Although it can help people make progress toward dietary goals and better health, following a diet for only one week is unlikely to lead to lasting weight loss or lifestyle improvement. Instead of expecting significant results from temporary adjustments, use a one-week period to experiment with different diet plans that you may consider following for the long term.
Features
One-week diet plans commonly have a goal of weight loss. To accomplish that, they must reduce daily calorie consumption. According to the Mayo Clinic, a pound is equal to 3,500 calories, so without factoring in exercise, it's necessary to cut at least 500 calories from the daily diet to lose a pound in a week. To control daily calories, dieters frequently use meal replacements, diet shakes, low-calorie menu plans or unsafe tactics such as diet pills and extreme calorie reduction.
Strategies
Use a week-long time frame to try out an eating plan that you think you can keep up permanently. Vegetarian diets, low-calorie versions of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPyramid eating plan and a diet that features whole, natural foods are some popular safe and healthy options. To improve the odds that you'll be able to keep the diet up for longer than a week, follow the the Mayo Clinic's recommendations to tailor your eating to your schedule, personality and lifestyle.
Planning
A week-long diet requires careful planning and investment time up front to determine results as accurately as possible. Meals Matter, a subsidiary of the Dairy Council of California, suggests a detailed process that involves searching for low-calorie recipes, planning a comprehensive menu for the week, making a grocery list of all ingredients and picking them up at the store in preparation for the diet. Keeping a food journal to calculate daily caloric totals can help you stay on track.
Results
Diets that result in notable weight loss after just a week are likely to reflect mostly water weight, according to KidsHealth from Nemours. Consequently, someone who loses weight in a week with a specific eating plan will gain the weight back after reverting to a normal diet. Week-long diets are not able to yield lasting physical changes or weight loss. For that to happen, it's necessary to adopt a long-term diet plan that focuses on healthy lifestyle changes.
Considerations
The healthiest plans for dieting and weight loss call for daily servings of fruits, lean proteins, nonfat dairy, vegetables and whole grains and a balance of unsaturated fat, complex carbohydrates and lean protein. Following a fad diet or imbalanced plan can put the body at risk and result in nutrient deficiencies. Before beginning any new diet plan, talk with a physician.
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