Are you planning to lose some weight before an upcoming event?

With the wedding season approaching, you may be looking for ways to lose weight fast, just in time for the big events. Or just to look good in that beautiful dress you only wear during summer.

 

It generally takes around two to three weeks to lose 5 pounds healthily and sustainably. As a general rule, you should aim for 1 to 2 pounds of healthy weight loss per week.

Fast weight loss typically involves creating a caloric deficit: restricting your caloric intake, which is usually achieved through diet.

On the really short term, exercise does not work or not  much. This means you will have to rely mostly on making smarter and healthier food choices. Short term, the best strategies are the ones that involve creating a caloric deficit, boosting metabolism and suppressing the appetite.

 

Read also: Kim Kardashian About Her 21 Lbs Weight Loss Transformation

 

Losing 5 pounds in a week is possible – but it’s primarily water weight (a short-term approach) and not fat (a long-term strategy). While losing 5 pounds each week may be possible, long term results are generally not sustainable and can be even unhealthy.

After all, weight loss is not the same as fat loss. It’s relatively easy to drop a few pounds of water weight, however you will need more time of diet and exercise together to start burning fat.

 

 

Strategies to lose 5 pounds in a week

 

1. Eat a balanced diet while reducing your caloric intake

 

If you want to lose 5 pounds in a week, you’ll have to eliminate first most processed foods and beverages, pastries, fats, refined breads.

Lowering your total calorie intake each day is a key part of any successful weight-loss plan. One way to cut calories is to eat more plant-based foods — fruits, vegetables and whole grains. These food normally have less calories and are healthier too.

Eat regularly – the 3 main meals plus 2 healthy snacks. This way you will control your hunger and appetite.

 

If you want to lose weight, consider signing up for a diet program that will help you achieve your weight loss goals. Many popular meal delivery services have meal plans for weight loss, with more vegetarian and low calories options. You can plan your meals according to calories intake, so that you can stay on track with your desired caloric deficit. You will also be more disciplined with your meals.

 

Read also: Popular Meal Delivery Services In 2022

 

 

2. Eat Smarter With Noom !

 

Noom (pronounced “no-oom”) is the world’s most popular Mobile Health App for weight loss, featuring personalized support and coaching, daily reminders and a science-based approach. As a behavioral change app for weight loss, Noom helps users set realistic goals and provide tools they need to achieve them.

Join the fun and easy way to lose weight! Noom is the world’s leading lifestyle and weight loss app. Join over 2 million people on a journey to sustainable weight loss through behavioral change with the Noom Weight Loss app.

 

 

3. Focus on protein and fiber

 

If you want to lose weight quickly, focus on protein and fiber. Both stabilize blood sugar levels, and because they take longer to digest they’ll keep you fuller longer.

Getting enough protein may support healthy metabolism and reduce your appetite, helping you feel full longer.

The best high-protein plans focus on lean proteins and include some carbs.These include grass-fed lean meats and pasture-raised poultry, grass-fed and organic dairy, eggs from pastured hens, wild fish, whole grains, legumes and nuts.

Animal proteins, such as eggs, fish, meat, and milk, are complete proteins – they provide all the essential amino acids the body needs.

Vegetables with the most protein include sprouted grains, blue-green algae, broccoli, hemp, pea, oats, chia seeds, rice, spirulina, asparagus, artichokes, spinach, potatoes, soy, beans, legumes, nuts, grains, and Brussels sprouts.

Example of a daily menu plan: chia pudding with berries for breakfast, a green salad with chicken or turkey for lunch, and salmon with steamed broccoli or veggies for dinner.

 

 

4. Protein supplements

 

 A quality protein supplement is another option to boost your protein intake, especially for vegetarians. Protein powders have been studied and shown to help with weight management and improved metabolism.

 

NOW® Sports Plant Protein Complex

 

NOW® Sports Plant Protein Complex is specifically designed to address your needs with a non-GMO vegan protein blend from pea, hemp and quinoa. Each scoop offers 22 grams of protein, about 3,900 mg of branched-chain amino acids and 1,800 mg of arginine.

 

NOW Sports Plant Protein Complex

Visit the NOW Store

 

 

Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein 

 

Certified USDA Organic, this plant-based protein powder helps you refuel and repair muscles after a hard workout with 30g of complete protein and over 5g BCAA amino acids, glutamine and glutamic acid. Also NSF Certified for Sport and Informed Choice for Sport Certified.

 

Garden of Life Organic Vegan Sport Protein Powder, Chocolate

Visit the Garden of Life Store

 

 

Momentous Essential Grass Fed Whey Protein Isolate

 

If you’re looking for a high-quality, rigorously tested protein powder, Momentous Essential Grass-Fed Whey Protein is at the top of our list. This product contains whey isolate, which contains 90% protein and little fat or lactose, making it easy to digest. Momentous also contains ProHydrolase, an enzyme blend designed to enhance digestion and absorption.

Momentous is both NSF Certified for Sport and Informed Sport Certified, so it has undergone third-party testing to ensure that it is not contaminated.

 

 

Visit the Momentous Store on Amazon

 

 

Read also: Best Plant-Based Protein Powders that Experts Recommend

 

 

5. Drink more water

 

Science suggests that water can help with weight loss in a variety of ways. Water helps boost the metabolism and suppress the appetite, so you won’t eat as much.

Water contains no calories, so you can drink as much water as you want.

Drink more water, ideally before every meal to supress your appetite. Your body naturally increases burning calories when you drink water.

 

 

6. Try the Cabage Soup Diet

 

The Cabbage Soup Diet has been around for years and was one of the first low-calorie diets. It is a short-term diet and focuses on consuming cabbage soup as the main food source.

Besides large quantities of cabbage soup, each day you can also have 1–2 other foods, such as skim milk, fruit or vegetables.

Day 1: Fruit, except bananas.

Day 2: Vegetables like leafy greens (not starchy), but no fruit.

Day 3: Fruits and vegetables.

Day 4: Bananas and skim milk.

Day 5: Beef (or baked chicken without the skin) and tomatoes.

Day 6: Beef and vegetables.

Day 7: Brown rice, unsweetened fruit juices, and vegetables.

The Cabbage Soup Diet is not a long-term eating plan and it shouldn’t be followed for more than one week. Is is effective on the short term, and yes, it can help you lose up to 5 pounds in a week.

 

Read also: Mission Impossible: Losing Weight Now!

 

 

7. Exercise

 

Although activity alone won’t guarantee 5 pounds of weight loss, it can help complement a healthy weight loss plan. And it will also benefit you in the long run.

Consider cardio activities (walking, running), bodyweight exercises, strength and resistance training, cycling and spinning, weight training, swimming, yoga and pilates, HIIT training.

 

 

8. How to hold yourself accountable and monitor your progress

 

Use a calorie tracker or a more advanced smartwatch to set caloric goals and track your daily and weekly progress. This is the easiest and most flexible way to lose weight. You can also set meal and exercise reminders and choose to receive daily motivational messages to support your weight loss goals.

With an advanced smartwatch or simple calorie tracker, you’ll be able to set caloric goals and monitor them in no time.

If you want a more drastic approach, count your calories and steps and aim for a caloric deficit.

 

Best for the health conscious: Apple Watch Series 8  – with Fitness Tracker, Blood Oxygen & ECG Apps, Always-On Retina Display, Water Resistant

Visit the Apple Store

 

 

 

Fitbit Charge 5 Advanced Fitness & Health Tracker with Built-in GPS, Stress Management Tools, Sleep Tracking, 24/7 Heart Rate, and More

Visit the Fitbit Store