You see ads everyday in the papers, the Internet and especially on TV claiming that you can lose x amounts of pounds in just a week. With all the money spent on advertising and those before and after pictures, you get tempted to pick up the telephone and call to order their "magic" product. But the truth is those are all just a bunch of marketing scam. The "diets" seen in those advertisements will mostly give you short term results and as soon as you stop doing what's advertised you'll just return to your old self. Not to mention all the damage you're doing to your metabolism. The truth is everyone wants an easy way out, a pill they can take, well I hate to tell you this, but you didn't get fat in a week, so how do you expect to get slim in that amount of time?

The best way to lose weight and by weight I mean fat, is to calculate your daily calorie consumption. The body needs a certain amount of calories to survive and the extra calories are for your extra activities. So in order to lose weight you need to burn more calories then you consume: either by consuming fewer calories or increasing the amount of calories burnt. Simple, no? Well actually the human metabolism is an extremely complex process, but it's best not to over think on some matters and do what works best.

First, you need to start by calculating how many calories you're consuming each day. I know you're thinking that it's not easy but once you get the hang of it, it'll become second nature. There are numerous calorie counting sites on net and a simple Google search will provide the answer. Just log in all your daily foods and it'll give you your total number of calories with all the macronutrients: proteins, carbohydrates and fats. I won't go into detail for each macronutrient, but to sum it up look at it this way. Protein is for repairing your skin tissues and building strong muscles, nails and hair. Carbohydrates (carbs for short) are your body's primary energy source. And fat is your reserve energy tank.

Second, clean up your diet. Remove all the junk food and processed crap and replace it with whole grains, lean meats and healthy fats. Whole foods (especially foods with high protein) have a thing called a thermal effect, which basically means it takes more energy for your body to burn the food, so you burn more calories. Not to mention that they're much healthier and will give you an overall better result. Try to spread the food evenly throughout the day. Example: Breakfast, Snack, Lunch, Snack and Dinner. This way your metabolism will be active all day and you'll be burning fat.

And finally, remove about 500 calories worth of food each day (1 lb of fat is about 3500 calories) or do extra cardio exercises to match that amount of calories so you'll lose around 1-2 pounds a week. And there you have it. Always remember that this is a marathon and not a sprint.