How To Lose 5 Pounds In A Week
By: Tim Lekach
Tags: Health, Lose Weight, Weight Loss, Nutrition, Fitness

Do you need to lose weight quickly? (..and safely)

If so, then what I’m about to reveal should help you lose 5 pounds in a week.

Look, I get it, life happens. We tend to be our own worst enemy.

Procrastination used to be my middle name..well not really, but you know what I mean.

If there was a special event or a function that I wanted to ‘look good’ at, I knew in the back of my mind that I would have to do those little extras to tone up and to shed some pounds for the occasion.

However, what usually tended to happen was that the function or event that was months away suddenly became only days away.

So, I needed to do something to look and feel better fast.

And now, if I’m in a jam, these 7 tips are my go-to methods to drop 5–10 pounds quickly.

Even though as you can see my profile picture that I’m male, it’s important to note that, in general, men tend to lose weight quicker than females but these tips work for both males and females.

7 Tips To Lose 5 Pounds In A Week

Always check with your doctor before you enter into any type of diet or exercise regime.

1.Slash the sodium. Take a real good look at the type of foods that you are currently eating, prior to reading this article, or even what you have eaten today.

Ask yourself, Did what I eat today have a lot of sodium in it?

If the answer is yes, do your best to cut your sodium intake by at least half, if not more.

Sodium is important so don’t eliminate it entirely but by drastically reducing your sodium intake it will help you retain less water.

Plus when it comes to your overall health it's a good idea.

The American Heart Association offers very good in-depth tips to help you reduce your sodium intake.

2. Cut the carbs. This tip is generally the most challenging especially if you’re not already paying attention to the carbs you’re consuming.

And I said “cut”, not eliminate. So, you should do your best to cut your carbohydrate consumption in half or more for a week.

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

For example, instead of cakes, cookies, and pies, try fresh or frozen fruit.

Also, a short-term decrease in carb intake can also reduce water weight and bloating.

Harvard Health Publishing simplifies the topic of carbohydrates for you in their article The smart way to look at carbohydrates.

3. Guzzle the water. Drinking more water in a weeks span will not only help you lose weight but it will also flush out your system of toxins.

When I personally feel the urge to grab a snack or treat, I reach for my oversized jug of water and take a big gulp to curb the craving.

I have found out over the years that I’m an emotional eater. So, when I’m stressed, anxious or upset, I eat more than I should and I eat foods that don’t serve me well long-term.

This works for me because water is commonly known as an appetite suppressant.

When the stomach senses that it is full, it sends signals to the brain to stop eating.

And water can help take up space in the stomach which leads to a feeling of fullness, therefore reducing hunger.

In fact, water actually increases calorie burning. In a 2014 study, 12 people who drank 500 mL of cold and room temperature water experienced an increase in energy expenditure.

They burned between 2 and 3 percent more calories than usual in the 90 minutes after drinking the water.

So try to make water your BFF for one week and increase your chances of losing 5 pounds in a week.

4. High-intensity interval training (HIIT). Studies suggest that 5–10 minutes of HIIT can lead to, in some cases, greater weight loss than regular training.

In short, HIIT simply means that you will go as hard as you can with 100% effort and intensity for a predetermined amount of time.

For example, try doing some push-ups, using the correct form, as intensely as you can until you can't do even one more push-up.

Other examples include:

Sit-ups.

Lunges.

Crunches.

Jumping jacks.

High knees.

Squats.

Please note that any of the methods that I've just mentioned don't require you to join a gym or fitness facility whatsoever.

These are exercises that you can do in your living room or your backyard.

Exercising is going to fast track your way to losing 5 pounds in a week.

5. Say bye-bye to booze. Now, before you stop here and scroll to the next article, just hear me out. It’s only for a week.

Liquor, Wine, and Beer have such a high caloric value that it’s in your best interest to ditch them for one week.

For example, one five-ounce glass of red wine contains about 120 calories. If you consume five glasses of red wine per week that’s 600 calories consumed per week. That’s 3,600 calories in six weeks.

Now, in saying this, outside of this one week, I recommend reducing your alcohol intake, that is if you drink, or eliminate it altogether.

If you’re not a drinker, I’ve included a bonus tip at the end.

The point is, is to think about how much you drink in a week and assess how many calories you’re consuming.

Eliminating it for one week will have a positive impact on your attempt to lose 5 pounds.

6. Stay out of the kitchen. Sounds strange right, I’ll explain. Most of us make unnecessary trips to the kitchen even after we’ve eaten more than enough to fill us up at dinner time.

Most of the time it’s just out of complete boredom.

Or, maybe when you're about to settle in for the evening and reach for your comfort food.

Well, do your best to reduce those unnecessary trips for a week and just see what happens.

I’m thinking you’ll be surprised. By reducing or eliminating the snacking during the evening, you’ll find it easier to lose those 5 pounds.

Now, if you are going to snack, try to ensure it’s fresh fruit or vegetables. You’ll be surprised at how satisfying and filling carrots or apples are.

7. Step up the sleep. This is your official permission slip, you’re allowed to sleep more. Well, do your best to get a full 7–8 hours of sleep. I know, easier said than done or maybe not, depending on your sleeping patterns.

Research shows that those who get less sleep tend to crave more fat and sweets.

Losing sleep can result in having less energy for exercise, physical activity, and just everyday life.

If you’re not getting enough sleep then you are expending what little energy you have just to get through the day and no more.

I can vouch for this because as a self-sufficient entrepreneur, I have fallen victim to staying up at all hours of the night growing my business.

No routine. Very few healthy habits. And a sleep schedule that was out of control.

It’s important for the body, mind, and soul to get an adequate amount of sleep.

On your quest to lose 5 pounds in a week, be as mindful about this as you can and give it an honest try.

Final Thought

I’ve mentioned diet and lifestyle changes here that can help you lose weight quickly.

Combining all of these tips together will help you on your way to losing 5 pounds.

I should also mention that these tips are not necessarily sustainable for the long-term but following one or all of them could kickstart your long-term weight loss journey.

Maybe save this article to your device so that you can reference it throughout the week and I'd love to hear how you made out.

And when all is said and done, a balanced diet and a healthy eating plan are much more important than the number on the scale.

Bonus tip: Pile on the protein. Because you’ll be reducing the carbs, increase your consumption of protein. This will make you feel fuller when you eat, thus you’ll eat less counterproductive foods to your weight loss.

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