The Best Way to Lose 50 Pounds Quickly

Starving yourself is a quick way to lose weight; however, it will come back with additional pounds when you begin eating again, since your metabolism will be very slow in burning off calories. Losing 50 pounds within five months is a healthier and more permanent solution to dropping weight.

Weight Loss

According to the Mayo Clinic, losing 2 pounds a week is a realistic goal. Some people who watch what they eat and exercise very strictly may lose 3 pounds a week and still be healthy and fit. Despite knowing you want to lose 50 pounds, concentrate on immediate goals, such as losing the next 3 to 5 pounds, or working to stick to your healthy diet and exercise program every day. Each pound contains 3,500 calories--you must exercise and cut back on fatty or sugary foods in order to use them up.

To lose 50 pounds within five months, you must lose 2 to 3 pounds per week. That's 7,000 calories cut or burned to lose 2 pounds and 10,500 calories cut or burned to lose 3 pounds. For a 2-pound loss, you might cut 500 calories from your diet every day in addition to burning 500 calories through exercise. Three pounds is a bit harder, cutting 750 calories of food and burning 750 calories with exercise. Most people should not consume fewer than 1,200 calories per day, because that can slow the metabolism and prevent weight loss.

Exercise

Doing cardio and strength training will increase calorie burn, and even help to burn off fat while you are at rest. Do a minimum of 60 minutes of cardio activity each day, like running or brisk walking, or use elliptical or stair-climber equipment to burn daily calories. Interval training is very effective in weight loss, and helps you burn more calories in less time.

To do interval training either outdoors or on gym equipment, do a five minute warmup to get muscles stretched. Do one minute of exercise at a steady pace, followed by a 20-second cool-down. Then, go as fast as you can for 30 to 45 seconds and slow down to catch your breath. Do these intervals for 30 to 45 minutes, and you will burn more calories than if you maintained a steady pace during the same amount of time.

Do strength-training exercises every other day to build muscle mass. Increased muscle mass will help burn off additional calories. Be sure to use one day of rest when using weights, to allow your body to repair muscle tissues and fibers. Spend 30 minutes doing bicep and tricep curls, hamstring squats and bench presses for the chest.

Diet

Each day, fill your diet with lean protein, fruit and vegetables. Drink at least 64 ounces of water to stay hydrated and help the body push out waste or toxins. Avoid sugar-filled items such as soda and refrain from eating high-fat food such as candy, fast food, and junk or processed foods.