Five Ways to Lose 2 Pounds in One Week

If you truly stuck to any diet plan, you could potentially lose the weight, but sticking to it isn't always that easy. Here are a few guidelines you should consider if you really want to lose the weight.

Your Motive: Why do you want to lose weight? If you said, "To have more energy and to be healthier," than you're going to lose weight for sure, but if you said, "So I can look better," then remember that you will, but not until you are confident, energized, and healthy, which really can happen even if you're a plus sized person.

Your Plan: No, I don't mean the specific diet plan, I mean your life plan. Do you plan on doing this diet and exercise plan for the rest of your life? You should. If you don't, you'll gain the weight back as soon as you stop the "diet," which is exactly why fad diets don't work. They aren't healthy, nor are they reasonable for a long term basis. I don't know anyone who could completely avoid noodles or potatoes for the duration of their entire life. Because your plan is something that you'll have to continue for the rest of your life, the best weight-loss plans can be surprisingly easy to complete.

The Underlying Cause of Your Weight: Obviously, if you have a hormonal disease or thyroid problem, you'll know what it is that's causing your weight gain; however, many of us don't have these types of problems. Overeating can be psychological, or it can be a by-product of environment. If you can pin-point what it is that causing you to be overweight, you'll be one-up on yourself! If your lifestyle is extremely sedentary, if you overeat when you are stressed, happy, angry, Etc, or if you cannot eat a pea unless it is buried under a cup of butter, then you know what it is you need to address. Working on the cause of your weight gain will definitely help you to maintain your weight loss for life.

Before we go on to the very simple tips, here are some diet and exercise Myths that you should consider:

-I'm extremely overweight because of genetics. This statement is never really true, or at least it's only partially true. While genetics may give you a slightly slower metabolism than some of your friends, it doesn't mean that you aren't eating a little too much or aren't getting enough exercise. You shouldn't be as hungry as your contemporaries if your metabolism is slower than theirs. Consider the real reason you may be overeating, and consider the idea that you may in fact be overeating.

-I don't need to exercise if I eat don't eat that many calories. Wrong. Exercise is not only good for your heart, but it boosts your metabolism. You have a two-pronged attack if you cut down your over-sized lunch and exercise. Not only that, but by eating less food, you'll trick your body into lowering your metabolism. You don't want to do that.

-Because of my work schedule, or whatever it is I do, I tend to eat at night, which is why I gain weight. Wrong. There's a sort of math involved in maintaining your body's fuel and how it burns that fuel. If you eat extra calories during any time of the day, it will turn to fat. People usually assume that because one is sleeping at night, he isn't burning those calories, so they'll turn to fat; however, if that person ate the right amount of calories for his body weight and was active during the day, those calories shouldn't turn to fat any more easily than they would if he ate during the day.

Now that you understand the basics, here are the five tips:

1. Drink water. Ditch the colas (even if they're diet). Why? Not only is water calorie free, but it will work to energize you and will boost your metabolism slightly. Drinking more water will boost your desire to get up and move your body, whereas high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners bog your blood cells down into the gutter. Revitalize yourself! For heavy soda drinkers, just doing this one little thing alone can cut the calories enough to lose a pound or even two in only one week (though water weight might be a little depressing at first).

2. If you DON'T usually exercise, just go for a walk, jog in place, dance, ride a bike or something for just 20 minutes a day for five days a week. Don't stroll, though. You have to get your heart-rate up.

3. Ditch the fried foods, including French Fries. For a lot of people, doing this will lose some enough weight for the week. You don't need them. If a relative offers it to you (and it doesn't happen every day), go ahead and take a small portion to be polite. Next time you go to a fast food joint, get the salad, sans fattening dressing, or just drive on by. You can ask for grilled things, but be sure to tell them not to butter the bun or add Mayonnaise.

4. Eat three meals a day (or even four small meals). If you skip breakfast, you're more likely to chow down at lunch or dinner time. As long as you're drinking water and by-passing the fried foods, you'll be good to go. Now, these three meals should be relatively healthy. You don't have to eat celery and brown rice to lose a pound in one week. You can have a small piece of lasagna. Just cut your normal portions down, if even by a sliver, but by all means, eat three meals!! You have to fuel your body regularly if you want to keep your metabolism running smoothly.

4a. (Yes, I kind of cheated by adding this extra tip, but it goes with the last tip) Rather than focusing on what NOT to eat, aside from fried stuff, focus on what you SHOULD eat. Do you eat your veggies? Are you getting enough fiber in your diet? Do you get enough calcium? By shifting your focus in this way, you're more likely to make great food decisions without feeling as though you are depriving yourself of something. I guarantee that if you try to focus on what you NEED to eat, rather than what you SHOULDN'T eat during your three meals, you will lose some weight.

5. Keep some nuts on hand, unless you're allergic, of course. Nuts are fattening, but it's a good fat, in moderation. Not only are nuts loaded with protein and other nutritional value, but they work as a great appetite suppressant. If you have a long delay between lunch and dinner, or between breakfast and lunch, you really should whip out a couple of nuts. The trick to them, if you happen to be a nut lover, is to eat them right before you engage yourself in something that will distract you from the rest of them in the can. Eat some before going for a walk, or eat some right before walking to a different department. If you take them to work with you, only take a small amount.

In Summary

These tips are just a few of the many ways you can lose a pound or two in only one week. The bottom line is that you have to make some changes in your lifestyle, and you have to stick with them if you want them to work. Good luck on your weight loss.