How to lose weight in 2 weeks - really

One of the most frustrating things about losing weight is how slow it can often be. Sometimes when you start on a new weight loss program, you can have great success in the first week or two, and then you can seem to stall, and not make any progress. It's frustrating, and it is a big contributing factor to why many people simply give up on dieting and weight loss before they can even have a chance to succeed.

If you're like me, you may have tried miracle soup diets, grapefruit diets, and a host of other things to lose weight. I once worked with a lady who did a "popcorn diet", where all she ate was about 1,000 calories of popcorn every day. After about two weeks, her body essentially went into shock, and she literally passed out from what she was doing to herself.

There are supplements and pills out there that claim to send your metabolism into overdrive, and practically guarantee that you will lose weight quickly.

So, with all this competing talk on the market, who do you believe? how can you do it, and can you really lose weight in 2 weeks? Is it really possible?

I am here to tell you that it is absolutely possible, and there are several ways to do it. The big thing that I've discovered is that the basic formula of calories in is less than calories burned equals weight loss, which isn't really that profound a discovery.

There are to basic sides to this formula - the calories in, or what you eat, and the calories burned, or what you do. To me, the absolute best way and a sure fire way to really lose weight in 2 weeks is to do both - modify what you eat and how you exercise.

Starting with what you eat, if you are eating plenty of high calorie, sugary foods and drinking a lot of calorie dense sodas every day, cutting back just a small amount can have a significant impact on your weight loss. If you are already trying to eat healthy but still not losing weight (if that's your goal), a good suggestion is to journal everything (and I mean everything) that you eat. There are tools from a simple notepad to iphone apps and blackberry apps to help you, so you can easily track the exact calories you're taking in every day.

If you are looking for a diet to help you lose weight in 2 weeks, here are some that are working, and the key is to find a diet that you can live with and be consistent with it - don't just do it for one week and give up, commit to a lifestyle change!
Low carb
Low calorie
Stillman's (ultra low carb to start, followed by low carb)
Weight Watchers point system
South Beach Diet
Sugar Busters


The other side of the equation is exercise. If you are significantly overweight, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to start walking. If you are extremely sedentary, start out by walking from your couch to your mailbox, work up to walking around the block, and keep building on your base once you get going. If you want to start a running program, the Couch 2 5K (also known as C25K, or Couch potato to 5k) is an excellent way to go from walking to running a 5K (3.1 miles) in a time where you can handle it. Elliptical, exercise bikes, P90X or Insanity, zumba classes, swimming, wii fit, and other exercises are great, too. But the bottom line is to just start doing something and keep moving!

The big point is that is is possible to lose weight in 2 weeks, but it takes a dedicated effort and commitment. You can do it!