Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Change Your Diet
• Part 2 of 3: Exercise Daily
• Part 3 of 3: Change Your Lifestyle
• Warnings

Losing weight is not an easy task, and rarely does anyone manage to do it quickly. But if you want to lose quite a bit, at least half a kilogram-kilogram, then everything is much easier. You will succeed if you change your diet and lifestyle for a short period of time, as well as begin to exercise daily. For one week, focus on losing weight by simply leading a healthy lifestyle. At the same time, there is no need to go on hunger strikes and train by the sweat of your brow! Scientists claim that gradual weight loss is the key to long-term weight loss and a healthy lifestyle.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Change Your Diet

1. 1 Eat more vegetables, healthy fats, and lean proteins. When composing your menu for a week, include a protein source, a fat source (you need a little fat) and a source of carbohydrates (you also need a little of them, vegetables will do). Try to consume about 20-50 carbohydrates per day. Fear not, your menu won't be narrowed down to a list of three foods.For that matter, you can eat a lot of tasty and healthy things!
   • Egg whites, soy products, chicken, fish (salmon and trout), and crustaceans (shrimp and lobster) are good sources of protein. Want to add more protein and dairy to your diet. Low fat Greek yogurt is the answer.
   • Broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, kale, Brussels sprouts and cabbages, Swiss chard, lettuce, cucumber and celery are low-carb vegetables. To get all the nutrients and antioxidants you need from these vegetables, don't fry them. Better - steam or bake.
   • Avocados and nuts, as well as olive, coconut, and avocado oils will give you healthy fat. These oils are a useful substitute for animal and highly saturated fats in cooking.
   SPECIALIST'S ADVICE

   "Losing 0.5-1 kg in a week is a healthy and completely achievable goal."

   
   

   

   Claudia Carberry, RD, MS

   M.Sc. in Nutrition, University of Tennessee at Knoxville Claudia Carberry is a Registered Dietitian specializing in kidney transplant patient care and weight loss counseling at the University of Arkansas Medical. He is a member of the Arkansas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She received her MA in Nutritional Science from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2010.

   Claudia Carberry, RD, MS
   Master of Science in Nutrition, University of Tennessee at Knoxville

2. 2 Say "get out of the diet" excess carbohydrates, sugar and animal fats. Eating foods high in carbohydrates and sugars causes your body to produce insulin. What is insulin? The main fat storage hormone! When insulin levels drop, the body starts burning fat - or at least it can start. Lowering insulin levels also helps the kidneys flush out excess water and sodium, thereby reducing the amount of water in the body.
   • Forget about high-starch and high-carb foods like chips, fries, and white bread for a week. You should also avoid consuming foods high in sugar: carbonated drinks, sweets, cakes and other junk food.
   • Animal fats from red or gourmet meats (lamb, for example) can lead to obesity and can also slow down your metabolism. Such fats are difficult to digest. Again, forget about steaks or lamb burgers for a week.
3. 3 Consume natural sugars, not artificial ones. Want to grab some candy? No! Better berries that are low in sugar, such as raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, or strawberries. Morning coffee with sugar? No! That's right - morning coffee with stevia or a spoonful of honey.
   • The main thing is that you have healthy sources of protein and fat in your diet, as well as vegetables. But you should also add healthy sugar substitutes to it - say, fruit.
4. 4 Make a menu for the week. You should have three main meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and two small snacks (between breakfast and lunch, lunch and dinner) scheduled at the same time of day. This will help you eat on schedule throughout the week, without skipping or forgetting to eat. By eating about 1,400 calories a day and exercising daily, you can lose weight without harming your health.
   • The menu is an important part of the fight for weight loss, it will not let you forget that you will eat during the day and the whole week.
   • Make a shopping list based on this menu. It would be best to buy food for the whole week on Sunday. Fill the refrigerator with everything you need for the week. This will allow you to quickly and easily prepare food for each meal.
5. 5 Start your day with a small, hearty protein breakfast. A protein breakfast that will keep you energized and maintain your blood sugar levels for the rest of the day should be around 400 calories. Try to eat at about the same time in the morning! Try different options, stop at two or three. Take breakfast with unsweetened tea or lemon water.
   • You can start the day with a berry parfait and an English bun. Take 100 grams of low-fat yogurt, one tablespoon of low-fat muesli, and 100 grams of chopped strawberries. Add another layer of yogurt and muesli and top with 100 grams of raspberries. This delicious berry parfait can be eaten with half a whole wheat English bun, brushed with 2 teaspoons of peanut butter.
   • Make instant oatmeal and add dried fruits and nuts to it for a healthy, fiber-rich breakfast. Pour 300 ml skim milk over two bags of instant oatmeal (look for oatmeal without added sugar). Prepare it according to the instructions on the package. Once the porridge is cooked, mix two tablespoons of dried cranberries with one tablespoon of chopped walnuts.
   • Make a hearty but healthy breakfast by toasting two whole wheat waffles. Add one tablespoon of pure maple syrup and one small chopped banana. Wash it down with a glass of skim milk.
   • It is better not to eat foods rich in easily digestible carbohydrates for breakfast. Otherwise, your blood glucose levels will rise and fall sharply throughout the day, making you feel hungry.
6. 6 A balanced lunch is everything. You should have lunch every day at the same time. Plan your lunch in advance! The main thing is that there should be about 500 calories. In order not to get bored, alternate several options for dishes.
   • Try protein meals. Bean tortilla with gazpacho is a good option. Heat 50 grams of wheat tortilla in the microwave or on the stovetop and add 100 grams of cooked black beans, chopped lettuce, chopped tomatoes, two tablespoons of chopped reduced fat cheddar cheese, and half a chopped avocado. Serve with one cup of cooked gazpacho or salsa. For dessert, eat 25 grams of dark chocolate.
   • Include tilapia and pilaf in your diet. Heat one teaspoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Season 75 grams of tilapia fillets with salt and pepper. Place it in a skillet to fry on each side for about two to three minutes. When the fish is ready, it should be easily divided into layers with a fork. Prepare 100 grams of pilaf (out of the box or do it yourself) and steam 100 grams of mangetot peas. Serve tilapia with pilaf and mangetot peas. Finish with a baked apple sprinkle with a pinch of cinnamon and a teaspoon of honey, then serve with 75 grams of low-fat vanilla ice cream.
   • Eat a vegetable hummus sandwich - it is high in protein and very flavorful. Spread 50 grams of store-bought or homemade hummus on two slices of whole grain bread. Add small lettuce, chopped cucumber and red bell pepper. Eat a healthy sandwich with one cup of minestrone soup, 170 grams of low-fat yogurt, and 100 grams of grapes.
   • A carbohydrate-rich lunch will only fuel your cravings for snacking. This lunch will leave you feeling overwhelmed and tired for the rest of the day.
7. 7 Continue eating right even when dinner comes. At the end of the day, a hearty dinner will go well. It is important, however, not to strain your metabolism too much, so as not to accumulate fat, which will be difficult for you to get rid of. Allocate about 500 calories for dinner, while focusing on a combination of proteins, healthy fats and vegetables. For a change, you can alternate meals every day for lunch and dinner.
   • Make a protein-rich dinner with grilled pork chops and asparagus. Heat one teaspoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Season 100 grams of pork chops with salt and pepper. Place them in a skillet and cook for three to five minutes on each side.Serve with 100 grams of mashed potatoes, 200 grams of boiled or baked asparagus, and 100 grams of bell peppers, chopped into strips. Garnish with 100 grams of fresh raspberries.
   • Make a hearty protein dinner with red lentil soup. Garnish a bowl of homemade soup with a tablespoon of low-fat yogurt and fresh cilantro. Add a slice of whole grain bread or a handful of croutons as well.
   • Prepare a light, hearty dinner with vegetable frittata. Frittata is an egg-based dish that also includes vegetables (mushrooms and spinach, for example) and low-fat feta cheese - a bit like a pie. Frittata is an excellent source of protein and vegetables. You can also keep part of the dish for breakfast.
8. 8 Drink water instead of sugary drinks. Water helps to strengthen the immune system, improve skin color, and also helps to stay hydrated during daily workouts.
   • Swap sugary drinks (like soda) for sweetened water with lemon or lime wedges.
   • Unsweetened green tea is another decent option. Green tea contains many antioxidants, which helps the body fight free radicals that accelerate the aging process in the human body.
9. 9 Keep a food diary. Bring everything you eat in there and don't ask for details! You are unlikely to eat the wrong food if later, writing about it in your diary, you have to experience a feeling of guilt or burning shame. Try to keep track of how many calories you consume. Also note how strict you are with your menu.
   • Pay attention to how you felt while eating. Depression? Joy? Anger? Optimism? By focusing on your emotions and the foods they are associated with, you can cope with a form of emotional overeating (if any).

Part 2 of 3: Exercise Daily

1. 1 Make this week your workout week. As a rule, it is recommended to practice five days a week, and leave two days as a break. Depending on the level of your physical fitness, you can either do light exercise daily or more intense exercise - but only every other day. Do not overwork, do not exhaust yourself. Consistency and adherence to your training plan is the key to success. This is especially true when the plan is based on the real possibilities and needs of your body.
   • Train at the same time every day. For example, at the gym before work in the morning, or every other day during your lunch break, or in the evenings a few hours before bed. When scheduling a week, be sure to write down the workouts so that you don't miss them or forget about it if you have a busy day.
2. 2 Warm up with some light cardio. Begin every workout with cardio to avoid stretching or tearing unheated muscles.
   • Jog in place for 5-10 minutes. Jump rope for about five minutes. You can also go for a 10-minute run to warm up your muscles and sweat a little.
3. 3 Stretch after cardio and at the end of your workout. It is necessary to stretch after 5-10 minutes of cardio warm-up, so that, moving to more intense exercises, do not get injured. You should also stretch for 5-10 minutes at the end of your workout. Stretching will not stretch your muscles and avoid injury.
   • Do basic stretches for your legs and arms to warm up your large muscles and prepare them for the exercise. Try to work out the lungs, quads, calf muscles, and do the butterfly exercise.
4. 4 Do high intensity interval training (HIIT). ITVI is a training program that includes hard, intense exercise followed by short breaks for recovery or rest. This will help you burn fat quickly. High intensity exercise causes the body to use sugar.Accordingly, it burns fat faster than during low-intensity training. What's more, your fat will also melt during the recovery phase. All of this will reduce your fat stores. Exercises under the ITVI program can be performed both on simulators and on a free weight training mat. Popular ITVI programs include:
   • Workout "Beach body". This 12-week ITWI program will only need 21 minutes three times a week. It is designed to strengthen the body and give it relief, as well as for weight loss. The program includes cardio and stretching, while focusing on specific parts of the body such as the arms and abdominals. After one week of the program, you will begin to notice that you are looking slimmer and your muscles are getting tighter.
   • Fartlek 25-Minute Sprint Workout. "Fartlek" in translation from Swedish means "high-speed game". This type of ITVI program combines continuous training with speed intervals. You adjust the intensity and speed of each interval so your workouts can be relaxed and fun. This program is based on cardio workouts, during which you can walk, jog or sprint over a period of time.
   • Training "Jump rope with a stopwatch." For this interval workout, you only need a stopwatch and a jump rope. Try jumping rope for 2 minutes, then rest for 2 minutes, then jump again for 1.5 minutes, then rest for 1.5 minutes, then jump for one minute and rest for one minute. Finish the exercise by jumping rope for 30 seconds. Rest for three minutes and then repeat the same intervals one or two more times.
5. 5 Join a sports team or spend time playing team sports. Burning calories and having fun is a sport. During sports, a spirit of competition arises; people often forget that they are exercising but continue to sweat. Sports to do for weight loss:
   • Football. This sport promotes the development of the respiratory system and helps burn fat.
   • Swimming. By swimming in the pool for one hour, you can burn 400-600 calories, strengthen joints, muscles and improve blood circulation.
   • Basketball. Playing on a basketball court can burn 400-700 calories.
6. 6 Sign up for fitness. Add a fitness class to your weekly workout that combines cardio with strength development and interval training.
   • Aerobics and dance lessons (such as zumba) can help you lose weight. One hour of zumba training will help you burn 500-1000 calories.
   • Pedaling is a great way to lose weight and strengthen muscles. Exercise on a stationary bike to burn fat and lose weight in your thighs, buttocks, and abdomen.

Part 3 of 3: Change Your Lifestyle

1. 1 Do not eat outside during this fasting week. It is rarely possible to eat outside the home so that the food is healthy. Try not to go to the grocery store during this week. Without the temptations, you can stick to your meal plan and only eat foods that will help you stay full and lose weight.
   • Pack your lunch and take it to work so you don't have to snack in the middle of the day. By preparing your meals ahead of time, you can avoid the temptation to eat out.
2. 2 Lose weight with a friend or partner. It's easier to stay motivated and stick to a weekly weight loss program if you do it with a friend or partner. Then you will be accountable to each other as both will work hard to lose weight in a week.
3. 3 Stick to your new eating and lifestyle habits after the week has passed. Once you've spent one healthy week of eating, focusing on exercise and other lifestyle changes, you may not want to give up those healthy habits. Try to stick to your eating and exercise plan for one month, and then make an effort to follow it for several months or a year.

Warnings

• Do not do anything radical about your body in order to get the cherished numbers on the scales, otherwise you can harm yourself in the long run.