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You’ve heard it all when it comes to weight loss — from fad diets that work for a while but then fail miserably to exercise routines that are too hard on your joints and tendons. What if you could lose two pounds a week without starving yourself? It sounds impossible, but it’s not! All it takes is some knowledge about how the body really works.
The body maintains its weight by adjusting itself based on what goes into it — when you consume more calories than you burn, the body stores these extra calories to use later. The same concept applies when you consume fewer calories than used each day; stored fat is used as fuel instead of food.
When creating a calorie deficit, the ultimate goal is that it’s large enough that it causes your current fat stores to be completely depleted. The calorie deficit to lose 2 pounds a week is 7000 calories. This translates to a calorie deficit of 1000kcal per day (1).
There are two ways to create a calorie deficit. You can either spend more time exercising or eat less. Changing your habits so that you’re eating less and moving more can be a challenge, so here are some strategies you can try:
Diet is the biggest struggle for people trying to lose weight. Try these tricks for lowering your calorie intake to lose 2 pounds a week.
Read More: 10 Tips For A Healthy Lifestyle, According To Science
Many people are frustrated by the dieting process. They want to enjoy a leaner body but get tired of using fad diets that don’t really work in the long run. The problem with most diets is that they are too restrictive.
Everyone should avoid starving themselves while dieting. This usually leads them to binge later on or overeat when they finally get a chance to compensate for their earlier deprivation.
If you’re trying to cut calories from your diet, don’t cut so much that your body is constantly craving food. You lose 2 pounds a week diet plan with at least 1200 calories per day (1). This will help your body burn calories faster even while resting; any less will slow down your metabolism, making it hard for you to lose weight.
Instead of thinking “how much” or “how little” you’re allowed at each meal, focus on what it’s made of. Healthy foods contain plenty of nutrients that will help keep your body strong and hinder further weight gain, while unhealthy foods lack nutritional variety besides fats or carbs.
You should avoid a few different things, just as many things you can add to your diet to keep it nutritious while still giving you ample amounts of food!
Avoid foods with a high level of unhealthy fats and sugars such as fried and packaged foods, refined sugar, candy bars, fast food, margarine, ice cream, etc. These foods tend to be highly processed and cause unhealthy spikes in blood glucose levels, followed by equally harmful crashes.
This pattern contributes to overeating because one of your body’s natural reactions is to make you feel hungry once it gets used to the quick surges from certain types of food. If you want to eat more without gaining weight, try making better choices during each meal.
It sounds counterproductive; how can eating more result in weight loss? One solution many have found is volume eating, which involves eating more food at each meal without upping your caloric intake. This allows you to consume enough calories while still enjoying an abundant and filling meal.
Volume eating involves eating more food at each meal but not increasing the total amount of calories you consume on a regular basis. It is one of the most effective methods for creating a calorie deficit.
The idea behind volume eating is simple; eat a large amount of low-calorie, high fiber foods, and other nutrient-rich foods at each meal instead of higher-calorie but less filling options like junk food or sweets. Since this will fill you up with fewer calories, you can consume more at every meal and end up getting as much or more than someone who eats smaller portions yet consumes the same number of total calories.
Volume eating works on many different levels. First, by increasing the amount of food you eat at each meal, you can take advantage of a concept known as caloric density. This term refers to how much energy is packed into a certain amount of food.
A high caloric density food such as olive oil has 100 calories in two tablespoons compared to the same number of calories from other foods like ice cream or steak, which may have 50% more volume but only 50% more calories. Increasing the volume and decreasing the calorie content allows you to eat more!
Another critical aspect is fiber. Fiber fills you up without adding any additional calories, and it helps slow down digestion so that your body will feel full longer. The best part? Fibers are abundant in many common fruits and veggies, especially ones with a high water content like tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce. If you can eat plenty of these foods while keeping your calorie intake down, then you’ll feel full with fewer calories!
Being physically active helps you achieve a calorie deficit without having to eat too few calories. Here’s how to switch up your exercise routine and reach your target of calories to burn to lose 2 pounds a week.
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Strength training is a great way to lose weight for both men and women. It burns calories by building lean muscle mass.
Lean muscle tissue relies on calories even when they’re not active. This means that having more lean muscle will burn up extra calories while at rest. An interesting thing about strength training is the fact that it creates an after-burn effect. You see, we have something called EPOC (Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption); this is what happens after you train. Your body works harder to recover from the workout, takes longer than regular exercise, and requires more energy.
Keep in mind that strength training isn’t just for men; women can benefit greatly from strength training because it creates a leaner physique with less body fat. Plus, women often have difficulty building muscle due to hormonal balance. Although they may find it challenging to gain muscle, they’ll notice that the more lean muscle mass they have, the more calories they burn.
You can focus on one area of strength training or do various exercises to include almost all your major muscles. For example, you could choose to do shoulder presses and push-ups for your upper body, lunges, and squats for your lower body. The most important thing is consistency. You’re not going to see results if you don’t work out often and regularly. It’s best to do at least three strength training sessions per week (splitting up each session).
How to lose 2 pounds a week by walking? Step up your daily walking by 10,000 steps (1). At first, it may seem like a lot, but it’s not that hard if you put in the effort every day.
There is no set time when people start counting their steps. A good time is after work or after school where you can take a stroll and enjoy nature as you walk. Or, if your job involves a lot of walking, know that every step you take matters and should be factored into your daily activity levels.
There are several ways to keep track of your daily step count. If you have the money, purchasing a step counter watch would be ideal. They will count for you, so there will be no need for manual tallying of how many steps you have walked every day. In times when money matters, try using an app on your smartphone instead. It’s free, and it does the job just fine!
Read More: 20000 Steps A Day Weight Loss Challenge: Shed Those Pounds One Step At A Time
To lose weight, you’ll need to create a calorie deficit in your dietary plans. However, you should also ensure that you’re getting all the nutrients your body needs like macronutrients, vitamins and minerals. Here’s how a healthy and effective 1200 calorie meal plan will look like:
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This 1200-calorie diet meal plan is courtesy of eatthismuch.com.
Losing weight can be quite simple once you understand the way your body works. The key is knowing how much you should be eating and what your body needs to get healthy. If you are looking for a way to lose weight, these excellent tips and tricks on reducing your caloric intake without feeling hungry or deprived of the foods you love can help. Don’t forget to get active and move more. By following these simple guidelines, you should be well on your way to losing 2 pounds per week!
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!