Can you lose 5 pounds in 2 days? We’re often asked this question by people who need to slim down urgently for a special occasion.
It’s often possible to lose 5lbs in 2 days by severely restricting your calorie intake and doing a lot of challenging physical exercise. There are also some other handy tips and tricks that you can use to get rid of water weight. However, we don’t generally recommend crash diets like this because they are unsustainable and could cause nutritional deficits and other health problems if you follow them for too long.
That said, going on a very strict diet for a couple of days probably won’t do you any harm as long as you switch to a healthier weight loss plan once the initial period is up. For example, if you’ve suddenly discovered that you can’t do up your wedding dress and the ceremony is looming, you may have no choice but to try to lose 5 pounds in 2 days.
This article will explain how to lose 5 pounds in two days using diet, exercise, and weight loss supplements. We’ll also reveal how to tackle excess bloating and water weight to help you slim down fast.
Please note that you should only use the advice in this article for a few days at most. After that, we recommend switching to a healthy ketogenic diet like Healthful Pursuit. This plan contains all the nutrients you need for good health and is doctor-approved, but it also helps you reach a healthy BMI by safely restricting your carbohydrate intake and overall calories.
How to Lose Five Pounds in Two Days with a Diet Plan
Realistically, you probably won’t be able to lose 5 pounds of fat in two days, and at least some of the weight lost will be stored water and waste. Either way, this method should help you slim down a little if you urgently need to fit into a garment or for any other reason.
When you’re planning a diet to lose 5 pounds in 3 days or even as little as two days, the first step is to cut down on your carbohydrate intake significantly. Eating carbs results in extra water storage because the body stores any energy you don’t burn off immediately as glycogen. Glycogen molecules attach to water, and the results will show on the scales.
If you reduce the number of carbs you eat to just 20g per day, this is known as a ketogenic diet. This diet is based mainly on healthy fats, lean protein, and vegetables. It can help you lose fat faster than high-carb weight-loss diets, especially in the first year.
While you won’t lose a significant amount of fat in just two days on a ketogenic diet, you could lose a lot of water weight. Reducing your carbohydrate intake causes your body to burn its stored glycogen, potentially resulting in a few pounds of weight loss reasonably quickly.
Therefore, when you’re trying to lose 5 pounds in 2 days, we recommend cutting out or majorly restricting the following foods:
- Bread
- Pasta
- Rice
- Cereals
- Cakes, cookies, and candy
- Sugary beverages like cola, soda, and sweetened coffee
- Fast foods and processed foods
Cutting down on carbohydrates means also cutting down on sugar. This is slightly harder than it sounds because many foods contain added sugar where you wouldn’t necessarily expect it. According to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the average American eats around 22 teaspoons of added sugar each day, far more than the modest maximum of 6 teaspoons for women and 9 teaspoons for men stated by the American Heart Association.
Many companies deliberately obscure the amount of sugar in their products by listing sugar under alternative names, including honey or agave nectar. Even so-called ‘healthy’ sugars are harmful to you (and can hinder weight loss) in higher amounts, so it’s essential to check the labels carefully. Ideally, it would be best if you stuck to preparing your own meals from whole foods when you’re trying to lose 5 pounds in two days.
Also, beware of foods labeled as ‘diet’ or ‘low fat.’ While cutting down on saturated fat is good for your health, many low-fat foods use hydrogenated vegetable oils that can cause elevated cholesterol and other issues. They may also contain higher amounts of sugar than the full-fat alternatives to make them more palatable. If you want to consume low-fat yogurts, for example, as part of your ketogenic diet, check the label for added sugar before you buy.
As well as cutting down on carbs, you need to reduce your overall calorie intake. The only surefire way to lose fat is to eat fewer calories than you burn off through physical exercise and your daily activities. To lose around 1-2 pounds of fat a week, you need to eat 500 fewer calories than you burn off. You can figure out how many calories you need per day to maintain your weight here.
Many people ask whether they can lose 5 pounds in 2 days by cutting their calories to very low levels. While it’s probably safe to cut your calories by more than 500 for a couple of days, we don’t recommend this method long-term because it could cause nutritional deficits and other health issues. Some people who are obese and need to lose weight rapidly for health reasons may be good candidates for a Very Low-Calorie Diet (VLCD) or a Low-Calorie Diet (LCD.) However, you should only follow such a restricted eating plan on your doctor’s recommendation and under their supervision.
How to Lose Five Pounds in Two Days with Exercise
Young sporty woman practicing, doing bicycle crunches pose many people ask us how to lose 5 pounds in 2 days without exercise. Unfortunately, you’ll find it difficult to lose such a large amount of weight without getting active because exercise burns calories and can help you shift water weight.
However, the positive news is that you don’t necessarily have to hit the gym to burn a significant number of calories through physical activity. When you’re trying to lose a lot of weight in two days, you need to do everything possible to move at every opportunity during the 2-day period. We recommend:
- Walking whenever possible, ideally for at least half an hour after each meal
- Setting a timer every hour to stop what you are doing and do some squats, pushups, or crunches, or even walk up and down the stairs a few times
- Avoid sitting down as much as possible
- Spend your non-working hours doing vigorous practical activities around your home, such as cleaning and sweeping
If you’re happy to engage in strenuous workouts to shed as much weight as possible, you’ll find the pounds easier to shift. Any activity that raises your pulse and makes you slightly out of breath will burn calories and help you towards your 5-pound goal.
However, HIIT workouts have the edge when it comes to fast weight loss because they burn calories at an exceptionally high rate and could cause you to continue to burn calories even when you’re done exercising. There’s also some evidence that it could limit your appetite, helping you resist the urge to overeat.
HIIT workouts involve performing highly intense exercise for short periods followed by brief rests. They come in many forms, including cardiovascular, resistance, and combination HIIT routines. While many gyms run HIIT classes as part of their schedule, you can also find free workouts online on sites like YouTube.
How to Lose 5 Pounds in 2 Days Without Exercise Using Diet Supplements
As we mentioned above, it isn’t easy to lose 5 pounds in 2 days without exercise, and you’re far more likely to see good results if you get active. However, if you can’t do strenuous exercise because of a disability or health condition or simply want to speed up your weight loss, diet supplements can help.
Weight loss supplements are available over the counter without a prescription and provide an alternative to prescription-only drugs like phentermine. Fat-burning pills tend to work in one of the following ways:
- Increasing fat-burning by boosting thermogenesis to help you lose weight faster
- Making you feel less hungry, helping you consume fewer calories
- Increasing your energy levels to make it easier to exercise
- Minimizing common causes of overeating such as fatigue, stress, and anxiety
Taking fat-burning supplements alone won’t help you lose 5 pounds in 2 days, but they can act as a helping hand to maximize your results. There are many bootleg and ineffective products available from unscrupulous sellers that could be harmful, so it’s essential to do your research and buy your supplements directly from the supplier or a reputable retailer. You can read a list of our most recommended weight loss supplements here.
Natural weight loss supplements are safe and healthy for use by most adults, but there are exceptions. If you are pregnant, lactating, or have an illness such as diabetes, you should avoid these products unless advised otherwise by your doctor. They are also generally unsuitable for under 18s.
The Fastest Way to Lose 5 Pounds in 2 Days- Quick and Dirty Tips
The above methods are the safest and most effective ways to lose 5 pounds as quickly as possible. However, some other simple tips and tricks can help you lose as much weight as possible in 2 days.
None of these tips will work in isolation, but they could give you the edge when combined with a low-carb, low-calorie diet and physical activity. So, what is the fastest way to lose 5 pounds in 2 days?
1. Cut Down on Salt
There’s plenty of evidence that consuming too much salt causes fluid retention, which adds up to extra pounds on the scales. Therefore, cutting back on your salt intake is an excellent way to shift water weight when you need to lose pounds as quickly as possible. It’s also a sensible idea for your overall physical health.
Reducing your salt intake involves more than merely stopping adding table salt to your meals. While this is important, a lot of the salt in the average American diet is concealed in food products. To minimize your intake, we recommend:
Minimizing your processed foods intake, including luncheon meats, sliced bread, cheese, bakery products, ready meals, and canned soups. Non-processed versions of these foods with a low salt content are acceptable as long as they fit with your diet plan
Consume plenty of nutritious, unprocessed whole foods, including lean meat, fish, eggs, green leafy vegetables, nuts, and seeds
2. Consume Plenty of Fiber
According to Harvard Health Publishing, consuming at least 30g of fiber daily can help you shift excess body weight and improve your blood pressure. It can also support healthy digestion, push food through your colon, and cut down on waste weight and bloating.
One of the criticisms of low-carb diets like the ketogenic diet (which we recommend for weight loss) is that they can be low in fiber. However, that doesn’t have to be the case. There are plenty of nutritious, high-fiber foods that are compatible with low-carb eating. These include:
- Avocados
- Leafy green vegetables like broccoli and kale
- Berries
- Chia seeds
- Macadamia nuts
- Hazelnuts
- Asparagus
3. Eat and Drink Natural Diuretics
Diuretics increase your body’s urine output and help you shift excess water weight for a slimmer physique. If you are concerned that you are retaining excessive amounts of water, you should seek medical advice as soon as possible.
However, for most people, a bit of water weight is the natural result of various factors such as hormonal changes or a sedentary lifestyle. While we don’t recommend taking diuretic medications unless you’re told to by your doctor, there are plenty of natural and healthy diuretic foods and drinks that you can incorporate into your diet. These include:
- Tea and coffee
- Parsley
- Vegetables such as celery, lettuce, and asparagus
- Melons and tomatoes
4. Drink More Water
While it sounds counterintuitive, drinking more water can help you shift excess water weight. It can also help you lose fat. It’s not known precisely why staying well-hydrated helps with weight loss, but researchers think it could boost your metabolism and naturally suppress your appetite.
There’s no fixed amount of water that you should consume per day because your needs depend on various factors, including how active you are. However, women should aim for around 11.5 cups every day, while men should consume around 15.5 cups. An easy rule of thumb to follow is drinking eight 8-ounce glasses daily. However, if you do a lot of exercise, live in a hot climate, feel unwell, or are pregnant or nursing, you may need more than this.
Some people promote the concept of consuming a gallon of water every day or even more. Fans of this practice say that it has numerous benefits, including significant weight loss and improved overall health. However, there’s very little evidence to support these claims. Unless you need this amount of water, for example, because you are a professional athlete, there’s probably no need to consume a gallon or more of water a day, and it could even cause health problems for some people.
5. Take Probiotics
Bodyweight and gut flora have a complicated relationship with each other, and more research is required to prove that probiotics have a significant effect on fat loss. However, increasing the number of healthy bacteria in your gut could help you lose weight when combined with a healthy diet and exercise routine.
Taking a probiotic supplement is a quick and easy way to potentially boost your results if you’re figuring out how to lose 5 pounds in 3 days or less. If you prefer to consume healthy bacteria from food sources or can’t afford pricey supplements, there are plenty of delicious ingredients with high healthy gut flora concentrations. These include:
- Live yogurt
- Kimchi
- Sauerkraut
- Kefir
- Kombucha (a fermented, lightly fizzy tea)
FAQs
Q: Can you lose 5lbs in 3 days?
A: It’s possible to lose 5lbs in three days, but we don’t recommend trying to lose weight this fast for long periods. If you want to know how to lose 5 pounds in 3 days, we recommend cutting back on carbohydrates, reducing your calorie intake, drinking plenty of water, and exercising as much as possible.
Q: How quickly can you lose 5lbs?
A: How quickly you lose 5lbs depends on numerous factors, including how much you weigh to start with, how much you eat, and how active you are. As a rule, it’s healthy to lose fat at a rate of around 1-2 pounds per week, although you may drop pounds faster than this at the start of a diet.
However, you can lose 5 pounds in as little as 2-3 days by significantly reducing your calorie intake, minimizing carbohydrate consumption, staying well hydrated, and exercising frequently. We only recommend this as a short-term approach. Losing weight this quickly over a prolonged period could cause serious health problems and nutritional deficiencies.
Q: How can I lose weight in 2 days?
A: There are plenty of safe and simple methods you can use to lose a noticeable amount of weight in 2 days. One of the most effective is to eat a reduced-calorie diet that is high in protein, fat, and vegetables and low in carbohydrates. Increasing your fiber intake, drinking plenty of water, cutting out sugar and processed foods, and exercising regularly can also help. Some people find that weight loss supplements help speed up fat loss.
Q: Is a 5-pound weight loss noticeable?
A: Whether a 5-pound weight loss is noticeable or not depends on a few factors, such as how much you weigh to start with and your frame. If you are only slightly overweight or have a very slight frame, a 5-pound weight loss will probably make a noticeable difference to your appearance. However, people with a high BMI or a large frame may need to lose more weight than this before seeing significant changes in their figures.
Q: Does drinking water help you lose weight?
A: It is thought that drinking water can help you lose weight, although it’s unclear exactly why. Many experts believe that good hydration increases your metabolism and suppresses your appetite. It can also help you get rid of excess weight due to water retention.
However, water can also help you lose weight because it is calorie-free. If you replace calorific sodas, creamy and sugary coffees, and alcoholic beverages with water, you can significantly reduce your calorie intake. This should help you lose weight.
Q: How can I get skinny overnight?
A: There is no proven method to get skinny overnight because it takes time to lose body fat. However, you can slim down relatively quickly by eating a calorie-controlled diet, exercising, and limiting carbohydrates. Drinking plenty of water can also help you shift water weight within a few days.
The Bottom Line
If you have an urgent reason to lose weight quickly, such as needing to fit into a tight outfit, you can use the methods in this article to lose 5 pounds in two or three days. However, attempting to lose weight at this rate isn’t a safe option for more than a few days. Generally, we recommend aiming for a steady weight loss of 1-2 pounds per week by following a healthy ketogenic diet, exercising regularly, and taking a safe weight loss supplement from a reputable seller.
If you are seriously obese and feel that your weight is affecting your health, we recommend talking to your doctor. They may recommend a Low-Calorie or Very Low-Calorie Diet to help you lose weight as quickly as possible. However, these diets are only safe under medical supervision. They may also prescribe a powerful weight loss medication such as phentermine. You should also seek medical advice if you are pregnant, nursing, or under 18 instead of using the advice in this article.
Hopefully, you now know how to lose 5 pounds in 2 days. While the tips we shared aren’t recommended for long-term use, following them for two or three days should help you slim down quickly if you have a deadline.
Leave a Reply