How to Lose a Pound By Next Week

This article was written by Jenny Sugar and repurposed with permission from POPSUGAR Fitness.

If you're trying to drop pounds and are new to the whole exercise scene, then knowing exactly what to do can be a struggle. Since cardio, strength training, stretching, and days of rest are all equally important, here's a weekly schedule to help you balance it all out and still see results.

In order to lose one pound a week, you need to burn 3,500 calories per week, or 500 per day. But exercise is just one piece of the weight-loss puzzle. If you make diet changes by cutting calories during any given meal, then you won't be bound to intense 500-calorie burning workouts every day—you'll adjust your gym sessions and food intake for your lifestyle and goals. The chart below will give you an a general idea of how to exercise and cut calories in order to burn enough calories per week.

Day Workout Diet Caloric Deficit Monday Cardio: 60-minute Walking-Jogging Workout (330 calories) Stretching: 10 minutes (40 calories) Cut 200 calories 570 Tuesday Cardio: 30-minute bike ride at 14 mph (steady-state pace) (270 calories) Strength training and stretching: 60-minute fast-paced yoga class such as Vinyasa (269 calories) Cut 50 calories 589 Wednesday Rest day or take a 20-minute walk at a 20-minute/mile pace (66 calories) Cut 250 calories 316 Thursday Cardio: 60-minute indoor cycling class (413 calories) or 45-minute vigorous swim (446 calories) Strength training: 20 minutes (119 calories)—if you biked: 10-minute arm and shoulder workout and flat abs workout—if you swam: 10-minute leg and butt workout and 10-minute tighter core workout Stretching: 10 minutes (40 calories) Cut 50 calories 655 Friday Cardio: 20-minute run at 10-minute/mile pace (180 calories) Strength training and stretching: 60-minute fast-paced yoga class such as Ashtanga, Vinyasa, or Power (269 calories) Cut 50 calories 499 Saturday Cardio: 60-minute Zumba class (324 calories) or 60-minute hike/snowshoe (324 calories) Strength training: 20 minutes (119 calories)—10-minute arms and core workout Stretching: 10 minutes (40 calories) Cut 100 calories 583 Sunday Rest day or take a 20-minute walk at a 20-minute/mile pace (66 calories) Cut 250 calories 316

*Calculations for calories burned are based on a 130-pound woman. Check this SparkPeople website for more accurate calculations based on your weight. Talk to your doctor before starting any type of exercise plan.

This is just an example of how you can break down your weekly workouts, so you can mix it up as you see fit with your schedule and exercise preferences. Each week, it's best to include at least four cardio workouts (mix up the types and always stretch afterward), and two to three strength-training workouts. And don't forget to throw in days of rest so your muscles have time to recover and get stronger.

More from POPSUGAR Fitness:
The Tip That Will Take Your Weight Loss to Another Level
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