How to Lose 2 Pounds a Week: 9 Foolproof Strategies

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You have tried many ideas from weight loss gurus claiming to hold all the answers on losing weight and keeping it off. Some weight loss diet plans don’t work, and others leave you hungry and unsatisfied.

So, what is the best way to lose that extra weight?

Finding a weight loss method that’s right for your body requires patience and commitment. There is no easy fix for healthy weight loss, but there are numerous steps you can take to improve overall health and achieve your goal weight.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution for permanent and healthy weight loss. Our bodies respond differently depending on genetics and other health factors. 

Our medical team at Health Reporter will share the best strategies on how to lose 2 pounds per week.

Your weekly weight loss rate depends on many factors such as weight, genetics, physical activity levels, stress levels, and body fat percentage. Generally, people with a healthy weight cannot lose weight as fast as overweight people.

The weight loss process is not linear over time, as you may drop a lot of weight in the first weeks, but then you reach a weight plateau where you lose little or no weight. As you lose weight, your metabolism slows down, and your body changes.

How Many Calories Should You Eat a Day to Lose 2 Pounds a Week?

A pound of fat equals 3,500 calories. To lose 2 pounds per week, you need a calorie deficit of 7,000 a week or 1,000 a day. You can create this deficit by reducing your daily calories and increasing your physical activity levels.

To lose one pound per week, you need a calorie deficit of 500 a day. This translates to 3,500 calories and one pound of fat loss per week.

However, it’s essential to ensure your caloric intake doesn’t go below the minimum requirements for vital body functions; 1,200 calories for adult females and 1,500 for males.

Weight management is a balance between the calories you consume and the calories you burn. To lose weight, you need to create a caloric deficit where you burn more calories than you consume.

How to Lose 2 Pounds a Week: 9 Steps to the Best Body Ever

The body adjusts its weight depending on your calorie consumption. When you burn more calories than you consume, your body uses fat for fuel instead of food.

Creating a calorie deficit is the easiest and most effective way to lose weight. Changing your lifestyle by exercising more and eating a healthy diet forces your body to a calorie deficit. 

Below are the best strategies for getting into a calorie deficit and losing 2 pounds a week.

#1 Eat filling foods

Filling foods help ward off hunger and enables you to eat less in your next meal. They, therefore, help you manage your weight in the long run. Filling foods are high in protein, which is the most satiating macronutrient.

Filling foods are also high in fiber, increasing digestion time and slowing down stomach emptying time. They are high in volume, are calorie-dense, contain a lot of water or air, and have low calories compared to their weight.

Calorie density refers to how much energy is in a food. For instance, two teaspoons of olive oil have the same calories as a serving of steak.

When you cut calories and increase food volume, you can eat more food than someone who consumes smaller portions with the same total calories.

Satiating foods offer more health benefits, have enough calories, and allow you to eat more food without worrying about gaining weight.

#2 Achieve a calorie deficit by fasting

Fasting is an excellent way of calorie restriction and offers more flexibility compared to calorie counting. Fasting limits the opportunities you can eat, consequently creating a calorie deficit.

Research also shows that fasting is associated with better health as it helps lower blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and insulin sensitivity. Fasting also helps in disease control by lowering the amount of visceral (belly fat) linked to type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Fasting also increases your body’s metabolism. It also helps regulate hormones such as insulin and norepinephrine, necessary for fat metabolism.

#3 Try the keto diet

A keto diet is low in carbs, has moderate protein, and is high in fats. Reducing the carbs and increasing the fats forces the body into a metabolic state called ketosis, where the body produces and burns ketones for energy instead of carbs.

#4 Stop using the elevator

People leading a sedentary lifestyle have poor heart health and are at a higher risk of obesity and other lifestyle issues. 

Incorporating exercise into your daily routine can be rather tricky. However, one highly beneficial activity that requires you to do little is taking stairs instead of the elevator.

Cardio exercises like brisk walking also get your heart pumping and improve blood circulation. Exercise also helps you get more lean muscles and burn calories.

#5 Incorporate fitness into your routine

Incorporating fitness into your routine helps you achieve your calorie deficit target of losing 2 pounds a week. One great way is strength training, as it helps build lean muscle mass, which burns extra calories even when at rest.

You can use weight training with pushups, squats, lunges, or strength training by lifting weights to target your major muscles. The body works hard to recover from a workout, taking longer and needing more energy.

Adding aerobic exercise to your workout routine also helps you improve your metabolic health and manage your weight. It would help if you worked with a certified personal trainer and fitness nutrition specialist to get the best out of your workouts.

#6 Give yourself some time to adapt

When exercising and eating a low-calorie diet, your body adapts to the new healthy lifestyle. It would be best if you also lost weight at a slow, steady pace for successful weight loss.

Pushing your body to lose weight too fast can bring a few health risks like gallstones, nutritional deficiencies, and muscle loss. One of the ways people try losing too much weight is over-exercising and following fad diets.

Your body tries to prevent you from losing weight. One of the ways is through metabolic adaptation, where your body adjusts to reduce your basal metabolic rate. Give yourself time to adapt and switch up your exercise and diet as your body changes during the weight loss.

#7 Opt for healthy snacks

Snacks are smaller food portions between meals. Avoid unhealthy foods such as fast food or junk food rich in unhealthy fats and sugars, and opt for nutrient-rich alternatives like fruits and vegetables when snacking. 

Snacking helps you manage your hunger and improves your blood sugar regulation. Snacks help in weight management as part of an overall healthy eating plan.

Good snack alternatives include keto-friendly nuts like Brazil nuts, walnuts, guacamole, Greek yogurt with mixed berries, and apple slices with peanut butter. You can also add nuts and cinnamon to brown rice for a good treat. 

Be sure to always check your serving sizes not to exceed your daily carb allowance.

#8 Drink more water

Water naturally suppresses your appetite, boosts metabolism, makes your exercise sessions more efficient, and all these factors affect the number on the weight scale.

Water also reduces your liquid calorie intake, as it is a better alternative to juice, soda, and sweetened tea or coffee. 

The body also needs water in lipolysis, the process of burning fat. Adequate water improves fat metabolism, which helps in weight loss.

#9 Prepare your meal in advance

When you start meal prepping, you will notice that you will lose weight as you eat healthier, consume fewer calories, and are more prepared for your mealtime. You can measure your portions and keep tabs on what you eat, making it easy to track nutrients.

You can also easily control the ingredients in your food, helping you ensure your calories come from nutrient-dense foods.

Meal prepping improves variety and removes the stress of cooking. It is convenient to eat whole foods like lean proteins, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and fruits and vegetables.

You are also less likely to snack when hungry, knowing healthy foods are waiting for you.

Is It Healthy to Lose 2 Pounds a Week?

Yes, most experts agree that it is healthy to aim for a maximum weight loss rate of 2 pounds a week over the long term. 

Our bodies prefer slow, gradual changes. Losing weight at a rate faster than 2 pounds a week can result in dangerous side effects, and it is harder to keep off the lost weight.

Some of the nutritional deficiencies from fast weight loss are fatigue, decreased energy levels, hair loss, and a compromised immune system.

If You Cut 1,000 Calories a Day, How Much Weight Will You Lose?

A pound of fat equals 3,500 calories. Therefore, if you cut 1,000 calories from your daily intake, you will lose 7,000 calories a week, translating to 2 pounds of fat.

However, do not go below the minimum daily calorie requirements when on a calorie deficit, as this translates to a crash diet. A crash diet can damage your physical health and is associated with eating disorders like binge eating that can cause medical issues like heart disease.

Crash diets also cause prolonged semi-starvation that can cause depression, irritability, and emotional distress.

Conclusion

Once you understand how your body works, weight loss is not that hard. If you are looking for long-term weight loss success, all the weight loss strategies listed above help you shed fat steadily and achieve realistic weight goals.

Can you lose 2 pounds a week? Definitely! What is more, CDC states that losing 1 or 2 pounds per week is a safe weight loss rate.

It is always best to remember the health benefits of weight loss, even if you do not achieve your weight loss goals. Small and consistent daily choices help you build a healthier lifestyle, and following these strategies allows you to lose two pounds a week consistently.