How Many Calories To Lose 5 Pounds a Week? This Is The Answer

How many calories to lose 5 pounds a week? Weight-loss reality shows impress you with their contestants' big losses, so much so that you might be inspired to try to drop some pounds yourself. You may have a goal that doesn't allow you to wait for the slow, gradual weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week advised by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For the vast majority of people, though, losing five pounds per week is impossible and dangerous to try. Even if you could restrict your calories adequately to lose weight this quickly, it is unlikely to be a weight loss you could maintain.

An Impossible Goal for Many
Weight loss is a matter of calories in versus calories out. When you consume 3,500 calories fewer than you burn, you lose a pound. Losing five pounds requires a deficit of 17,500 calories -- or 2,500 calories per day for a week.

The number of calories you burn daily depends on your age, gender, size and activity level. Many people, including most women and older adults, don't even burn 2,500 calories daily. The range of daily calorie burn is 1,600 to 2,400 calories per day for women, or up to 3,000 calories per day for men. These include the calories necessary to support the body's basic functions, such as breathing and pumping blood, and daily activity, including exercise. It's impossible for people with these daily calorie burn rates to lose five pounds per week -- they simply couldn't create a large enough deficit.

Even if you burn 2,600 to 3,600 calories daily, cutting 2,500 calories leaves you with fewer than 1,100 calories per day to live on. A diet with fewer than 1,200 calories is likely to leave you with a nutrition deficit. You'll also lose a notable amount of muscle mass as your body turns to it for energy. Feelings of fatigue, irritability and weakness may also be the side effects of such a low-calorie diet.

How Many Calories To Lose 5 Pounds a Week?

Is a Five-Pound Loss in a Week Safe?
If you can safely create a deficit of 2,500 calories per day, then you could technically lose five pounds per week. Safe means getting at least 1,200 calories per day from whole foods such as lean proteins, whole grains and fresh vegetables and fruits. Those who burn 3,700 calories, which is just enough to safely reduce 2,500 calories from their diet daily, tend to be extremely active -- such as Olympic strength or endurance athletes. When active people create extreme calorie deprivation, their training will suffer. If you're not an elite athlete, you'll still find it hard to exercise at all on a low number of calories.

Extremely obese people may reduce their calories to around 800 calories a day while on a medically prescribed "very low calorie diet" to induce rapid weight loss. All of your meals are replaced with medically approved supplements, often shakes, to promote quick weight loss in a short period of time. This type of diet raises your risk of developing gallstones, and weight regain is common.

Physical Activity to Burn Calories
An alternative to depriving yourself with a 2,500-calorie daily deficit is to combine moving more along with eating less. Increase your daily calorie burn by 1,250 calories and trim your diet by 1,250 calories per day. This volume of exercise, though, may also be unsustainable.

To burn 1,250 calories, a 185-pound person would have to cycle indoors at a moderate pace for about 2 hours or jog at 5 mph for about 1 hour and 45 minutes. More intense activity burns calories more quickly, if you have the energy from your restricted diet to keep it up. Don't forget that in addition to the activity, you'll still have to severely limit what you eat at meals, and it's likely that as soon as you let up on the exercise, weight will return quickly.

Consider your current level of physical fitness and the time you have to devote to such activity before settling on this plan. If you're barely able to squeeze in 30 minutes of walking a few days per week, committing to 1 1/2 to 2 hours per day of more intense exercise may be too lofty a goal.

Settle on a Realistic Goal
A healthy, manageable weight-loss plan requires less drastic means and a slower rate of weight loss. When you make extreme changes in the initial week or two of weight loss, you may lose five pounds a week. Much of this is simply water weight, not real fat loss.

After a couple weeks, though, you should settle into a more conservative, but consistent, loss rate. Successful long-term weight loss depends on creating a lifestyle that you can maintain. A deficit of 500 to 1,000 calories per day, which will yield a loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week, is manageable for most people and brings many people to a restrictive, but doable, intake of 1,200 to 1,400 calories per day.

Also consider how much weight you have to lose. If you're several hundred pounds overweight, a five-pound-per-week loss is much more achievable because it's only about 1 percent of your total weight. If you weigh 160 pounds, five pounds is about 3 percent of your total weight and much harder to lose in a week. Losing weight is easier when you have a lot of weight to lose, but the rate slows down as you get closer to a healthy weight. (Sourse : www.livestrong.com)

The 6 Way to Slim Down in Two Weeks (Step by Step)

The 6 way to slim down in two weeks (step by step). If you're considering drastic measures such as a crash diet to quickly slim down, reconsider. Overly restrictive diets that require you to cut out entire food groups are dangerous to your health and slow your metabolism. The weight you lose is mainly water weight, which you will quickly gain back. For permanent weight loss, a sensible and safe approach that enables you to change your lifestyle for the long run is best. Within two weeks, you can see significant results.

6 Way to Slim Down in Two Weeks (Step by Step)

Step 1 : Expend your calories
Expend 500 to 1,000 calories every day so you lose 1 to 2 pounds per week since 1 pound of fat has 3,500 calories. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this is a maintainable weight-loss rate that can result in lasting weight loss.

Step 2 : Change your diet
Change your diet and eating habits so you consume fewer calories and contribute to your daily caloric deficit. Eat high-fiber foods that are filling so you're less likely to consume too many calories. Include vegetables, whole grains and beans in your diet. Replace high-calorie foods with low-calorie foods. For instance, instead of chips or ice cream, eat carrots or strawberries. Use smaller plates and cups so your portions are smaller and contain fewer calories.

Step 3 : Cardiovascular exercise
Perform at least 150 minutes of weekly cardiovascular exercise, as recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Ride a bike, play a game of doubles tennis or walk briskly. Maintain a moderate pace during which you can talk, but not sing. When you're comfortable with this exercise pace, slowly increase your workout duration to 300 minutes per week to burn more calories and enjoy more health benefits.

Step 4 : Incorporate resistance training
Incorporate resistance training on at least two days of the week. Perform muscle-strengthening exercises that help you maintain and increase muscle tissue. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your caloric burn, because strength training can speed up your metabolism by 15 percent, according to the CDC. Complete eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise, and use enough weight so you can't do another repetition after finishing the last one. Use weightlifting machines, free weights or your body weight for resistance, and target all of your major muscle groups.

Step 5 : Minimize your stress
Minimize stress in your life to prevent your body from producing an excess of cortisol, a stress hormone that triggers hard-to-resist cravings for sugary, fatty foods, which can make you gain weight, particularly around your middle. Take deep, relaxing breaths, meditate or practice yoga or tai chi to manage stress in your life.

Step 6 : Sleep
Sleep for about eight hours at night, because according to Harvard Medical School, sleep deprivation is associated with weight gain. It alters hunger-controlling hormones so you eat more and it leaves you tired and lacking energy to exercise. Additionally, you're less alert and productive during your waking hours.

Warnings
Consult a doctor before beginning a diet and exercise routine, particularly if you've been inactive or have an injury or medical condition. (Source : www.livestrong.com)

5 Side Effects of Weight Loss Too Fast

5 Side effects of weight loss too fast. According to The Obesity Society, 64 percent of American adults are overweight with 31 percent of them considered obese. Subsequently, many people are trying to lose weight by dieting, exercising, surgery, drugs or a combination of weight loss methods. Despite the fact it may have taken years to gain weight, many people try to lose weight too quickly by overexercising or following very-low-calorie or crash diets. Crash diets may result in rapid initial weight loss but may have a negative effect on long-term health and diet compliance.

5 Side Effects of Weight Loss Too Fast

1. Fat Mass and Signaling Hormones
Your body fat levels are directly proportional to a signaling hormone called leptin. Leptin levels are monitored by the hypothalamus section of your brain. Leptin controls appetite, modulates your metabolism and promotes fat burning. If fat levels drop very quickly, there is a subsequent rapid drop in leptin levels. A rapid drop in leptin levels will trigger the starvation response.

2. The Starvation Response
The starvation response is the term used to describe what happens within your body as a result of rapid drops in leptin. The starvation response causes a reduction in your daily energy expenditure by lowering your metabolism, increasing hunger and also prompting the breakdown of muscle for energy. In addition, the starvation response works to ensure you regain not only the fat you have lost, but also some extra fat to protect you from similar bouts of food restriction. This results in a cycle of weight loss/weight gain often referred to as yo-yo dieting.

3. Health Risks
Very-low-calorie diets that result in rapid weight loss are often dangerously low in essential nutrients, including vitamins and minerals. A lack of vitamins can lead to a host of health problems, including immune system suppression and bad skin, hair and nails. Chronic mineral deficiencies may also have long-term effects on your health. A lack of essential minerals can lead to fluid imbalances, cardiac arrhythmia or an irregular heart beat, muscle cramps and loss of bone mass.

4. Psychological Complications
Very-low-calorie diets may result in a rapid initial weight loss but many dieters find that the severe hunger associated with eating so little food makes it hard to stick with this type of eating program for long periods of time. Hunger levels may become so severe that the dieter falls into a diet/binge cycle of eating. Crash dieting may lead to eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. A very-low-calorie diet can also be socially exclusive, especially if friends and family are eating normally.

5. Safe Weight Loss
To avoid losing weight too fast, most diet experts agree that a moderate reduction in food intake combined with a moderate increase in physical activity is best. By eating 250 fewer calories per day and engaging in exercise that results in 250 extra calories being burned there is a net loss of 500 calories per day, or 3,500 per week. This will result in a weight loss of around 1 pound per week. This slow and gradual weight loss will be sustainable, will not trigger the starvation response and will have no negative impacts on your health. (Soure : www.livestrong.com)

5 Dangers and Risks Of Losing Weight Too Fast

Dangers of losing weight too fast. It's normal to want to lose weight as fast as possible. But you've probably been told that it's better to lose weight at a slow, steady pace. That's because most studies show that people who lose weight slowly are more likely to keep it off long-term. Losing weight slowly also comes with far fewer health risks.

However, several recent studies have found that rapid weight loss might be just as good and safe as slow weight loss. So is it actually bad for you to lose weight fast? This article digs into the research to uncover the truth.

What Is Considered Fast Weight Loss?

According to many experts, losing 1–2 pounds (0.45–0.9 kg) per week is a healthy and safe rate. Losing more than that is considered too fast and could put you at risk of many health problems, including muscle loss, gallstones, nutritional deficiencies and a drop in metabolism.

The most common ways that people try to lose weight fast are by exercising a lot, and by following a"crash diet" or a very low-calorie diet of fewer than 800 calories per day. People often prefer the option of eating a very low-calorie diet, since it is often easier to lose weight through diet than exercise.

However, if you're just starting a diet or exercise plan, then you may lose much more than 2 pounds (0.9 kg) in your first week. For this initial period, fast weight loss is perfectly normal. The weight you lose during this time is commonly called "water weight."

When you consume fewer calories than your body burns, your body starts dipping into its stores of energy, known as glycogen. The glycogen in your body is bound to water, so when you're burning glycogen for fuel, the body also releases that water. This is why you might experience a major drop in weight during your first week. Once your body uses up its glycogen stores, your weight loss should stabilize at 1–2 pounds (0.45–0.9 kg) per week.

Can You Maintain Fast Weight Loss?

Losing weight is only half the battle. The real challenge is keeping it off for good. Most people who follow a diet regain half the weight they've lost after only a year. Even worse, nearly everyone who follows a diet regains all the weight they've lost after 3–5 years.

That's why experts often suggest losing weight at a slow but steady pace. Most studies show that people who lose weight at a slow but steady pace are more likely to keep it off long-term. Also, plans that encourage slow weight loss usually help you build healthy eating behaviors like eating more fruits and veggies and drinking fewer sugar-sweetened beverages. Behaviors like these can help you keep weight off long-term.

However, several studies have found that rapid weight loss may be just as effective as slow weight loss, even for the long term. In one study, 103 people followed a rapid weight loss diet for 12 weeks, while 97 people followed a slow but steady weight loss diet for 36 weeks.

Nearly 3 years later, roughly 70% of people in both groups had regained all the weight they had lost. This means that both diets were equally effective in the end. Although these studies found that rapid weight loss was just as effective as slow but steady weight loss overall, it's unlikely that a person at home would get similar results.

People in the rapid weight loss groups had support from doctors and dietitians during the weight loss and weight maintenance phases. Research shows that having support from a health professional can improve your chances of long-term weight loss success. Also, doctors and dietitians try to minimize the health risks that come with eating very few calories. These risks include muscle loss, nutritional deficiencies and gallstones.

People who try these diets alone have a higher risk of these medical conditions. In short, you are more likely to lose weight and keep it off by losing weight slowly. This approach will help you build healthy eating behaviors to keep the weight off, and is safer to do than fast weight loss, especially if you don’t have the support of a health professional.

Risks of Losing Weight Too Fast

While it's tempting to try and lose weight fast, it's usually not recommended.  Diets that promote rapid weight loss are often very low in calories and nutrients. This may put you at risk of many health problems, especially if you follow a rapid weight loss diet for many weeks. Here are a few risks of losing weight too fast.

1. You May Lose Muscle
Losing weight is not always the same as losing fat. While a very low-calorie diet may help you lose weight fast, a lot of the weight you lose may come from muscle and water. In one study, researchers put 25 people on a very low-calorie diet of 500 calories per day for 5 weeks. They also put 22 people on a low-calorie diet of 1,250 calories per day for 12 weeks.

After the study, the researchers found that both groups had lost similar amounts of weight. However, the people who followed the very low-calorie diet lost over six times as much muscle as those on the low-calorie diet.

2. It May Slow Down Your Metabolism
Losing weight too fast may slow down your metabolism. Your metabolism determines how many calories you burn each day. A slower metabolism means you burn fewer calories per day. Several studies have found that losing weight fast by eating fewer calories may cause you to burn up to 23% fewer calories per day.

Two reasons why the metabolism drops on a very low-calorie diet are a loss of muscle and a fall in hormones that regulate your metabolism, such as thyroid hormone. Unfortunately, this drop in metabolism may last long after you finish dieting.

3. It May Cause Nutritional Deficiencies
If you're not eating enough calories regularly, you may be at risk of a nutritional deficiency. This is because it's hard to consume enough important nutrients like iron, folate and vitamin B12 on a low-calorie diet.

Below are a few consequences of nutritional deficiencies.
• Hair loss: When you eat too few calories, your body might not get enough nutrients to support hair growth, which may cause hair loss.
• Extreme fatigue: You may not be getting enough iron, vitamin B12 and folate on a very low-calorie diet, which may put you at risk of extreme fatigue and anemia.
• Poor immune function: Not getting enough calories and nutrients may weaken your immune system and increase your risk of infections.
• Weak and brittle bones: May be caused by a lack of vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus in the diet

Fortunately, you can avoid a nutritional deficiency by eating a diet rich in whole, unprocessed foods. These foods contain fewer calories per gram and are also quite filling, which may help you lose weight.

4. It May Cause Gallstones
Gallstones are hardened pieces of material that form inside the gallbladder. They can be a painful side effect of losing weight too fast. Normally, your gallbladder releases digestive juices to break down fatty food so it can be digested. If you're not eating much food then your gallbladder won't have to release the digestive juices.

Gallstones can form when substances inside the digestive juices sit for a while and have time to join together. The gallstones can become stuck inside the opening of the gallbladder and cause a gallstone attack. This may cause severe pain and indigestion.

5. Other Side Effects
Losing weight fast on a "crash diet" or very low-calorie diet is linked to several other side effects, including :
• Hunger
• Fatigue
• Irritability
• Feeling cold
• Muscle cramps
• Dizziness
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Dehydration

Tips to Help You Lose Weight at a Healthy Rate

Although slow weight loss might not sound appealing, there are many things you can do to help speed up the process safely. Here are a few tips to help you lose weight at a healthy rate.
• Eat more protein: A high-protein diet can help boost your metabolism, keep you fuller for longer and preserve your muscle mass.
• Cut back on sugar and starches: Research tends to show that people who follow a low-carb diet lose more weight. Cutting back on sugar and starches helps you reduce your carb intake
• Eat slowly: Chewing your food thoroughly can help you feel fuller for longer and eat less food
• Drink green tea or oolong tea: Research has shown that drinking green tea may boost your metabolism by 4–5%, and may increase fat burning up to 17%.
• Get plenty of rest: A lack of sleep may boost your levels of ghrelin, the hunger hormone, and lower your levels of leptin, the fullness hormone. This means that poor sleep could leave you hungry, making it harder to lose weight
• Try resistance training: Resistance training or lifting weights can help fight muscle loss and the drop in metabolism that may happen with weight loss.
• Try a high-intensity workout: High-intensity interval training (HIIT) involves short, intense bursts of exercise. Unlike regular aerobic exercise, also known as cardio, HIIT continues to burn calories long after you work out (55, 56).
• Eat soluble fiber: Research shows that soluble fiber may help you burn fat, especially belly fat . (Source : www.healthline.com)