What Does Losing 10 Pounds In 5 Days Mean?
What if I told you there is a 5 day diet plan to lose 10 pounds, would you believe me? There are so many claims by different diets that promote quick weight loss. The question that most people ask is whether these diets are safe and healthy. Another concern is whether or not the weight loss is sustainable. Since everyone is very cautious with their weight, you will find diets that promise quick weight loss becoming very popular without proof if they are safe and recommended.
In this read, we shall look at examples of such diets, see if they are healthy or not and see what are the best ways to lose weight.
Different Meal Plans
Before we can look at the different meal plans that promise one to lose these many pounds in such a few days, it is important to know what losing 10 pounds in 5 days means. To lose weight, consume fewer calories than you burn. That creates a calorie deficit hence promotes weight loss. An average person consumes between 1200 calories and 3000 calories. 1200 calories being among the least calories a person consumes, and 3000 calories being among the most. 3500 calories are equal to 1 pound.
10 pounds are equal to 35000 calories. When you divide 35000 calories into 5 days, it means you need to be losing 7000 calories in a day. It is unhealthy to lose that many calories in a day, even if it was possible. For you to lose 7000 calories in a day, you need to be among the people who eat 7000 – 10000 calories a day. The only people known to come close to consuming those many calories in a day are sumo wrestlers.
When it comes to weight loss, a person is recommended to lose not more than 1 or 2 pounds in a week (5). This is a healthy number of pounds to lose, and it is very sustainable. To lose 1 pound in a week means you have to lose 500 calories in a day for 7 days. This way of losing weight does not promise false results or make you adopt eating habits that are not healthy.
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The Military Diet
This is a diet that is said to help one lose up to 10 pounds in a week. No one is sure where it got its name from, but people believe it is the diet that new military recruits are taken through in order to get into shape. The diet is based on 3 principles. These principles are (10):
- For the first 3 days of the diet, it only allows you to follow a certain food plan of foods in this diet.
- For the remaining 4 days of the week, you can eat anything you want as long as you don’t consume over 1500 calories.
- You are only supposed to follow the diet until you get to your weight goal and stop using it.
It is not necessarily required for one to work out while on this diet unless they are doing light exercises like walking. This brings a question of how is it the military diet if it does not encourage working out. In the military, people are always working out. That just shows the word military was used just to make the diet look credible. To add to that, no military has associated itself with this diet.
This diet is similar to most crash diets that go around. The likes of the banana only diet, the grapefruit only diet, and so on. It forces one to eat few calories without proper planning. Everyone knows you can’t just jump onto a diet and do it. The diet has to be one that would work for you. You need to have numbers like the total daily calories you take so you can know how many you need to reduce to get to your desired weight. The military diet has a meal plan for the first 3 days and you are only supposed to eat that during those days.
Read More: 7 Day Military Diet Plan: Understanding This Quick Fix Weight Loss Method
The Military Diet Meal Plan
Day One (10)
Breakfast
- ½ grapefruit (52 calories)
- 1 slice of toast (82 calories)
- 2 tablespoons of peanut butter (188 calories)
- 1 cup of black caffeinated coffee or caffeinated tea (5 calories)
Total Calories: 327
Lunch
- ½ cup of tuna (124 calories)
- 1 slice of toast (82 calories)
- 1 cup of black caffeinated coffee or caffeinated tea (5 calories)
Total Calories: 211
Dinner
- 3 ounces of any lean meat (140 calories)
- 1 cup of green beans (31 calories)
- 1 small apple (78 calories)
- 1 cup of vanilla ice cream (274 calories)
Total Calories: 523
Total Calories for Day One: 1061
Day Two
Breakfast
- 1 egg (78 calories)
- 1 slice of toast (82 calories)
- ½ banana (60 calories)
Total Calories: 220
Lunch
- 1 cup of cottage cheese (222 calories)
- 1 hard-boiled egg (78 calories)
- 5 saltine crackers (65 calories)
Total Calories: 365
Dinner
- 2 plain hot dogs (302 calories)
- 1 cup broccoli (30 calories)
- ½ cup of carrots (26 calories)
- ½ banana (60 calories)
- ½ cup vanilla ice cream (137 calories)
Total Calories: 555
Total Calories for Day Two: 1140
Day Three
Breakfast
- 5 saltine crackers (65 calories)
- 1 slice of cheddar cheese (113 calories)
- 1 small apple (78 calories)
Total Calories: 256
Lunch
- 1 egg (cooked however you like) (78 calories)
- 1 slice of toast (82 calories)
Total Calories: 160
Dinner
- 1 cup of tuna (248 calories)
- ½ banana (60 calories)
- 1 cup of vanilla ice cream (274 calories)
Total Calories: 582
Total Calories for Day Three: 998
After you are done with that diet, you are allowed to eat whatever you want for the next 4 days as long as it is under 1500 calories.
Different people have different theories as to why those specific foods were chosen Some believe that those particular foods boost one’s metabolism while others believe that those foods were chosen because they help minimize hunger and cravings.
People like this diet because it promotes fast weight loss. The fact that it is only restrictive for the first 3 days is also another reason it is liked by many.
Does It Really Promote Weight Loss?
Yes, it does. The fact that you are eating fewer calories than you are burning means there will be a calorie deficit, hence weight loss (10).
Does It Deliver On One Losing 10 Pounds In A Week?
There is no proof that it has done this. Losing weight depends on certain things like one’s age, gender, current weight, height and many others. It is, for this reason, some people can lose many calories faster and others cannot. It is easy to lose so many pounds if you were obese. Most of this weight is water weight and more on that will be highlighted later in this read.
5-Day Diet Plan To Lose 10 Pounds: The 5 Day Apple Diet
This is another diet that promises one to lose 10 pounds in a week. It is a low-calorie diet whose main food is apples (1). People believe that eating meals that consist of apples promote weight loss. Apples are believed to promote weight loss by making one feel fuller and also by decreasing the hunger pangs, hence being able to promote weight loss. People on this diet eat approximately 1200 calories in a day.
Although this diet might have meals that are only composed of apples, other times it includes lean proteins, whole grains and even vegetables to the food plan (1). Processed foods, junk foods and fast foods are not allowed in this diet.
Does This Diet Promote Weight Loss?
Yes, it does. This diet is known to promote weight loss in different ways. The first way is from the fact that apples are low-calorie foods (1). This means you will consume fewer calories than you burn leading to weight loss. The apples are also rich in fiber. Foods rich in fiber have a filling effect, this makes one feel full for longer (1). This reduces the amount of food you consume, hence resulting in you consuming fewer calories hence weight loss.
Does It Deliver On One Losing 10 Pounds In A Week?
Although this diet is said to promote weight-loss, there is no evidence to support that it can indeed promote a weight loss of 10 pounds in a week.
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Water Weight
When one is able to lose many calories at a short time, most of the weight they lose is not fat but water weight. This is mostly the case with overweight and obese people. Water weight is when fluids collect in your tissues and make them swell (2). This causes an uncomfortable feeling and can make one’s body bloat. Water weight is also known as edema, and it is when your body retains water and fluid that would in normal cases go to the kidney. These water levels can make a person’s weight fluctuate by 2 to 4 pounds in a day (7). This is a reason you would see a person that has lost as many as 10 pounds in a week.
Causes Of Water Weight
Water weight can caused by (2):
- Salt and carbs. Too much salt in one’s diet is known to cause water weight. Carbs also cause water weight, especially if you had restricted them for a while. This is one of the reasons people regain most of the weight they lost when on a diet once they go back to their normal eating habits.
- Menstruation. Women are known to retain water weight a week prior to their periods. This is because of the fluctuating hormones.
- Pregnancy. This is another thing that can make you gain weight, especially when you are close to your due date.
Those are some things that cause water weight.
Risks Associated With Rapid Weight Loss
Is summer almost here? Is prom almost here and your dress can’t fit you? When this is the case, you will find people going for crash diets to lose as much weight as possible under a short period of time. A 5-day diet plan to lose 10 pounds is an example of a crash diet that you would find people trying. Are there any risks associated with rapid weight?
As mentioned earlier, the recommended weight a person should lose is 1 to 2 pounds in a week. To lose 1 pound in a week, you only need to reduce your daily calorie intake by 500 calories every day. This is easily achievable. Since we live in the current generation, people want to be 100 pounds last week and 60 pounds by next week. Rapid weight loss as appetizing as the idea might be, it causes certain risks. These risks include (9):
Gallstones
This occurs to almost a quarter of the people who lose a large number of pounds over a short period (9).
Dehydration
This is another side effect that is associated with fast weight loss. It can, however, be avoided if you drink plenty of water (9).
Malnutrition
This is a likely side effect. When you adopt most crash diets like the apple only diet, you will miss important nutrients due to not eating certain foods. This can be problematic to your health.
Other side effects of fast weight loss are headaches, irritability, fatigue, dizziness, constipation, hair loss and muscle loss (4).
Read More: Unhealthy Weight Loss Can Undermine Your Health! Learn Safe Ways To Shed Pounds
Healthy Ways To Lose Weight
With that said, there are healthy ways in which a person can lose weight. These ways are:
Restricting Your Calorie Intake
This is the most proven way one can lose weight effectively (8). To do this, you need to know your total calorie intake every day. From that number, you need to reduce the number of calories by 500 calories every day. This creates a calorie deficit hence leading to weight. Using this plan, you will lose approximately a pound every week while still being healthy.
Reducing The Amount Of Carbs You Take
Low-carb diets are known to promote weight loss. On a low-carb diet, you look to reduce the amount of carbs you take in a day and increase the amount of proteins you take. Reducing your calories can also help reduce water weight and bloating as mentioned earlier. You can add to the weight losing effect by increasing your protein intake as you reduce your carb intake. Proteins make you feel full and reduce your appetite, this helps reduce the amount of calories you take (6). Proteins also require more calories to burn compared to the macros. This also helps in this weight loss journey.
A study to prove a low-carbohydrate diet is more effective in reducing body weight than healthy eating in both diabetic and non-diabetic subjects was done (3). The study went ahead to show low-carb diets are very effective for weight loss.
Working Out
For one to lose weight, they have to change their lifestyle. This means changing your eating habits as well as working out. Exercises help one burn fat (11). This does not mean you should only work out in the gym and you are okay. You should try to be as active as possible in your day-to-day activities. Cardio is very effective for weight loss. Strength training helps convert fat mass into muscles. Muscles have a higher resting metabolism, which works to promote weight loss.
The Bottom Line
Although a 5 day diet plan to lose 10 pounds might sound like a good thing, it is important to note a person cannot be able to lose those many pounds in such a short period of time. Besides that, any diet that promises this kind of weight loss should not even be considered as it might cause great harm to a person. Before you start any new diet, it is recommended for you to first consult an expert before you jump into the diet.
DISCLAIMER:
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any medical conditions. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!
SOURCES:
- 5 Day Apple Diet Plan to Lose 10 Pounds in a Week (2020, fitwirr.com)
- 8 Things That Can Make You Gain Water Weight (2018, health.com)
- A low-carbohydrate diet is more effective in reducing body weight than healthy eating in both diabetic and non-diabetic subjects (2007, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- How long will it take me to lose 10 pounds? (2018, medicalnewstoday.com)
- How to Lose 10 Pounds in One Week (2020, wikihow.com)
- How to Lose 10 Pounds in Just 1 Week (2016, healthline.com)
- How to lose water weight naturally (2018, medicalnewstoday.com)
- Lose Weight Fast: How Quickly Can You Lose 10 Pounds Safely? (2018, cheatsheet.com)
- Rapid Weight Loss (n.d., webmd.com)
- The Military Diet: What 25 Studies Say About Losing 10 Pounds in 7 Days (n.d., legionathletics.com)
- Weight loss: Lose 10 pounds in one week with this simple at home fitness workout (2019, express.co.uk)
