Quick Weight Loss Plan

The quickest way to lose weight safely is to eat less and exercise. If you try to shed weight by fasting or by killing yourself at the gym, you will most likely end up hurting yourself. Build a healthy lifestyle plan and stick to it. Not only will you quickly lose weight, you will learn how to keep it off.

Weight Loss Plan

To start, you need to determine how overweight you are. UCLA offers a formula to get a rough idea of your BMI (Body Mass Index). Multiply your weight (in pounds) by 705. Divide the result by your height (in inches). Then divide the result by your height again. A final number between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered in the healthy range. Keep in mind that this is a rough estimate.

Your goal should be to reach a healthy BMI. The only way to lose weight is to consume fewer calories than you use. Multiply your weight (in pounds) by 11 (use 10 if you are female). If you have an active life, you can use a higher number (18.5 for moderately active males, 17 for females). The result is a rough estimate of the amount of calories you burn on a typical day. Eat less than this, and you will lose weight.

How much less? A pound of fat is roughly 3,500 calories. To lose half a pound to a pound a week, UCLA suggests eating 250 to 500 fewer calories a day. Track your calories throughout the day. Avoid high-calorie foods. Instead, eat a healthy, balanced diet. The U.S. Food Guide Pyramid offers a good baseline diet.

It is also important to add an exercise plan. The more calories you burn, the more weight you will lose. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) says the average adult would have to walk 30 miles to use up the 3,500 calories that are in one pound of fat. That may seem like a lot, but if you spread that activity out over a month by walking just one mile a day, you would lose about 12 pounds a year. The NIH recommends 30 minutes of moderate activity every day.

Finally, don't try to beat your body type. UCLA reports that the average model weighs 23 percent less than the average American woman. But only five percent of the population have body types that can achieve this weight safely. The key is to find your healthy weight range and stick to it. If you are unsure what a healthy weight is for your body type, ask your doctor for advice.