How to Lose 5 Pounds in One Week Safely

If you're wondering how to lose 5 pounds in a week, take note: Rapid weight loss is not recommended by any health professional — in fact, it can potentially cause health problems or weight regain.

If weight loss is your goal — whether or not you want to lose 5 pounds in a week — it's instead recommended to slim down at a safe and sustainable pace of 1 to 2 pounds per week, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Here are tips to help you lose weight without compromising your nutrition or overall wellbeing.

There are three main components to successful weight loss, and two of them involve paying attention to the quality of the calories which make up your meal plan, according to the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA).

Per the ISSA, doing these three things will help you burn fat more efficiently:

1. Cut out (or cut down on) the amount of starchy carbohydrates you eat.
2. Increase the amount of lean protein you take in.
3. Increase both the intensity and duration of your workouts.

But remember: While following this advice for how to lose 5 pounds in a week may help you melt off a little bit of fat, most of it will be water weight. What's more, weight loss this extreme is neither safe nor feasible.

In fact, losing weight this quickly can burn through muscle rather than fat, deplete nutrients and may not be sustainable in the long run, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Instead, aim to lose weight at that safer rate of 1 to 2 pounds per week. That is, to sustainably and safely lose 5 pounds, expect for it to take 2.5 to 5 weeks.

How many calories you should eat every day depends on factors like your age, size, sex and activity level. But in general, cutting 500 to 1,000 calories per day (through eating less and/or moving more) will help you lose weight at the safe pace of 1 to 2 pounds per week, according to the Mayo Clinic.

However, calorie intake should not fall below 1,200 per day for people assigned female at birth or 1,500 per day for people assigned male at birth (unless under doctor supervision), because eating too few calories can deprive you of nutrients, per Harvard Health Publishing.

While reducing your calorie intake is an important component of any weight-loss program, that does not mean you should cut out entire meals.

Skipping meals can prompt your body to lower its metabolism and burn less calories in order to conserve energy, per the University of Louisville. It can also lead to eating more high-calorie, processed foods later to compensate, which may contribute to weight gain.

What's more, skimping on meals can cause symptoms like headaches, fatigue and shakiness, according to the University of Louisville.

If those 5 pounds sneaked up on you all at once, the culprit could be water weight, according to Texas A&M University.

Water is necessary for your body to function at its best, but certain circumstances can cause you to retain more water than your body can use, including:

• Too much sodium in your diet
• Too many carbs in your diet
• Hormones
• Underlying medical conditions

If you find you're retaining more water than usual, talk to your doctor to see if there's an underlying condition to blame, according to Texas A&M University.

On that note, just as some people have an intolerance for gluten or lactose, so too can the body be intolerant of carbohydrates, per Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center.

If you have a carbohydrate intolerance, your body can't metabolize carbs efficiently. Extra carbs encourage your pancreas to send insulin into your bloodstream, and if there are any carbs left, your liver takes them in and stores them as fat.

Per Wexner Medical Center, carbs to avoid include:

• Refined sugar
• White flour
• Simple grains like white rice
• Fruit juice
• Soda
• Chips, crackers and pretzels
• Baked goods like cake, cookies, donuts

One way to achieve quicker weight loss is to eat more lean protein, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Protein is harder than carbohydrates for your body to digest, so it can keep you feeling full for longer after a meal. Eating a diet that is high in protein also keeps you from losing muscle mass, because your body burns fat instead, per MIT.

A high-protein diet can also help older adults burn fat without losing bone density, according to Wake Forest University. This is important because you do not want to risk causing any damage to your body.

Try adding these lean protein sources to your diet:

• Baked, broiled, grilled or roast chicken
• Fish
• Soy products like tofu or tempeh
• Legumes like lentils and beans
• Nuts

Can you lose 5 pounds in a week? While it may be possible, that doesn't mean you should do it — it's safest to stick to the expert-recommended pace of 1 to 2 pounds of weight loss per week, per the Mayo Clinic.

One way to help you achieve your weight-loss goal is to load your meal plans with fresh, crisp leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables, according to Grand Canyon University (GCU).

Here are some leafy greens to add to your diet:

• Lettuce
• Spinach
• Kale
• Arugula
• Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower

Not only are they packed with nutrients, but leafy green vegetables offer a lot of bulk for very few calories, per GCU. This can help keep you feeling full while keeping total calorie intake low. Fiber also aids in healthy digestion, which may help prevent bloating.

Cruciferous vegetables are also loaded with vitamins, antioxidants and fiber, per GCU, ensuring that your low-calorie meal plan is as nutritious as possible.

Recording what you eat may help keep your diet on track, regardless of whether your goal is to lose 5 pounds in one week. You can use a pen and paper to track what you eat, or an app, per the Cleveland Clinic. No matter which method you opt for, writing down what you eat and when can not only help with weight management, but can also help you identify patterns, such as eating more on stressful days, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

It's easy for clocking enough zzzs to fall low on your priority list. But sleep and weight loss are connected — when you don't get enough rest, it can mess with hormones that regulate hunger, leading to you feeling hungrier, per the Cleveland Clinic. Plus, when you're not well-rested, your willpower can be weaker, potentially making you more likely to succumb to cravings.

Exercise is another way to help you lose weight faster, according to Concordia University-Saint Paul. Although activity alone won't guarantee 5 pounds of weight loss, it can certainly help.

Exercising not only helps you to lose weight, but also supports lung health, lowers blood pressure, burns of belly fat and releases endorphins to help elevate and regulate your mood, according to Cornell University.

While exercising may not have a huge effect on your one-week weight-loss plan, doing both cardio and weight workouts for a full week may help you get into the habit of exercising regularly, which benefit you in the long run.

Cardiovascular exercise can raise your heart rate and burn calories, according to Concordia University. Here are some cardio activities to try:

• Running
• Walking
• Swimming
• Dancing
• Playing a high-intensity sport like tennis or racquetball

Strength and weight training can also contribute to calorie burn. Here are different types of strength training to consider:

• Bodyweight exercises
• Resistance band exercises
• Suspension exercises
• Dumbbell, kettlebell or barbell workouts
• Strength training machines
• Powerlifting
• Bodybuilding

Another component to your weight loss week is one that many people tend to overlook: Staying hydrated.

In fact, people who have obesity are more likely to be improperly hydrated (while those without obesity are more likely to be more hydrated), according to a July 2016 study in the ‌Annals of Family Medicine.‌

This may be due to habits like eating fewer water-rich fruits and vegetables or not drinking enough water throughout the day.

While the link between hydration and weight loss needs to be studied more closely in order to draw clear conclusions, the study does note that staying hydrated can help with weight loss.

For instance, people may mistake thirst for hunger and take in more calories than needed, which in turn can sabotage even a short-term, one-week-only weight-loss plan.

Stress and weight gain are linked because stress can increase your cortisol hormone, setting off a chain of reactions, including an increased craving for foods full of sugar and fat, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

That's why taking measures to prevent or alleviate stress may help you with weight management. According to the Cleveland Clinic, here are some tips to help manage stress:

• Set achievable goals
• Do thing you enjoy
• Take a walk, or find other ways to incorporate physical activity
• Find a therapist to work with to learn how to cope with hard times
• Try relaxation techniques like yoga, stretching, massage, deep breathing and meditation