How to Lose 10 Pounds in a Week, According to a Dietitian

Let’s face it – losing weight is a goal that we’ve all had at one point or another. It’s a universal desire to shed those extra pounds and burn your body fat, but it’s essential to be realistic about your expectations.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably looking for the quickest solution for rapid weight loss. Although you might not be able to lose that extra weight as quickly as you want, let’s see whether losing 10 pounds in a week is a reachable goal.

How Much Weight Can You Lose in a Week?

If you’re trying to get better at weight maintenance, according to CDC you’ll want to lose weight in increments of 1–2 pounds in a week for a healthy weight loss journey. Realistically, losing 10 pounds will take about a month.

However, the process of losing just one pound can depend on a whole host of variables that you might never have considered, such as your starting weight, metabolic rate, sleep schedule, how many processed foods you eat, and so much more.

So, when you’re thinking about how much body weight you might lose in a week, remember that there’s no hard and fast answer. There just isn’t a quick fix to sustainable weight loss, but with that being said, we do have some helpful information to help you understand what is realistic for you and your body.

Firstly, it’s essential to realize that what you can lose and what you should lose are two different things.

This will be far more sustainable in the long run and much easier to keep up. Going to extreme lengths to lose 10 pounds in one week will not only see that weight come right back but can also pose risks to your health.

How to Get Skinny in a Week

Sustainable weight loss takes time.

Remember that we all have a different idea of what constitutes a “skinny” person, and one person’s ideals of skinny should certainly not be your own.

Significant weight loss is rarely the healthiest option, and you really shouldn’t strive to be thin – beauty standards are fickle things, and you shouldn’t feel pressured to look a certain way just because it’s what society deems “beautiful.”

If you want to achieve significant weight loss, start by eating fewer calories in a day. You don’t have to count every single calorie you’re eating, but when you eat fewer calories, you’re guaranteed to lose some weight, which is a healthy weight loss option.

How to Lose 10 Pounds in a Week: 8 Foolproof Tips

While the methods we’re about to discuss might not make you lose 10 pounds every week, they’ll definitely promote weight loss and help stave off weight gain.

Successful weight loss takes time, so don’t feel pressured to meet any unrealistic goals that you or the world sets for yourself.

#1 Try a low-carb diet

The standard Western diet is beginning to include more calories and is becoming increasingly high in added sugars. This has concrete links to obesity, even when sugars are present in beverages rather than food.

Refined carbs are heavily processed foods that no longer contain nutrients necessary for the body, such as fiber. These include bread, rice, and pasta which should be eaten in moderation when following a healthy diet.

The problem with these foods is that they are quick to digest and even quicker to convert to glucose, so you need to look at how many calories are coming from this source and reduce, if not eliminate, them.

Try to eat minimally processed foods and, where possible, swap processed foods for healthier options, such as:

• Whole-grain bread, rice, and pasta
• Nuts, fruits, and seeds
• Herb teas and fruit-infused water
• Smoothies with water or milk

#2 Take care of your gut

The human gut is home to many microorganisms, including about 37 trillion bacteria. Most of this bacteria is beneficial, with some increasing the amount of energy that we harvest from food.

Here are some foods to incorporate into your diet that will help you boost your good gut bacteria:

• Various plants, such as fruits, grains, and vegetables
• Fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt, and tempeh
• Prebiotic foods stimulate the growth of good gut bacteria. This includes foods like fruits and vegetables, especially onion, garlic, asparagus, leeks, and avocado.

#3 Get active

You probably saw this one coming. 

Sure, you can cut entire food groups from your diet or try the latest fad diet and meal plan to lose that excess weight, but the fact of the matter is that, if you aren’t willing to build good exercise habits, you might never be able to burn that stubborn belly fat.

We’re not saying you have to hit the gym for 10 hours a week to lift weights. Try going for a walk each day, or step on the treadmill for 30 minutes before your shower.

Even doing just a little bit of exercise each day will help with burning calories, which will definitely help with fat loss.

#4 Eat more non-starchy vegetables

Starch is the primary carbohydrate in our diet. It is often called a complex carb since it comprises many joined sugar molecules. Most vegetables only contain small amounts of start, though there are, of course, exceptions.

Generally – and we mean very generally – speaking, cooked starchy vegetables like the humble potato are packed with around 15 grams of carbs and 80 calories for every 1/2 cup.

On the other hand, non-starchy vegetables like broccoli only contain around 5 grams of carbs and 25 calories in the same portion.

While avoiding starchy vegetables is not going to cause you to lose weight quickly, monitoring your carb intake will help you lose weight.

#5 Drink at least 8 glasses of water every day

You might be surprised to learn that drinking water can increase the number of calories you burn during resting energy expenditure. 

This expenditure has been shown to increase by 24–30% in adults within 10 minutes of drinking water and lasts at least 60 minutes.

So, by simply drinking water every day, you increase the amount of weight you lose without having to lift a finger.

Of course, water is just good for you. Overall, it keeps your organs hydrated and helps your body stay healthy.

#6 Quit drinking alcohol

Alcohol can hinder your weight loss, but not for what you might think. For starters, heavy drinkers are at a higher risk for obesity due to the metabolic changes that take place when your body is frequently metabolizing or digesting alcohol.

Alcohol stops healthy nutrients from being metabolized, and when this happens, those nutrient-dense foods actually add fat to your body.

Alcohol has also been shown to increase cravings in the average person, and when we’re intoxicated, we’re more likely to give in to our cravings. So, if you want to stop your late-night snacking, you’ll probably also have to change your drinking habits.

#7 Try intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting is a diet plan in which you spend specific eating and certain times abstaining from eating (fasting) to promote weight loss.

Fasting can sound quite daunting at first, but it’s much easier than you might think and has been backed by licensed nutritionists as a sound method for shedding those extra pounds.

#8 Walk everywhere

Walking is an incredible form of exercise. Unlike the resistance training you might perform in the gym, walking is a straightforward – and often enjoyable – form of exercise you can do at literally any time.

It has been proven to burn calories, and while it might not burn as many as intense exercise, it is still an excellent way for you to stay active and get your blood pumping.

Conclusion

While it might be a little ambitious to want to lose 10 pounds in just one week, sustainable weight loss is possible.

If you’re looking for healthy weight loss options, we strongly suggest using the tips mentioned above.