How to Lose 70 Pounds Quickly & Safely

Expert tips from weight loss doctors, nutritionists & personal trainers

Co-authored by Pouya Shafipour, MD, MS and Annabelle Reyes

Last Updated: December 11, 2025 Fact Checked

• Diet & Nutrition
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• Exercise
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• How long does it take?
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• Staying Motivated

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If you have a goal of losing 70 pounds, you might not know what to do or how to start. Luckily, we’re here to help! We’ve compiled a complete guide on how to lose 70 pounds safely and sustainably, complete with expert insights from weight loss doctors, nutritionists, and personal trainers. We’ll explain how to make changes to your diet, increase your physical activity, and stay motivated on your weight loss journey, and we’ll also cover how long it takes to lose 70 pounds. Keep reading for everything you need to know!

Losing 70 Pounds: Quick Overview

Weight loss specialist Pouya Shafipour, MD, MS, says, “Weight loss requires a comprehensive plan of a whole food diet, exercise, and healthy eating behaviors.” To lose 70 pounds, you’ll need to make changes in each of these areas. Here are some tips:

• Eat in a caloric deficit of about 500 calories per day.
• Eat more whole foods, and limit fast foods and processed foods.
• Get at least 150 minutes of cardio exercise per week.
• Do strength training 2 times per week.

Steps

Section 1 of 4:

Changing Your Diet to Lose 70 Pounds

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   Calculate your caloric deficit. To lose weight, you’ll need to eat in a caloric deficit, which means eating fewer calories than your body burns in a day. To calculate this, multiply your weight by 15 to find out the number of calories you’d need to eat to maintain your current weight. Next, subtract 500 to 1,000 calories from that number to determine your calorie target for your weight loss journey. This calorie deficit will help you lose 1-2 pounds per week, which is considered to be a safe pace for weight loss. Here’s an example:

   • Multiply your current weight by 15.
     • For example, if you weigh 190 pounds, multiply 190 x 15. This equals 2,850, so a diet of 2,850 calories per day would maintain your current body weight.
   • Subtract 1,000 from that number.
     • 2,850-1,000 = 1,850. So, to lose about 2 pounds per week, your target would be to eat 1,850 calories per day.
   • Note: The above calculation is for a moderately active person, but different activity levels can affect how many calories you burn per day, and so can gender and age. For a more precise calculation that takes these things into account, try using an online calorie deficit calculator, like this one from Mayo Clinic.

   Meet the wikiHow Experts

   Pouya Shafipour, MD, MS, is a weight loss specialist who supports clients with dietary, nutritional, behavioral, and exercise counseling to manage obesity.

   Jalpa Sheth is a registered dietitian and nutritionist who specializes in weight management, medical nutrition therapy, sports nutrition, vegetarian and vegan nutrition, and wellness nutrition.

   Tara Coleman is a clinical nutritionist with over 15 years of experience. She specializes in sports nutrition, body confidence, and immune system health.

   Errol Ismail is a personal trainer with over 10 years of experience who specializes in helping individuals incorporate exercise into their daily lives.

   Pete Cerqua is a certified personal trainer and nutritionist and the best-selling author of The 90-Second Fitness Solution and High Intensity Fitness Revolution for Women/Men.
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   Try to eat within your calorie deficit every day. For example, if you calculated that you’d need to eat 1,850 calories to lose weight, eat only this number of calories each day. To make sure you’re staying within your deficit, track which foods you’re eating and the calories in each item in a food diary. Remember to pay attention to portion sizes and measure out your servings to make sure you’re tracking accurately!

   • You can go the traditional route of logging your foods after you’ve eaten, but clinical nutritionist Tara Coleman has a different approach to keeping a food diary that can be helpful as well:
     • “Most people record their food at the end of the day or at the end of a meal. I suggest flipping that and using it as a plan. Plan out what you intend to eat for the day or week, and then go back and correct it. This allows you to build the skill of being proactive with your hunger and is less of a hassle than the traditional food log,” Coleman says.
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   Eat more whole foods and limit fast food and processed foods. To stay within your caloric deficit, focus on eating a balanced diet made up of mostly whole foods. “I would recommend significantly reducing refined sugar, simple starches, fast food, fried food, dried fruits, soda, and juices, and focus on a diet high in vegetables and healthy sources of plant or animal-based protein and plant or animal-based fat,” says Dr. Shafipour. These types of food are more satiating and lower-calorie, which will help you meet your goal. Here are a few examples of the types of foods to include in your diet:

   • Veggies: Carrots, tomatoes, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, asparagus, brussels sprouts, spinach, arugula, kale, lettuce.
   • Fruits: Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, oranges, apples, grapefruit, pears, peaches, mango, watermelon.
   • Proteins: Lean meats (turkey or chicken), fish, eggs, tofu, beans, peas, lentils, and fat-free dairy products.
   • Grains: Brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta.
   • Fats: Nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil, flaxseed oil, safflower oil.
   • Beverages: Water, coffee, unsweetened tea.
   • What to avoid: Fast food, fried food, sweetened drinks (soda, lemonade, juice), alcohol, and heavily processed food (packaged crackers, chips, cookies, cakes, ice cream, etc).
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   Follow the 40-40-20 rule for macronutrients. You’ll lose weight in a calorie deficit no matter what, but it’s also a good idea to keep track of your macros (carbohydrates, fat, and protein). Certified personal trainer and nutritionist Pete Cerqua says that “40% carbohydrates, 40% protein, and 20% fat is a very healthy way to go” for a weight loss journey.

   • In other words, 40% of your daily calories should come from carbs, 40% from protein, and just 20% from fats.
   • So if your daily calorie target is 1,850, 740 calories should come from carbs, 740 should come from protein, and 370 should come from fats.
   • For reference, there are 4 calories in 1 gram of protein and carbs, and 9 calories in 1 gram of fat.
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Section 2 of 4:

Exercising to Lose 70 Pounds

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   Get at least 150 minutes of cardio per week. “Every time you’re approaching weight, you have to be approaching both diet as well as exercise. They have to go hand-in-hand,” explains registered dietitian and nutritionist Jalpa Sheth. To start, Sheth recommends getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week.

   • You can break this up any way you’d like—just 15-30 minutes or cardio per day would get you to your goal, for example!
   • Examples of cardio exercises include walking, jogging, running, hiking, cycling, swimming, dancing, jumping rope, etc.
   • How much do you need to walk to lose 70 pounds? Since everyone’s body and metabolism are different, there isn’t a specific amount of walking that people need to do to lose 70 pounds. However, 30 minutes of brisk walking per day can burn about 150 calories, which can help you stay in your calorie deficit and meet your weight loss goals.
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   Do strength training 2 times per week. Strength training involves lifting weights or using weight machines, resistance bands, or your own body weight to work out your muscles. This type of exercise helps burn fat and increase your metabolism, which in turn helps in your overall weight loss journey.

   • Examples of strength training exercises include lifting weights, using weight machines at the gym, using resistance bands, or using your own body weight (push-ups, lunges, squats, planks, tricep dips, etc).
   • Remember to give yourself at least one rest day between lifting days. Rest days are essential to avoid injuring yourself or overworking specific muscle groups!
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   Sample workout schedule Everyone’s body is different, so your exercise needs may be different from others. However, if you’re not sure where to start, here’s a sample weekly workout schedule to try out:

   • Monday: Upper body strength training.
   • Tuesday: Low-impact cardio, like yoga, swimming, or walking.
   • Wednesday: Lower body strength training.
   • Thursday: High-impact cardio workout (HIIT, kickboxing, intense workout classes, etc.).
   • Friday: Total body strength training.
   • Saturday: Moderate cardio (cycling, jogging, etc).
   • Sunday: Rest day.
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Section 3 of 4:

How long does it take to lose 70 pounds?

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   It takes 8-16 months to lose 70 pounds. “When I work with someone on their weight loss goals, I advise them to aim for 1-2 pounds a week for a healthy weight loss,” explains NASM-certified personal trainer Laura Flinn. At this healthy rate of weight loss, it would take about 8-16 months to lose 70 pounds.

   • Can you lose the weight faster than that? Yes, there are certain factors that can affect one’s rate of weight loss, and some people may lose more quickly than others. “For example, someone who has 50 pounds to lose will lose weight faster than someone who has a few pounds to lose. Genetics also plays a big role in how much and how fast someone can lose weight,” Flinn explains.

Section 4 of 4:

Tips to Stay Motivated on a Weight Loss Journey

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   Set a specific, achievable goal to work toward. Certified personal trainer Errol Ismail explains that people often make the mistake of setting unrealistic goals, like losing 30 pounds in 3 weeks. “That’s not how the body works. Your goal has to be something that can actually be achieved, and it needs to be reasonable and realistic,” he says.

   • For example, when it comes to losing 70 pounds, it would be unrealistic to expect to meet this goal in just 2-3 months. And, when you don’t get the immediate results you were hoping for, you might get discouraged and give up.
   • Instead, set a more reasonable goal, like losing 70 pounds over the course of a year. This type of goal is much easier to stick to!
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   Think of this as a lifestyle change, rather than a crash diet. "Start sensibly and slowly, and make it a lifestyle change that's sustainable for 10, 20, or 30 years,” suggests Cerqua. In other words, stay away from extremely restrictive fad diets that promise quick results, and instead focus on changing your overall eating and exercise habits for the better.

   • This type of slow, sustainable weight loss does require some patience, but it will definitely pay off in the long run.
   • “Fast weight loss is tempting, but it can keep you cycling off diets. Remember that weight is a symptom of behaviors. So if you focus on your eating behavior and make consistent changes, the weight will catch up quickly. I promise!” says Coleman.
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   Look to friends and family members for support. Tell a few trusted friends or family members about your weight loss goals, so they can encourage you and cheer you on along the way. Once they’re aware of your weight loss journey, they can help by planning physical activities with you, sharing healthy recipes or meal plans, and providing emotional support in general.
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   Be kind to yourself as you work toward your goals. Weight loss can be a long, tough process, so it’s important to be kind and patient with yourself along the way. Try not to be too hard on yourself when you’re having an off day, and remember that progress takes time!

   • Practicing mindfulness can be a helpful tool during a weight loss journey. Mindfulness involves staying aware of your thoughts, sensations, and surroundings in the present moment, without any judgment. It includes practices like meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises.
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   Consider seeing your doctor for more support. If you’re having trouble staying motivated and reaching your weight loss goals on your own, consider visiting your primary care physician or a weight loss specialist. They’ll be able to assess your situation and help you come up with a treatment plan tailored to your specific needs and goals.
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