There are many fad diets out there promising to help you lose weight fast in one month. It is particularly tempting to fall pretty to one of these schemes when you have an engagement coming within the next month and you need to lose weight fast. It is important to try and stay away from these quick weight loss diets because the results are usually only temporary. The best way to lose weight and keep it off is with changes that will last a lifetime and keep the weight off for good!

Exercise to Lose Weight in One Month

Weight loss methods need to include exercise and calorie reduction to encourage fat burning within the body. It is important before you begin a weight loss program to come up with a plan. Use these simple steps to put that plan into action and take off that extra weight:

1. Set a Realistic Goal

In order to come up with an effective weight loss plan, you should set a goal for yourself that is easy to achieve. This will keep you from getting disappointed, while keeping you focused on the weight you want to be. You should make these goal easy to get to yet keep you healthy by only trying to lose 1 or 2 pounds weekly, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This will help your body lose approximately 8 pounds in a month, but you may notice bigger losses in the beginning. Expect to plateau someone around the second week of the month. This is to be expected and don’t allow this to set you back. Over the next few weeks, your weight loss will continue steadily and you will reach your goal if you stick to your plan.

2. Count Calories

The one important factor that affects weight loss the most is taking in less calories than you burn. This takes a large amount of self-control on your part. It takes 3, 500 calories to equal one pound in the body. That means for each pound you want to lose you need to reduce your food intake by 3, 500 calories each week. For two pounds you need to reduce your food intake by 7, 000 calories each week. To lose two pounds in a week, that is reducing calorie intake by 1, 000 per day. To do this you will need to do these few things; eat smaller portions, forgo seconds and eat fresh vegetables and fruits. Letting go of sugary drinks, desserts and fried foods can help reduce caloric intake even more. Make sure you are eating at least 1, 200 calories each day to prevent health risks or lack of energy due to not enough beneficial nutrients.

3. Take Cardio Activity

Cardio encourages the body to burn fat stores. This will help increase calories burned from the inside over what you take in from the outside. Try adding just a short 30 minute brisk walk daily just five days a week if you have not been exercising. For those who already have a workout routine, you need to add more cardio by doing some interval training. Interval training are small bursts of increased cardio exercise alternating with small bursts of lower intensity cardio. This will train your body to burn the fat stores inside. This is especially helpful during the mid-month plateau. A good way to do this is alternate your exercise over the week. Try doing your weekly walk on Monday, switch to higher intensity step aerobics on Tuesday, Yoga on Wednesday, then go for a good run on Thursdays. If this routine starts to slow down weight loss, take it up a notch with higher intensity cardio such as; Zumba or spinning.

This video explains interval training exercises and how to alternate in one routine for most effective weight loss in a short amount of weeks:

4. Do Strength Training

Strength training can help build muscle while increasing fat burning. This can accelerate the re-shaping of your body and make your clothing fit better. The more lean muscle you retain, the higher your metabolism will go and help prevent rebound weight gain at the end of your weight loss month. It will be important to stick to strength training at the end of your month to encourage your body to stay steady at its new weight.

Watch the following video to give you an idea of adding strength training to your exercise routine to help sculpt your body. You may need a set of dumbbells or weights for these exercises:

Diet Plan to Lose Weight in One Month

In order to lose weight effectively, the calories you take in need to be slightly less than the calories your burn. Exercise alone will not completely take off extra weight. You need to reduce your calorie intake and eat a healthy diet. It will take both exercise and dietary control to lose weight and keep it off for good. Making a healthy diet and exercise a part of your life is how you will change your body and your well-being.

When designing your diet plan, make sure you include foods from each food group such as; lean meats, whole grains, low-fat dairy, fresh fruits and vegetables. Make sure you do not send your body into starvation mode by skipping meals. This only causes the body to retain fat. Eat at least every four hours and include a few healthy snacks if you can. Eating small amounts often actually stimulates fat burning metabolism. Here is a sample meal plan for one day:

• Breakfast. Breakfast is, and always will be the most important meal of the day. This is the meal that “kicks off” fat burning for the day. After an all-night fast, you need to give your body the proper fuel to start burning calories. With this said, breakfast needs to consist of a combination of grains and proteins. Here are some sample breakfast ideas:Whole grain pancakes topped with fruit and a cup of low or non-fat yogurt Scrambled egg whites topped with low-fat cheese, a side of dry toast and fresh fruit, A hardboiled egg, bowl of whole grain cereal and non-fat milk
• Morning Snack. Half way between breakfast and lunch, you need to keep your metabolism going by giving your body a healthy mid-morning snack. This is the best time to give your body a little lift with natural fruit sugar. Pairing carbohydrates with protein can help make them burn more slowly. Give yourself something different than what you ate during the breakfast meal. Healthy ideas for this snack include:Low-fat cheese and a piece of fruit, Carrot sticks and fat-free dressing dip, Yogurt
• Lunch. Lunchtime fare should be on the lighter side. You need to eat enough food to keep you satisfied until dinner. Try to include proteins, veggies and whole grains using these ideas:Turkey on whole wheat bread (No mayo) with lettuce and tomato, Half the above sandwich and include a bowl of clear soup, Salad with fat-free dressing topped with your choice of; salmon, chicken or lean beef strips
• Afternoon Snack. This is a good time for a boost to help you make it to dinner. Here are some good afternoon snack ideas:Sliced veggies with Hummus dip, A handful of nuts
• Dinner. The new rule of thumb should be to completely forgo carbohydrate foods at dinner time. The reason behind this is that your body will not be working hard enough during the night to properly burn them off. Eating dense nutrients from protein foods will help carry your body through the night as they burn more slowly. Here are some ideas for dinnertime: Lean beef, chicken or turkey and a side of fresh or steamed vegetables, Oven baked salmon or whitefish with vegetables, Tofu stir fry with stir fry vegetables
• Dessert. Dessert serves as a little reward, but can easily make up for what you omitted earlier in the day. Use caution not to eat too many calories and treat yourself to something sweet. Good dessert ideas include:A piece of fruit baked with honey and cinnamon on top, A small serving of Fat-free ice cream or Fat-free pudding

This video can help you determine the best foods to eat and the foods you should try to avoid. It will help you determine what is best for you to eat and determine the best diet for you: