Weight loss objectives will always vary because every individual has different needs. Plus, the commitment to a work schedule or other engagements is another factor that can affect how much time devote to the actualization of a weight loss plan. And, on the other side of the divide is the lack of will to push through or be consistent at a weight loss routine.

However, the truth is that the slightest of effort can result in tremendous health gain. To put this in another way; every little effort at losing weight ultimately brings about some changes in one’s figure and promotes a healthy lifestyle in the long run. So, let’s consider how you can go about losing 5 pounds of weight in 3 weeks.

A weight loss plan of 5 pounds in 3 weeks is certainly within the safe range. This is based on the fact that it would mean that an individual will be losing around 1.6 pounds every week. By the way, the healthy weight loss range recommended by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention is 1 – 2 pounds per week. Viewing the 5 pounds in 3 weeks plan in terms of calories to be given off; it would mean having to burn 5,600 calories weekly.

The person who is set to lose weight this way must be ready to incorporate a blend of exercises and dietary observances – which requires some measure of discipline – into his routine. Additionally, s/he may have to take certain lifestyle tweaks to heart, maintaining a good balance thereon. More details on all these will unravel as you read on.

Watch your diet

The secret to any successful weight loss routine is having a healthy dietary plan – talk about putting first things first. This is the comprehensive way to go about it and not merely cutting down calories alone. Hinging on a healthy diet means you will see to it that those junk foods, processed foods, and foods/drinks with added sugars are substituted for healthier choices in your pantry. You should be more about having foods that have substantial protein and fiber contents – whole grains will also be a great treasure in your food chest. You can also eat a lot of vegetables and fruits during your weight loss program.

We still need to talk about reducing your caloric intake. This is necessary because all you need to stay at your current weight is to keep consuming the same number of calories as you’ve been doing – hence calorie cut is a sine qua non. Therefore, you may need to check your basal metabolic rate (BMR) to know the number of calories you require for daily metabolism. This should tell you that calories are not as bad as one may be made to believe on the surface – some dose of calories are needed to fuel certain activities day in, day out.

Buttressing more on creating a calorie deficit; it is usually recommended that those on weight loss plans should aim to burn around 500 – 1000 calories daily. That said, considering that someone on a 5 pounds in 3 weeks weight loss plan will be looking to burn 800 calories per day, let’s peg the number of calories that has to be cut off from his/her diet to 400 calories. How about the remaining (400 calories), you may ask? – Exercises come to mind here. So, in reducing the dietary calories, the individual could aim to reduce the portion size of his/her meal. Also, s/he will have to watch out for those food ingredients – and even cooking methods – that may be contributing to the caloric composition of his/her body.

Raise your activity level

Now, it’s high time we talked about the exercises you can do to shed the other 400 calories. A mix of aerobics and resistance training will be helpful in this regard. Resistance training, in particular, will promote the development of muscle thus preventing incidences of muscle loss. Also, it can ensure that you keep burning more calories even after the exercise is done.

Let’s get down to the specifics; an individual with a body weight of 180 pounds will succeed in burning 214 calories while running at 10 min/miles for 15 minutes. Then get another 172 calories burned by doing a mix of moderate-high intense weightlifting for 25 minutes. That means you would have succeeded in burning a total of 386 calories doing these exercises daily. And, you will probably get to have more calories expended with the increased metabolism that would result from your weightlifting. You can check here to know more about the number of exercises burned doing different exercises.

Keep a bottle of water close ALWAYS

You should make it a point of duty to drink water regularly while on a weight loss plan. This is down to the fact that water has been found to improve metabolism as it plays a significant role in the breakdown of accumulated fat. More so, making this a habit could help reduce your intake of drinks with added sugars that can jerk up the caloric composition of your body.

Lifestyle checks

You will also do some lifestyle checks to see if there is anything that might be causing weight gain. For instance, sleep deprivation is reported to contribute to weight gain. This is because the activity of ghrelin, a hormone that induces hunger, is usually higher at night. Hence, you should know what is responsible in the instance whereby the urge to munch on some snacks comes rushing while watching a late-night movie. In essence, you should make it a habit to get about 7 – 8 hours of sleep every night – whether you’re on a weight loss program or not.

Stress management measures should also be duly factored into your weight loss plan. Stress is known to increase cortisol levels which could make one add weight. As such, you should learn to ease off stress – meditation and yoga can be helpful in this wise.

References

Coughlin J, and Smith MT. (2014). Sleep, obesity, and weight loss in adults: Is there a rationale for providing sleep interventions in the treatment of obesity? Intervention Review of Psychiatry 26(2).

Howarth NC, Saltzman E, Roberts SB. (2001). Dietary fiber and weight regulation. Nutr Rev 59(5), pp. 129 – 139.

Johns DJ, Hartmann-Boyce J, Jebb SA, and Aveyard P. (2014). Diet or exercise interventions vs combined behavioral weight management programs: A systematic review and meta-analysis of direct comparisons. J Acad Nutr Diet. 114: 1557 – 1568.

Schmid SM, Hallschmid M, Jauch-Chara K, Born J, Schultes B. (2008). A single night of sleep deprivation increases ghrelin levels and feelings of hunger in normal-weight healthy men. J Sleep Res 17(3), pp. 331 – 334.

Westcott WL. (2012). Resistance training is medicine: Effects of strength training on health. Curr Sports Med Rep. 11(4), pp. 209 – 216.