15 Best And Easy Tips
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Losing 40 pounds in 2 months is doable, but it isn't easy. The good news is that by cutting out just 500 calories per day you can work your way towards losing the amount of weight that you want to.
This article will give you the information to start moving towards your goal and help you lose 40 pounds in 2 months with 15 simple tips.
1. Count calories
A good way to lose weight is by keeping track of your calorie intake. Having a good food journal, where you write down everything you eat and drink during the day is the best way to do this.
When you keep track of your calories, it really helps you stay on track with your diet, because you know exactly how much you have left for that day, and prevents you from overeating.
2. Eat more lean proteins
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A lot of people want to know how to lose 40 pounds in 2 months. It's not a simple equation, but there are certain things you can do to ensure that you are moving in the right direction. The best advice is this: stop eating junk food and start eating lean proteins.
If you want to lose weight quickly, you need to make sure that your body burns off as much energy as it takes in; if you eat too much fatty food, your body will store it instead of burning it off.
To avoid storing fat, focus on lean proteins like chicken and fish, which are both low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals.
3. Eat Healthy Fats
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If you're trying to lose weight, and you're currently eating a diet that relies primarily on low-fat options, you may be surprised to learn that some experts have actually found that eating more fat can help your body burn more calories.
The key is: not all fats are created equal. Some fats such as Omega 3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fats have been proven to increase metabolism, whereas others like saturated fats have been linked to greater levels of cholesterol and heart disease.
The best option? Monounsaturated fats, which are found in olive oil, avocados, nuts (especially hazelnuts), and seeds (sunflower seeds).
The consumption of these healthy fats along with regular exercise will help your body burn more calories and shed the weight so you can feel good about how you look!
4. Get rid of unhealthy foods in your kitchen
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Having a well-stocked kitchen is essential to a healthy lifestyle. If you have junk food, you'll be more inclined to consume it and less open to making healthy choices.
If you don't have anything healthy, you'll be forced to go out and buy something that's probably not very good for you.
In order to make sure your kitchen is stocked with the right food, start by eliminating any unhealthy foods that may be there.
Don't just get rid of the obvious junk foods like candy, chips, and soda, the less flashy stuff can really add up over time too.
Some things are easier to let go of than others, if those chocolatres were a big part of your life, it might take some time (and maybe some help from someone who loves you) to get rid of them for good.
But there are some things that are easier to give up than others: cookies, chips, crackers, candy bars, empty calorie cereals.
If it doesn't provide much nutritional value or if it's something you only eat occasionally (like a bag of chips), consider giving it away or throwing it out so that you don't constantly see it in your cupboards and on your shelves.
5. Stop eating refined carbs
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The best way to see results without making drastic changes is to cut refined carbohydrates from your diet. Refined carbs are any grains that have been processed, including flour, rice and cornmeal.
These are the types of carbs that give you a rush of energy followed by an inevitable crash. You may be tempted to reach for them when you're stressed or tired, but it's better to use other methods to get through those moments than relying on food for comfort.
When you stop eating refined carbs and start eating more whole-grain carbs instead, your body will begin burning fat for energy instead of turning everything you eat into fat deposits.
When this happens, you'll see results faster than you ever thought possible.
6. Fill up on fiber
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If you want to lose weight fast, you should increase your fiber intake. It's a simple fact that fiber-rich foods allow you to feel fuller for longer than high-calorie foods with less fiber content.
Not only will this help you avoid overeating, but it will also keep you from snacking between meals—a big problem for many overweight people.
The best way to make sure you're getting the right amount of fiber is to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and whole grains. These are naturally high in fiber, and are also the healthiest foods you can eat anyway.
When trying to lose weight quickly, it's important not to cut out any food group, instead, focus on eating more of the most nutritious foods available.
This is why adding more whole grains to your diet is so important; they're an easy way to get plenty of fiber into your daily routine without throwing off your overall nutrition or increasing your calorie intake too much.
More on what kinds of grains are good: whole wheat breads, pastas, and cereals; brown rice; oats; barley; farro; quinoa; amaranth.
7. Control your portion sizes
Controlling your portion sizes is pretty straightforward. If you begin to pay attention to how much food you serve yourself at each meal, you can start making adjustments so that you don't overdo it.
In fact, it may be a good idea to control your portions before you start losing weight just so that you can get used to eating the right amount.
You don't want to start cutting back now only to find out that it's too much and then have problems with food cravings later on when you're trying to keep going with your diet.
8. Eat less sodium
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If you want to lose weight, the simplest thing you can do is to reduce your intake of sodium. If you don't usually check nutrition labels, you're probably surprised to learn that the foods you eat every day are loaded with salt.
Sodium is the water-loving, metallic element that makes things taste salty. It's an essential nutrient in the human diet, but only in small quantities.
When you eat a lot of sodium, it can lead to high blood pressure, the silent killer that can give you heart disease and make you more likely to have a stroke or develop kidney disease.
Here are some easy ways to cut back:
- When cooking, use less salt than the recipe calls for.
- Rinse canned vegetables before eating them. A lot of sodium leaks out into the water they're stored in.
- Buy unsalted nuts and seeds and add salt only at the end before eating them. This way, you get to control how much salt will be added to each serving.
- Buy low-sodium soups and broths and use them instead of regular soups and broths when making your own food at home. Low sodium soup options include fat free chicken noodle soup (50 mg of sodium per cup), vegetable broth (10 mg per cup), or tomato soup (20 mg per cup).
9. Avoid sugary drinks and fruit juice
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When you're trying to lose weight, the easiest way to cut calories is to avoid the sugary drinks and fruit juices that many of us have come to rely on.
They're packed with sugar, they're absorbed quickly into your system, and they leave you hungry again in a short period of time. If you replace them with a glass of water, you'll feel fuller longer, which means you'll be more likely to make healthier food choices later in the day.
What's more, water helps your body process all the nutrients from your diet without expending unnecessary energy. It even supports the liver and kidneys in their tasks of detoxification.
Once you start drinking water instead of juice or soda, you'll see and feel the difference. A single 20-ounce bottle of soda has as many as 35 teaspoons of sugar, that's more sugar than two Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts.
Even diet sodas have been linked to weight gain, because artificial sweeteners cause your body to produce fat instead of burning it. Fruit juice is also loaded with sugar, so don't think that just because it comes from an orange or a pear that it's a better option for you.
The best way to keep your weight in check is to drink water, plain or sparkling. Water will fill you up without adding extra calories or carbs. It'll also help hydrate your body and flush out any extra sodium that may be lurking in your system from eating too much takeout.
10. Eat at regular times
When you're dieting and trying to lose weight, it can be tempting to stray from your regular eating schedule. But unless you've got a good reason (like being on vacation or working night shifts), try to stick to the same meal times every day.
You're more likely to stay on track with your diet when you don't have to worry about keeping up with food in addition to everything else you need to do.
Bored of your regular routine? It's easy enough to change things up without messing up the schedule too much. For example, if you usually eat lunch at noon, try having dinner instead at 5 pm—you might find that you're more relaxed and ready for a good meal by then.
11. Track your progress
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To get your weight loss journey started off on the right foot, record each weigh-in in a journal. Start with your first recorded weight, then track every week after.
At the beginning of each week, write down your goal weight for that week and how many pounds you'd like to lose by then. Then, at the end of the week, record your new weight and any changes you made to your diet or exercise routine that might have affected that number.
It's important to not only track the number on the scale but also make note of any changes you've made to eat healthier and exercise more, it's easy to get discouraged if you're not seeing instant results, so being able to look back at what you did can keep you on track and help you see what steps are working for you.
After a few weeks, you'll be able to tell which things work best for your body and which don't, and it'll make it easier for you to tackle future obstacles like holiday parties or unexpected celebrations with food.
Get a printable tracker/journal here
12. You'll need to exercise but don't just focus on cardio
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Let's start simple: what kind of exercise do you really need right now? Is it strength training? That would help you build muscle, which in turn burns more calories than just being sedentary. Or is it cardio? If so, running or biking are good choices—they help burn fat, and they get your heart rate up as well.
If you already have weights, you can use them for some bodyweight exercises that don't require any equipment at all.
When choosing new workouts for the next month after this one, keep the two basic things in mind that you need the most: enough fat-burning workout time (a minimum of 20 minutes) and enough calorie-burning muscle building workout time (a minimum of 30 minutes).
The exact workouts themselves aren't as important as fitting those two needs into your schedule.
13. Use smaller plates
When dishing up your next meal, consider investing in some smaller plates. Studies have shown that using smaller plates can help you eat less by making portions appear larger.
We tend to finish everything on our plates, so if you want to trick your mind into thinking you're eating more than you actually are, use a smaller plate.
The lesson here is to be mindful of what you're eating and how much. Just because there's an empty spot on your plate doesn't mean you have to fill it with food; instead, give yourself permission to leave some food behind after you've had enough.
You can do this by serving yourself on a smaller plate or bowl, which will keep portions in check while still giving you the appearance of a full plate.
If you're at a restaurant and your eyes are bigger than your stomach, ask for a to-go box as soon as your dish arrives so that you can pack up half before you even start eating. If there are any leftovers once you've finished your meal
14. Drink More Water
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Many people skip drinking water when they are trying to lose weight. This can actually make you gain weight.
When you are dehydrated, your body holds onto as much water as it can to stay hydrated, but when you drink water, your body is able to release the water that it doesn’t need.
Water is important for your health and it makes you feel full so that you are less likely to snack between meals on unhealthy foods like chips and cookies.
To add flavor, squeeze some fresh lemon juice into a glass of water or try one of the new "water enhancers" on the market.
15. Quit alcohol
It's hard to resist a glass of wine every now and again, but if you're trying to lose weight, it can be especially tough. Alcohol is full of empty calories that will stall any weight-loss efforts you have in place.
In the short term, alcohol can provide a little bit of an energy boost, but that initial burst of sugar and carbohydrates causes your blood sugar to crash almost immediately.
This leaves you feeling tired and sluggish after drinking, the opposite effect you want on a night out or just relaxing at home.
In the long term, drinking too much will cause your body to pack on the pounds as it struggles to keep up with all the extra work. Your liver has to work overtime breaking down all that alcohol, which also makes some people feel hungrier.
It's hard to keep reaching for those French fries when your body is working so hard just to metabolize all that booze.
In the end, you're left with extra calories sitting on your hips and belly without even feeling satisfied from your drink.
Stop drinking alcohol in order to lose weight, you may find that your cravings for sweets and fatty foods decrease as well!
Recommended: Watch this video that reveals the 10 second morning trigger that boosts metabolism and how people use it to burn stubborn fat.
Final Thoughts
Losing 40 pounds in 2 months is a process that can be done, however losing that amount of weight in such a short period of time can be detrimental to your overall health. It can also be quite a difficult process which would need you to be very disciplined on your diet and exercising routine. Don't focus more on the target date, but the amount of pounds you want to lose. Especially if you are going to set a deadline that's in a short period of time.
Disclaimer
This post is intended for general informational purposes only. You should not use this information as a replacement for professional/ medical advice. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any medical conditions. It also contains affiliate links, which means if you purchase anything through them, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you.