How to Eat Calories and Still Lose Weight Rapidly

Although you intend to monitor your diet, exercise regularly and always choose healthy food, actually putting these plans into everyday practice can be extremely difficult. Your challenges with weight loss can be especially frustrating if you have some big event like a wedding or reunion looming on your immediate horizon. According to Web M.D., however, having a goal like looking good at a special event can be a great motivator for struggling dieters. If you eat the right foods and exercise regularly, you can loose three or more pounds per week and still be healthy.

Instructions

• 1

  Eat between 1,050 and 1,200 calories per day. Dr. Michael Dansinger explains that this is the minimum number of calories you must consume per day in order not to damage your metabolism and send your body into starvation mode. Limiting your caloric intake can help you to lose at least two pounds per week.

• 2

  Exercise at least one hour per day. While healthy individuals can exercise 20 minutes per day and expect to maintain their weight, those who hope to take off the pounds rapidly must increase their level of exercise. In order to lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume. One hour per day of exercise should help you to lose at least one pound per week, depending upon how much extra fat you have.

• 3

  Limit salt and starches. This will only help you to lose more weight initially, but if you limit sodium and starches you reduce your fluid retention. You can lose up to five pounds of fluid this way.

• 4

  Minimize added sugars and animal fat from meat and dairy foods. Dieters interested in rapid weight loss should eat primarily fruits and vegetables. You can add egg whites, soy products, skinless poultry breasts, fish, nonfat dairy products and 95 percent lean beef for protein and energy. Try to avoid processed, prepared foods, which are high in sodium and added sugars.

• 5

  Keep a journal in which you write down everything you eat and how many calories you consume. You should also record your exercise plan. Keeping a food journal will make you feel accountable for the food you eat and prevent you from cheating on your diet.

• 6

  Drink plenty of water. According to Web M.D., water flushes toxins from your system and makes you feel fuller faster. Water can also keep you from feeling hungry in between meals.

• 7

  Clear your house of unhealthy foods. This way, you will not break your diet impulsively. If you get a craving for something temporarily off limits, you are less likely to indulge if you need to make a trip to the market to do so.

• 8

  Pick up a new hobby. Keeping busy will prevent you from eating out of boredom. You can also choose a hobby that involves exercise, like tennis or horseback riding. You are more likely to exercise regularly if you find a way to make it fun and interesting for yourself.

• 9

  Eat fennel seeds, ginger, parsley, peppermint, pineapple and yogurt with honey for one to three days before your big event. According to American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Dawn Jackson Blatner, these foods will help you to reduce bloating and make your stomach feel flatter. While this may not actually help you to permanently lose weight, it will make you appear thinner for a limited time.