What Is The Maximum Amount Of Weight You Can Lose In One Week?

Rapid weight loss is popular with actors such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Kathy Griffin, Gerard Butler and singers Eddie Vedder and Beyonce, all of whom the Huffington Post reported as using liquid fasts, shakes, natural laxatives and even starvation diets to get in shape. Fad diets and detox regimes assure you that you can lose 10 and even 20 lbs. a week. However, if you want to want to drop those pounds and keep them off for good, medical and fitness experts say that you should aim for weight loss of 1 to 2 lbs. a week.

Rapid Weight Loss

If you want to lose weight permanently, crash dieting isn't the right way, cautions the Weight-control Information Network, or WIN. Fad diets consisting of special soups, liquid concoctions or eating plans limited in food choices can have you consume fewer than 800 calories a day. According to the American Council on Exercise, or ACE, extreme weight loss of 10 to 20 lbs. a week is possible, but you won't be able to keep the weight off forever. Most of the weight you lose on crash diets consists of water weight and depletion of lean tissue. As soon as you begin eating regular meals again, the pounds pop right back on. You may even gain more weight than you lost.

Dangers

Liquid fasts, fad diets and trendy celebrity "detox" programs probably won't give you the essential nutrients you need. Losing more than 3 lbs. a week also puts your health at risk, says WIN. You're more likely to develop gallstones when you lose weight too quickly. Very-low-calorie diets of 800 or less a day can disrupt your heart's regular rhythm, which can result in death. The Cleveland Clinic states that conventional weight-loss programs generally consist of 1,200 to 1,500 calorie diets paired with regular physical activity.

Exceptions

There are certain circumstances in which more speedy weight loss is appropriate: when your weight is a risk to your health. According to the Cleveland Clinic, if your body mass index, or BMI, is greater than 30 or if you have a BMI of between 27 and 30 and experience health problems because of your weight, your doctor may recommend a very-low-calorie diet, or VLCD, of 800 calories a day or less. These temporary, medically supervised diets result in weight loss of between 3 and 5 lbs. a week. VLCDs can decrease the threat posed by weight-related medical conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. However, the Cleveland Clinic stresses that VLCDs aren't appropriate for everyone. Pregnant and nursing women, as well as children and teens, are generally excluded from these diets.

Healthy Dieting

If you're trying to lose weight, a simple rule to remember is that 1 lb. of fat is equal to roughly 3,500 calories, according to MayoClinic.Com. To lose a pound a week, simply decrease your daily calories by 500. Forget the myth that certain foods burn fat -- this simply isn't true, says WIN. Eat a healthy, varied diet that's rich in fruits and vegetables, advises the National Women's Health Information Center. Choose low-fat or fat-free dairy foods, whole grain breads and pastas and lean cuts of meat. Limit saturated fats to no more than 10 percent of your daily calories, and avoid trans fats altogether. Try to get less than 2,300 mg. sodium each day.

Just Add Exercise

Couple a healthy eating plan with exercise, and you're on your way to meeting your weight-loss goals without having to make a dramatic calorie subtraction from your diet. The ACE states that aerobic exercise increases your metabolism both while your body is in motion and also after your workout is complete. Start with 15 minutes of low-impact aerobic exercise a few times a week. Increase the intensity and duration of your exercise plan until you're getting 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity at least four times a week, ACE suggests. Strength training, which builds lean muscle, is also an important component of your weight-loss plan. ACE advises performing a single set -- 8 to 12 repetitions -- of weight-bearing exercises that work your arms, chest, legs and upper back.