Let’s consider the possibility that you can lose more than 2 pounds a week on a weight loss plan.  To lose real fat – not water, not muscle – you need to eat 3500 fewer calories for each pound you want to lose. To lose 5 pounds a week, you would have to eat 17,500 fewer calories, or 2,500 less calories a day.

The lowest daily calorie intake you can have and still get all the nourishment you need is 1200 calories.  If you maintain your current weight with 2500 daily calories and you reduce your intake to 1200 calories, you have only have a reduction of 1300 calories.  It will take 1200 more calories burned with exercise to make your goal of a 2500 calorie daily deficit.

It is possible to eat only 1200 calories a day and burn 1200 calories a day in exercise, but how long could you really keep that up?  Probably not for a long enough time to get to your goal.

It is easier to stay on a diet that is less strict and an exercise program you could stick to and aim to lose 2 pounds a week.  In only 5 months you will will lose 40 pounds.  Eating only lean proteins, healthy fats (olive oil, nuts, avacados) and natural carbohydrates (fruits and vegetables) will help you eat fewer calories and have long term weight control. Build muscle with resistence exercises and build your heart and lung capacity with cardio training.  Read this article for a good fat burning diet and read here for some exercise ideas.

You will avoid losing muscle and feel full longer by eating lean proteins.  Green vegetables and lower calorie fruits increase your nutrient intake and help with digestion.  You can eat healthy fats in small amounts, but keep simple sugars and starchy carbohydrates to a minimum.  Resistence training burns calories while you are doing it, but it also continues to burn calories because the muscles grow when they are at rest.  Weight training also makes your body lean and strong.  You can also burn more calories each day and improve your stamina with cardio training.  See this article that has reviews of various programs that include all three elements.

Making the decision that you can reach your goal without strict diets and exercise programs by losing 2 pounds a week will get you started on the right path!

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