How to Lose Weight in Just 1 Week

Is there a healthy way to do it? Can you keep the pounds off for good? Find out here.

5 min

©BROOK PIFER

By Deborah Werner
December 3, 2021

Why trust us?

Hoping to lose weight quickly? Here’s how you can drop pounds in just a week in a healthy and efficient way.

Do you only have a week left to drop a few extra pounds before vacation? How can you lose weight fast but stay healthy while you do it? These are all our tips and tricks to help you reach your goal of losing weight.

How many pounds can you lose in a week?

Can you lose weight in a week? Yes, it’s possible. In fact, the body can actually drop between 5 and 10 pounds in just one week! That doesn’t necessarily mean your body is losing fat, though: You’re mostly losing water weight during the first few days of any diet. Diets that promise you weight loss fast can certainly produce results, but after a while, your body will store even more fat than before and you’ll gain more weight than the water weight you lost. This is what we call the yo-yo effect.

How can you avoid it? Simply by giving yourself enough time to achieve your weight loss goals and by changing your eating habits to have a healthy diet in the long run.

A medium-skin-toned torso of a woman with a measuring tape wrapped around it — ©skynesher

How do you achieve weight loss?

To lose weight, you must first have a calorie deficit. That means that what you eat during the day (or your daily caloric intake) should be less than the amount of energy your body consumes in a day (or your daily energy expenditure). There are two ways to obtain a calorie deficit.

You can burn the calories accumulated during the day by exercising.
You can ensure that you have a healthy diet. Your calorie deficit shouldn’t be more than around 300 to 500 calories per day.

How to lose weight quickly: Nutrition tips

In general, what’s important about your diet is how many calories you eat and whether you’re trying for weight loss or muscle gain. Here are a few tips on how to lose weight fast.

1. Drink more water

Hydrate all day long (about 8 cups a day). We often think we’re hungry when we’re actually thirsty! Water has no calories, but is extremely filling. So, in addition to hydrating your body, it’ll also help you feel fuller, which will reduce unwanted snacking.

How to make sure you drink more water

2. Increase your protein intake

Eating more protein won’t just make you stronger. It’ll also allow you to feel fuller for longer, which will help you stay focused on your healthy eating goals. Speaking of strength, know that protein takes care of your muscles, and the stronger your muscles are, the more calories they will automatically burn.

Use our Whey Protein to guarantee you’re getting all the protein you need.

Discover our Whey Protein

3. Don’t Starve Yourself

This is one of the biggest healthy eating rules by far: Don’t skip meals or eat too little! Instead, make sure you eat until you’re fully satisfied. With the right ingredients, you can eat a smaller quantity of food than normal without feeling like you’re denying yourself.

eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables arranged by color: a good helper of how to lose weight quickly — @Kam & Co

These ingredients will help you satisfy your hunger in a smart way:

Lettuce
Spinach
Broccoli
Squash
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Zucchini
Cauliflower
Asparagus
Bell peppers
Mushrooms
Berries
Watermelon
Papaya

Reduce salt and sugar consumption

Sugar and salt are the enemies of successful weight loss. Too much salt can cause water retention and weight gain. Salt is also a natural flavor enhancer, and overly salty products like chips may amp up your appetite and make you want to keep eating, even if you’re no longer hungry.

Sugar is found in simple carbohydrates like white bread and pasta made with refined wheat, and it’s best to avoid these kinds of products if you want to drop weight. These simple carbohydrates contain too many calories and, if you eat too much of them, they may have a negative impact on your insulin levels. Since they aren’t backed up by other nutrients like fiber and protein, the sugar in carbs may make you feel energized and satisfied at first, but it will ultimately leave you more hungry and tired than you were before.

To avoid this, we recommend choosing complex carbs over simple carbs. Because they also contain other nutrients, your body takes longer to digest them, which will help you feel full for longer.

a white person's hand dips into a wooden bowl full of a quinoa-based salad with raisins, almonds and flower petals — @Enrique Díaz

Here is a list of complex carbohydrates:

Rice
Potatoes
Lentils
Quinoa
Amaranth
Buckwheat
Peas
Beans

Exercise for Effective Weight Loss

If you are active during the day and exercise regularly, weight loss will come more easily. Try to walk more often. For example, use the stairs instead of the escalator. Or park a little bit farther from your office than you normally do. There are plenty of opportunities to move a little bit more.

A white woman seen from behind wears exercise gear and climbs a set of white stairs with a blue-tiled wall in the background. Exercise is a great way to lose weight quickly and for the long term. — ©Todor Tsvetkov

As far as how often you should exercise, 2 to 3 days a week is the best amount for success. Some athletic activities will burn calories more effectively than others, like HIIT, the Tabata method, or circuit training.

Endurance and strength training both torch calories and strengthen your muscles, and just about any physical activity will help your metabolism break down body fat faster. Fats are excreted via water (sweat) and carbon dioxide (respiration). And when you eat again, your body will use those new calories to recover and therefore have fewer calories left to store as fat.

Athletic activities in general can also have a positive impact on your stress. In fact, the hormone that produces stress and can make weight loss difficult is greatly reduced when you exercise regularly. If you don’t have time to go to the gym, you can always work out at home. Make yourself a workout plan, which allows you to plan short but effective sweat sessions. Or follow us on Instagram, where we’ve got live workouts and amazing recipes!

How to Lose Weight Quickly: Easy tricks to help you lose weight in a week

To conclude, here are some more tips and tricks that will help you with quick weight loss and, above all, maintain healthy diet and exercise habits in the long term:

If you’re thinking of eating something sweet, try brushing your teeth instead.
Avoid eating or snacking out of habit.
Replace processed snacks with homemade or healthy snacks.
When you’re eating out, look out for calorie traps!
Use a smaller plate to avoid taking too much food.
Eat slowly and mindfully. You only start feeling full about 20 minutes after your body really is full!
Avoid drinking alcohol as much as possible.
Be sure you get enough sleep every day.
Always keep a healthy snack on hand in case you have a hunger spike.

chocolate brownie flavored protein bars by foodspring — ©foodspring

Our tip: Not ready to ditch chocolate? Try our Extra Chocolate Protein Bars. Filled with protein and rich, chocolatey flavor, it’ll keep you full and satisfy your cravings.

Try our Extra Chocolate Protein Bars

Summary

It is possible to lose weight quickly.
Don’t skip meals and don’t eat too little.
Make sure you’re getting enough protein.
Move your body at every opportunity.
Exercise 2 to 3 times a week.

More tips from foodspring:

Sources for this article

We at foodspring use only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial policy to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.