Is it possible to lose a pound a day?

While it is possible to lose a pound a day, this type of rapid weight loss is not recommended for most people.

 

Achieving this goal requires a significant reduction in calories, with an increase in activity levels. An impossible task that cannot be done safely for the average person, and here’s why;

 

To lose a pound of fat, you need a calorie deficit of 3500 calories. We know that the best way to achieve this is with a combination of diet and exercise. On average, healthy experts recommend that adults consume 2000 – 2500 calories to maintain their weight. You would have to drastically reduce your calories to achieve this type of extreme weight loss.

 

Also, keep in mind that severely reducing your calories can negatively affect your health as you might not get all daily nutrients. A major reason why this type of weight loss is discouraged.

 

Also, even with the best cardio high-intensity workouts, expect to burn a moderate amount of calories per session. For example, a person weighing 185-pounds burns about 420-calories in 30-minutes swimming vigorously. You would need to swim for at least 4-hours to achieve this type of weight loss. An unrealistic goal for most people due to the time commitment, and the workout intensity required.

 

While this type of rapid weight loss might be possible for those with high body weight as they burn more calories per day, it is an impossible task for the average person looking to lose weight.

 

Also, keep in mind that extreme exercising is not recommended as it can put your health at risk. Also, a high-intensity workout will most likely make you want to eat more to replenish the lost energy. You may not be able to sustain eating at a calorie deficit while exercising for prolonged periods at the same time. It is for these reasons that it is impossible for most people to lose a pound a day.

Is it safe to lose a pound a day?

The goal of losing a pound a day is unsafe and impossible for most people as it requires a severe calorie reduction and prolonged periods of intense exercise.

 

Both these factors negatively affect your health even when done short-term. Also, this type of extreme weight loss can negatively affect your metabolism and your hunger-regulating hormones.

 

A safer and more realistic goal when trying to lose weight is to aim for a moderate 1- 2 pounds per week. To achieve this, all you have to do is decrease your calorie intake moderately by about 500 – 1000 calories.

 

As most adults need to eat at least 2000 – 2500 calories to maintain their weight, a reduction of 500- 1000 calories leaves you with plenty to survive on. Besides, you don’t have to do a lot to cut out 500-calories. Start by cutting on on high-calorie snacks such as; chips and baked foods that add no nutritional value yet are high in calories. This way, you can lose weight without feeling your starving yourself.

 

As for exercise, most experts recommend at least 200 minutes of exercising for weight loss. A realistic goal that can be easily achieved with just 30-minutes or 1-hour daily, depending on your schedule.  Although this might not lead to rapid weight loss, this is the best way to lose weight healthily.

 

Is it possible to lose a pound a day? Final thoughts

While it might be possible for those with high body weight to lose a pound a day as they burn more calories daily. Losing a pound a  day is an unrealistic goal for the average person.

 

Achieving this goal would require you to severely reduce your calories and spend prolonged hours exercising just to burn enough calories. Very low calories diets and excessive exercising can put your health at risk.

 

A safer goal would be to lose about 1 – 2 pounds every week.