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Is it possible to lose 2 pounds per week?
It is possible to lose 2 pounds a week. This is a safe and healthy amount to lose in a week. It’s also in line with the CDC (center for disease control and prevention) guidelines for healthy weight loss.
It takes a calorie deficit of 3500 to lose a pound of fat. You need a higher deficit of 7000 to lose 2 pounds. It comes down to a daily calorie deficit of 1000 to lose 2 pounds per week. A moderate calorie deficit that’s in line with what experts recommend. You can achieve this by eating less and exercising more.
Most adults need to eat at least 2000 – 2500 calories to maintain their current weight. A moderate reduction of at least 500 calories is all you need to start losing weight. This way, you have plenty left to survive on. Once you have reduced your calories, focus on exercising more nutrient-dense foods that keep you full.
With exercise, you can burn extra calories and boost weight loss. Most experts recommend that healthy adults spend at least 200 minutes exercising weekly. Cardio exercises such as; rowing, aerobics, and bicycling can help burn calories fast. For example, a person who weighs 185-pounds can burn as many as 29-calories in 30-minutes doing these exercises or 252-calories weight training vigorously in 30-minutes. To burn the extra 500-calories, do these exercises for at least an hour every day. Alternate between cardio and weight training for best results.
Using these measures, you can lose 2 pounds in a week safely.
Tips to use to lose 2 pounds a week.
1. Fill Up On High-Protein Foods.
High protein foods are great for weight loss for several reasons. First, they improve satiety and help reduce appetite. Second, they keep you full for longer. Lastly, they require 15% more energy to break down, boosting your metabolism. Start your day with protein, and you will notice you don’t have the urge to snack as much. Opt for lean cuts of meat, chicken, poultry for your lunch or dinner to lose 2 pounds in a week.
2. Swap out refined carbs for complex carbs
Complex carbs are great for weight loss. They’re full of fiber and other nutrients that keep you full for longer. Include complex carbs in your diet to lose 2 pounds a week. Complex carbs include foods such as; whole grains (brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa), whole wheat bread, whole-wheat pasta, starchy and non-starchy vegetables.
3. Eat more vegetables
Vegetables add volume to your meals improving satiety. Also, they’re low in calories. You can eat as much as you want without worrying about calories. Did you know 100g of raw spinach contains a mere 23 calories? Some of the best vegetables to eat include; spinach, chard, broccoli, asparagus, beets, cabbage, and carrots.
4. Practise Portion Control.
Portion control can help you eat less to lose 2 pounds per week. Use tips such as serving your food on a small plate or bowl. When using a bigger plate, portion half of it with vegetables before adding protein or carbs.
5. Try Alternate Day Fasting
Alternate day fasting is an intermittent fasting approach whereby you eat one day and fast the next day. The fast lasts for 36-hours, if your last meal was on Monday at 9 pm, your next meal is on Wednesday at 9 am. This fasting schedule works well for weight loss because you go for prolonged periods without food.
With this approach, you can lose 2 pounds a week. Besides, research has shown that alternate-day fasting is just as effective as calorie restriction. However, be warned, it is challenging and takes time to get used to. Also, this approach is not safe for everyone.
