Many obese people who are in a hurry to lose weight as soon as possible probably because they have an occasion they want to attend or they are trying to be like their friends who have achieved their weight loss goal usually ask “how many calories should you eat to lose 5 pounds a week” online, some ask because they want to attend a function where their one time ex will be attending as well and so they do not want to look ugly and obese, therefore they look out for easy ways to lose pounds of fat. Making a decision to lose weight includes involvement in exercises and a balanced diet which will include foods from different classes of food.
How To Lose 5 Pounds in a Week Without Exercise?
Many dietitians and doctors usually will recommend that you eat 1200 to 1500 calories a day, which is classified as a good range to aim for if you are always asking “how many calories should you eat to lose 5 pounds a week” and if you are willing to lose many pounds from 5, 15 or 50 pounds. We should know that to lose 5 pounds, its more about cleaning up the diet than making an extreme modification. One pound of body fat equals 3500 calories. In order to lose 5 pounds in a week, you might need to do away with 17500 calories per week which means you have to lose 2500 calories per day.
The question of how many calories to eat to lose 5 pounds a week is dependent on various factors, some of which are:
- How much you weigh presently
- Your diet plans and how long you have been on it
- What your calorie intake has been like lately
- Any health issues
- Genetics
- How long you can go before getting exhausted
If you are willing to shed 5 pounds in a week, you should bear in mind that it is unhealthy but it is possible. It is unhealthy because trying to lose five pounds in a week will set you up for binge-eating and fluctuations which may not guarantee long lasting results. It is very hard and according to a weight loss physician in Philadelphia- Charlie Seltzer, he said it is very difficult for most people to lose more than one to two pounds of body fat in a week. In the case of losing five pounds a week, you are likely to shed water weight before losing body fat. Usually, when there is a decrease in water weight, it equates to pounds lost, though the pounds lost won’t be permanent, it is temporary, as the weight can’t be kept off for a long term. To lose that much fat in a week requires an intense calorie restriction which will make you so hungry that you will crave everything that comes your way.
FAST WAYS TO LOSE FIVE POUNDS
There are many healthy ways to feel lighter and reduce bloating without having to deprive you of some foods. Some of which are:
- TAKE TWO GLASSES OF WATER BEFORE EVERY MEAL: According to Lauren Slayton who is a nutritionist and founder of food trainers in New York says water is very essential and she recommends drinking a minimum of 64 ounces daily and that you should take two cups of water before every meal as it helps reduce appetite. Taking water before meal will help you feel full thereby making you eat less. Another nutritionist, Vanessa Packer says it is better to avoid seltzer and sparkling water because they cause bloating.
- DON’T SKIP MEALS: Eating frequently at intervals during the day helps in the control of blood sugar which means it helps you avoid the problem that accompanies eating a large amount of food when your stomach is empty. It is bad not to eat when you are hungry, as it causes food cravings, hunger pains and drowsiness which might make you eat foods that have high sugar and fat contents.
- GET EIGHT HOURS OF SLEEP: Sleep helps get rid of stress hormones. It is good to have up to eight hours of sleep as it will help relax your body and make your body more equipped to get rid of stress hormones and then your metabolism is improved. It is good to take vitamin D3 supplement every day, it may help you get better sleep which will improve weight loss as well.
- TRY TO REDUCE BLOATING: Water helps to reduce bloating. Jeffrey Morrison who is a physician and founder of the Morrison Center in New York recommends sipping water as it eliminates teas likes dandelion or fennel. You can take a 500 milligram parsley capsule two times in a day.
- AVOID EATING LATE IN THE NIGHT: you should try not to eat two hours before you go to bed so as to give your body time to digest the food before sleeping, if you go to bed without having your food digested, it might lead to you not having a good sleep as you might feel full. And having a short time to sleep can disrupt your appetite. Also, taking drinks late at night is not good either, it affects your metabolism and hunger cravings. You might also retain extra fluid and the worst of it all is that you won’t burn any calorie or fat until your body cleanses itself of what so ever calorie in the cocktail you have consumed.
- FOCUS ON PROTEIN AND FIBER: Protein and Fiber stabilizes blood sugar levels. They also take longer to digest which makes you full and you don’t get hungry easily. Examples include: for breakfast- chia pudding with berries, for lunch- green salad with shrimp and for dinner- wild salmon with roasted cauliflower.
- DO EXERCISES: Do exercises but not excessively. If you take part in low-intensity exercises, you might burn calories but you might end up eating more and you might subconsciously move less throughout the day in order to conserve energy.
RECIPES TO BURN 5 POUNDS
To burn five pounds a week, you need to be able to eat fewer calories so you can weigh less. You should eat 1400 calorie a day for seven days alongside exercises that are not too strenuous.
For instance, for your breakfast, you can have:
- Berry Parfait and English Muffin
- Sunrise Waffles
- Cranberry Oatmeal
- BERRY PARFAIT AND ENGLISH MUFFIN: Get your ingredients which include: 4 ounces low fat blueberry yogurt, ½ cup strawberries, 1 tablespoon low-fat granola, ½ cup raspberries, ½ whole wheat English muffin, 2 teaspoon peanut butter.
How to prepare: Add 1 tablespoon low fat granola to the low fat blueberry yogurt, add ½ cup of slices strawberries, and then add more yogurt and granola to the bowl as well as ½ cup raspberries. When serving, add ½ whole wheat English Muffin and scoop 2 teaspoons of peanut butter on it.
- SUNRISE WAFFLES: Ingredients are; whole wheat waffles, 1 small banana, 1 tablespoon maple syrup and 1 cup of fat-free milk.
How to prepare: toast your whole wheat waffles and slice your banana, with that being done, add 1 tablespoon maple syrup and the sliced banana on top of the toasted whole-wheat waffles. Serve yourself alongside a cup of fat- free milk.
- CRANBERRY OATMEAL: Ingredients include: fat free milk, instant oatmeal, dried cranberries, and chopped walnuts.
How to prepare: pour the oatmeal into the bowl or pot; add 1 1/3 cups of fat-free milk, read the cooking directions written on the pack of the oatmeal and cook as directed. Then add 2 tablespoons dried cranberries and 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts.
Note: Each of these meals contains about 400 calories and you are expected to choose only one for breakfast.
For your lunch/dinner, you can have:
- TILAPIA AND RICE PILAF: Ingredients are: 1 teaspoon olive oil, 3 ounces tilapia fillet, black pepper, salt, ½ cup steamed sugar snappcas, ½ cup rice pilaf, 1 medium baked apple, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1/3 cup low fat vanilla ice-cream.
How to prepare: lit the cooker and switch to medium high heat, place your sauté pan on it and add 1 teaspoon olive oil till it becomes warm. Add salt and black pepper to a 3 ounce tilapia fillet. Put the seasoned tilapia fillet in the pan and cook well until it is done, and cook each side for 2-3 minutes. Place it somewhere, then cook ½ cup of rice pilaf together with ½ cup steamed sugar, snap peas. Dish with one medium baked apple and top it with cinnamon and 1 teaspoon brown sugar. To enjoy your meal, treat yourself with 1/3 cup low fat vanilla ice-cream.
- FROZEN ENTRÉE WITH LENTIL SOUP: Ingredients are; frozen entrée, ½ cup blueberries
How to prepare: Lit your cooker and heat up 300-calorie frozen entrée (you can add Kashi Lemongrass Coconut Chicken) and serve with already made lentil soup together with ½ cup blueberries
- GRILLED PORK WITH ASPARAGUS: Ingredients include; 1 teaspoon olive oil, 3 ounce pork chop, salt, black pepper, potatoes, sautéed asparagus, 1 teaspoon whipped butter, ½ cup of bell pepper strips, 2 tablespoons light ranch dressing, ½ cup fresh raspberries.
How to prepare: lit your cooker to a medium-high heat and place a sauté pan over it, pour 1 teaspoon olive oil till it gets warm. Add salt and black pepper to a 3 ounce pork chop to season it. Put the seasoned pork in the pan and cook each side for about 3-5 minutes or until it gets done. Then serve it with ½ cup mashed potatoes, 1 cup of sautéed asparagus with 1 teaspoon whipped butter on it, ½ cup bell pepper strips dressed with 2 tablespoon light ranch. You can have ½ cup fresh raspberries for more enjoyment.
- BEAN TORTILLA WITH GAZPACHO: ingredients are; 2 ounce wheat tortilla, ½ cup fat-free refried beans, shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, salsa, 2 tablespoon shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, ¼ avocado, readymade gazpacho, 1 ounce piece of dark chocolate.
How to prepare: place one 2 ounce wheat tortilla in a bowl, top it with ½ cup fat-free refried beans, sprinkle shredded lettuce, make sure the tomato is chopped, add it and slice ¼ avocados. You can have your meal with ½ gazpacho (ready-made) and a 1-ounce piece of dark chocolate.
- HUMMUS AND VEGGIE SANDWICH: Ingredients include; 2 slices of whole grain bread, ¼ cup hummus, baby salad greens, cucumber, red bell pepper. 1 cup minestrone soup, ½ cup grapes and 6 ounces low-fat fruit-flavored yogurt.
How to prepare: get the whole-grain bread, in between the two slices, put ¼ cup of hummus, add baby salad greens, slice the cucumber, and include it as well as red bell pepper. Eat with 1 cup minestrone soup, 6 ounces low-fat fruit-flavored yogurt and ½ cup grapes.
- KOREAN-STYLE STEAK FAJITAS: Ingredients are; 12 ounces lean flank steak, red bell peppers, ¼ cup salsa, 2 small onions, lettuce leaves and bowls of cilantro, radishes and scallions.
How to prepare: Gather your ingredients, 12 ounces lean flank steak, get trimmed visible fat and cut into 1/2inch wide strips, slice 2 red bell peppers, peel and slice 2 small onions and ¼ cup salsa, pour all in medium bowl, stir all the ingredients together and refrigerate for about 15minutes. Lit up the cooker to a medium high heat and put a grill pan on it and leave it to heat. While the pan is getting hot, remove the steak and vegetables from salsa by shaking salsa off, put away the salsa then pour the steak and vegetables in the pan, cook and stir them until the steak is fully cooked and the vegetables are very soft for about 7 minutes. In case the steak gets done before the vegetables, remove the steak from the pan. The steak and vegetables should be served on a platter, alongside a plate of lettuce leaves, well chopped radishes, bowls of cilantro and more salsa.