose Weight in Seven Weeks

Planning to lose weight in seven weeks will give you enough time to do it safely and properly. Your goal should be to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week, for a total maximum weight loss of 7 to 14 pounds. To lose 1 pound a week, you need to cut your weekly calorie intake by 3,500 calories, which translates to about 500 calories per day. The best way to achieve this is to increase your exercise to burn an extra 250 calories per day, and decrease your daily food intake so you consume 250 fewer calories.

Things You'll Need

• Workout clothes
• Workout shoes
• Healthy food

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Instructions

• 1

  Eat less. If you cut nearly 100 calories from every main meal, you'll have met your goal of cutting 250 calories per day without making any major changes that might be difficult to sustain. Eat a small amount of cereal at breakfast instead of a large bowl to save 100 calories. Eating a sandwich on one slice of bread instead of two will do the same at lunch, and at dinner eat less high-calorie meat and fill up your plate with salad or vegetables.

• 2

  Snack regularly. Not eating for hours at a time can make you very hungry, which means you'll overeat at mealtime. The key is what you snack on: You can cut hundreds of calories from your diet by eliminating junk food and high-fat snacks and choosing fruit and vegetables with a small amount of protein. Think raw veggie sticks with hummus, or a salad with chopped up deli meat.

• 3

  Exercise every day. Walking for one hour at a moderate pace can burn more than 250 calories. If you want to work out in less time, increase the intensity. Running for 30 minutes or doing low-impact aerobics for 45 minutes will also burn about 250 calories. No matter what exercise you choose, vary it a little. Add speed intervals to increase your calorie expenditure, and lift weights at least twice a week to build muscle mass.

• 4

  Limit carbohydrates. Most people base each meal on carbs: cereal and toast at breakfast, sandwiches at lunch and pasta and bread at dinner. Reduce the amount of carbs you eat, and consume them early in the day. Your dinner should consist of beans or lean chicken, fish or beef, along with a large amount of salad or nonstarchy vegetables.

• 5

  Don't eat after dinner. Eating late in the day is not good for you because you don't have time to work off the calories before bedtime. Also, the foods we snack on in the evening tend to be unhealthy, which adds many unnecessary calories to your diet.

• 6

  Drink plenty of water. Drinking two glasses of water before every meal can help you feel fuller so you'll eat less. Clear broth soups also work. And if you're working out regularly, drinking water will keep you hydrated.