Written by Rudy Mawer, MSc, CISSN on September 27, 2016 - Medically reviewed by Atli Arnarson BSc…
By: Miranda Biss
Tags: Weight Loss, Weight Loss Tips

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While losing 10 pounds (4.5 kg) in a week is technically possible, it is not recommended.

Short-term, intense eating plans are considered crash diets - meaning that your weight is likely to rebound after you finish the program. Furthermore, because of their restrictive nature, these diets aren't appropriate if you have a history of eating disorders.

Thus, these diets aren't a healthy, sustainable, or long-term solution.

With rapid weight loss, most of the weight you lose is water weight, not body fat. That's because you can't safely burn through 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of body fat in just 1 week (1Trusted Source).

Rather, fast weight loss lowers your insulin levels and flushes out stored carbs known as glycogen, which hold around three times their weight in water. Reduced insulin levels also make your kidneys shed excess sodium, which leads to a drop in water retention (2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source).

Instead of quick weight loss programs, we recommend checking out these tips or trying one of these diet plans.

However, if you still decide to pursue short-term weight loss, the following steps can help you achieve it. Keep in mind that this is not a long-term program or solution.

1. Eat fewer carbs and more lean proteins

You can lose several pounds by following a low-carb diet for just a few days.

In fact, lots of research has shown that a low carb diet is a very effective way to lose weight and improve health (5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source).

A short-term decrease in carb intake can also reduce water weight and bloating.

That's why people who go low carb often see a difference on the scale as early as the next morning after starting the diet.

Additionally, making sure you eat plenty of protein can help reduce your appetite even further while boosting your metabolism (8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source).

It's essential to eliminate or drastically reduce all starchy carbs and sugars for the week. Replace these with low carb vegetables, while also increasing your intake of eggs, lean meats, and fish.

Check out this article to learn more about how to set up a low-carb diet and which foods to include.

SUMMARY

Reducing your carb intake can lead to a significant amount of weight loss, from both body fat and excess water weight. Eating more protein also helps.

How to Lose Weight Fast in 3 Simple Steps

How to Lose Weight Fast in 3 Simple Steps

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2. Eat whole foods and avoid most processed junk foods

When you're trying to lose weight quickly, it can be helpful to eat a simple diet based on whole foods.

These foods tend to be very filling and make it easier to eat fewer calories without getting too hungry.

During the week, you should aim to eat mostly whole, single-ingredient foods. Avoid most foods that are highly processed.

Eating mostly lean proteins and low carb veggies can be incredibly satisfying even if you're not getting that many calories.

3. Reduce your calorie intake (by following these tips)

Reducing your calorie intake may be the most important factor when it comes to weight loss.

If you aren't eating fewer calories than you expend, you will not lose fat (10Trusted Source).

Here is a calculator that shows you how many calories you should eat to lose weight.

Here are a few simple tips to reduce calorie intake:

Count calories: Weigh and log the foods you eat. Use a calorie counting tool to keep track of the amount of calories and nutrients you are taking in.

Eat only at meals: Reduce all snacks and don't eat anything after dinner.

Cut your condiments: Eliminate calorie-dense condiments and sauces.

Fill up on veggies: Fill your plate with vegetables and limit starchy carbs and added fats for the week.

Choose lean proteins: Choose lower-fat proteins, such as chicken and fish.

Don't drink your calories: Instead, opt for water, zero-calorie drinks, tea or coffee. Protein shakes are fine if you count them as a meal.

SUMMARY

Reducing your calorie intake is a vital factor for weight loss. You may need to do this aggressively in order to lose so much weight in just one week.

4. Lift weights and try high-intensity interval training

Exercise is one of the best ways to burn fat and improve your appearance.

Resistance training, such as weight lifting, can lead to a similar amount of weight loss as regular aerobic training. It also helps you add or maintain muscle mass and strength (11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source).

Full-body resistance training workouts are also a great method to lower your body's carb stores and water weight, which can lead to a sharp decline in weight (13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source).

Lifting weights can also protect your metabolism and hormone levels, which often decline during dieting (15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source).

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is another very effective training method.

Research suggests that 5-10 minutes of HIIT can lead to similar or greater benefits for health and weight loss as five times that amount of regular exercise (17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source, 19Trusted Source).

Like weight lifting, it can quickly reduce muscle carb stores and also boost other important aspects of weight loss, such as your metabolism and fat-burning hormones (20Trusted Source, 21Trusted Source).

You can perform HIIT three to four times a week after a workout or as part of your normal training regimen. It is very important to do this with 100% effort or intensity. Most sprints should not last more than 30 seconds.

Here are a few protocols you can try. These can be done running in place or outside, or applied to a cardio machine like a bike, rower or treadmill:

Session 1: 10 x 20-second sprint with 40 seconds rest

Session 2: 15 x 15-second sprint with 30 seconds rest

Session 3: 7 x 30-second sprint with 60 seconds rest

Session 4: 20 x 10-second sprint with 20 seconds rest

SUMMARY

Lifting weights and doing high-intensity intervals are among the best ways to lose weight and deplete muscle glycogen stores. They can also boost your metabolism and provide other benefits.

5. Be active outside the gym

To burn extra calories and lose more weight, you can also increase your daily activity.

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