If your prom or high school reunion is coming up in a month, you may wonder how much weight you can lose in a short amount of time. While commercials and advertisements may tout claims such as lose 30 lbs. in 30 days, or drop two dress sizes in two weeks, losing weight is not an overnight endeavor.
Crash Diets
The American Heart Association warns that crash diets, which promise quick weight loss, can cause health problems and will not lead to lasting weight loss. These types of diets usually rely on the consumption of one or two types of foods and encourage the opposite of a healthy, well-balanced diet. You may lose a large amount of weight initially, but it will be mostly water weight and will reappear as soon as you begin eating normally again.
Sensible Weight Loss Goals
A sensible weight-loss goal is to lose 1 to 2 lbs. per week. During the first couple of weeks of a new diet, you may notice a higher rate of weight loss due to losing excess water. If you lose 3 lbs. during the first week of a diet and 2 lbs. each week thereafter for the remainder of the month, you can reasonably lose 9 lbs. Depending on your current size, weight and body type, you may notice that your clothes fit better after losing this amount of weight.
How to Lose Weight
The only way to lose weight and keep it off is to consume fewer calories than you burn off. For most people, the safest and healthiest way to do this is to combine reducing caloric intake with exercise. For example, if you reduce your calorie consumption by 500 calories daily and burn an additional 500 calories each day by working out, you can expect to lose about 2 lbs. per week. If you do only one of these things, you may lose about 1 lb. per week.
Warnings
Crash diets can put you at risk of developing malnutrition. Losing weight very quickly can also make you more likely to develop gallstones, which can cause pain and infection and may necessitate the removal of your gallbladder. Do not start any weight-loss plan without talking to your doctor first, especially if you are overweight or obese, or if you have any pre-existing health problems or take prescription medications.
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