The relationship with the body and food is a headache for many people who see how they cannot maintain the weight they would like.
Sometimes emergencies appear and we set ourselves the goal of drastically losing weight in a week.
This is possible? It is advisable?
Let’s find out!
How to lose weight in a week
First of all, let’s understand what it is to lose weight:
- People have a daily energy expenditure, which is made up of our basal metabolism and the amount of movement, stress, etc., to which we are subjected during the day.
- They are mathematics, to lose weight there must be an energy deficit (expenditure> consumption).
I tell you this because, of course, it is possible to lose weight in a week. If the end of it, the numbers do not give the reason, a fat-burning will have occurred. This is really losing weight, not losing weight.
About why weight is not the best indicator to see if you are losing weight, I talk to you in this article.
Is it possible to lose 5.7 or 10 kilos in a week?
The point is, when we think about losing weight in a week, we don’t just think about producing this deficit, but about great achievements:
- There are those who want to lose 5 kilos.
- Another 7 kilos
- Others 10.
- And so on to infinity.
The fact is that there is no definitive answer about whether it is possible to lose 5, 7, 10 kilos, or whatever in a week since this will depend on many things.
For example, a person with obesity will have a very high basal metabolism, so they will lose fat faster by eating the same, than another person who is slightly overweight.
On the other hand, there are many other factors to take into account, such as physical exercise and the person’s own metabolism (age, sex, biotype).
How much can you lose weight in a week?
The point is this if in a week we want to lose weight drastically, we are going to need to do a lot of things. That is, carry out a great food restriction.
This is something that I do not recommend in any way for two reasons:
- The first is the most obvious: it is dangerous to health. These types of diets can be accompanied by cramps, fainting, sleep problems, mood swings, etc.
- On the other hand, we will be acquiring a habit/custom that is not recommended.
Is it a good idea to set a goal of losing a lot of weight in a week or two?
I can understand that there are situations in which the rush to lose weight pressure us, for example, if we have an important event insight such as a wedding or another.
If you allow me some advice, if you find yourself in this situation, I would recommend you accept the situation and wait to be calmer / calm in order to lose weight in a healthy and consistent way.
Trying to lose weight quickly and in a hurry almost never goes well.
I usually tell my patients that the best way to lose weight is progressively, and it is not because I feel like it, it is that the experts agree that the best way to lose weight is at a rate of 1 kg every 15 – 20 days.
Although as I said before, each case is different.
Is it possible to lose so much weight without a rebound effect?
Another problem that involves doing very restrictive diets is the rebound effect. The rebound effect is both physiological and psychological. I explain:
- You have to understand that for your body, suddenly finding yourself in a situation of a very large deficit is synonymous with vital danger.
- Our ancestors did not eat when they wanted, if not when they could. For this reason, the body learned to activate the “saving mode” when there was a frost or similar that prevented them from going out to hunt.
- The economy mode consists of reducing the less important bodily functions. For example, if our heart stops beating, we die. Therefore, the cardiovascular system is essential.
- However, we know that metabolism can slow down when we don’t give it the nutrients it needs. Understand it as that the machinery works with the right thing and the pieces begin to fail.
- The case, not to roll, is that the best way to lose weight is without scaring the body and with patience.
- The usual thing after a very marked weight loss occurs is that there is a rebound effect. The body tries to regain its security through the absorption of fats.
- On the other hand, from the psychological point of view, what leads to tight control is almost always a lack of control.
- After a stoic effort, it is very likely that we will regain our old habits if these are not increased in the form of binges or other problems.
The pros and cons of following a liquid diet
Lastly, I wanted to talk to you about liquid diets. Many people choose this dieting format to lose weight.
Although it is true that some studies have shown its effectiveness for weight loss. However, I would not recommend following this feeding format.
The goal is to develop an eating habit that we can sustain in the long term. Honestly, do you think you can spend your whole life eating liquids?
Although it takes a little longer, it is preferable to learn to eat well, and build something solid (worth the redundancy) than to hit the road and jump from diet to diet all your life.
