How to Lose 5 Pounds in a Day: Facts That’ll Snap You Back to Reality

Weight loss is far from easy, but that isn’t to say that you can’t transform your physique. It’s not about breaking your back in the gym. Weight loss is about maintaining a calorie deficit, eating healthy meals, exercising regularly, and keeping a positive attitude.

If you’re the kind of person who wants it fast and wants it now, you may be interested in how to lose 5 pounds in a day. In this article, we’ll evaluate the best weight loss practices and discuss if you can truly lose 5 pounds in a day. We’ve compiled the latest research and commentary from health experts in this post, so keep reading.

Can You Lose 5 Pounds in a Day?

The idea of losing 5 pounds in a day seems quite realistic and achievable on paper. After all, you may think it will only require you to perform a killer workout, eat right, and burn more calories than you did before you embarked on this journey. Unfortunately, you cannot lose this many pounds in such a limited timeline, no matter how hard you try. 

Even if you incorporate practices such as intermittent fasting, the fact remains that you cannot lose 5 pounds in a day. It’s all because of the concept of calories. Calories are the unit of measurement that is used to determine how much energy you need to burn.

If you eat fewer calories, your body tends to burn more of its stored energy (much of which is fat). Let’s dive deeper into this concept. If you reduce your daily calorie intake from 2,000 to 1,500, you should theoretically end up losing approximately 1 pound a week (1). One pound is equivalent to about 0.5 kilograms. In light of this, you can see that it’s close to impossible to lose 5 pounds in 24 hours.

Experts acknowledge that a more realistic goal would be to lose 5 % of your current body weight over time (2). Ideally, you should stop trying to lose this much weight in a day and phase it out over several weeks to months, depending on how much weight that is for you. It means that if you weigh 180 pounds, your long-term goal would be to lose 5 % of this, which is 9 pounds. And as it is recommended to lose 1 pound a week, you should expect to drop 9 pounds over approximately 9 weeks. With this in mind, you’ll avoid disappointments and health complications.

How Much Weight Can You Safely Lose in a Day?

People hardly ever consider the safety aspect of weight loss, especially when they want to lose weight quickly.

A healthy weight loss pace is losing between 1 and 2 pounds within a week (3). The key here is that gradual weight loss can guarantee steady and sustainable results.

By looking at this information, you can see that losing 5 pounds in a day is incredibly unhealthy. The effects of such rapid and unhealthy weight loss range from muscle loss to an increased risk of gallstones to malnutrition (4).

When it comes to weight loss, progress is made by inches, not miles, so it’s much harder to track and a lot easier to give up. The BetterMe: Health Coaching app is your personal trainer, nutritionist, and support system all in one. Start using our app to stay on track and hold yourself accountable! 

Can You Lose 5 Pounds in a Week?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. The safe and healthy weight loss recommendation that’s recommended by experts is no more than one to two pounds a week (5). A target of 5 pounds is way over this recommended limit. Even if you were to focus on a very low-calorie diet, this still would be unlikely and very unhealthy.

One pound of fat has about 3,500 calories. So, if you were to lose 5 pounds, it would entail burning an extra 17,500 calories (5 pounds x 3,500 calories). To lose one pound, you would need to burn 500 extra calories each day within the week. To lose 5 pounds, it would mean burning an extra 2,500 calories every day (5 pounds x 500 calories).

Even if it were possible, this is incredibly dangerous and unhealthy. Again, you can only safely lose one to two pounds a week. This means that you can safely burn 3,500 to 7,000 extra calories in a week. 

Read more: How to Lose 35 Pounds in 2 Months, According to a Dietitian

How to Lose 5 Pounds Fast and Safe

As mentioned earlier, you can’t lose 5 pounds in 24 hours. Such rapid weight loss gimmicks will only jeopardize your health. Similarly, fad diets typically cause you to lose water weight instead of body fat. However, just because it’s not attainable in a day doesn’t mean that you can’t lose 5 pounds. It will simply take a little more time.

You can certainly make some lifestyle changes that can promote weight loss and help you drop those 5 pounds. For individualized recommendations, make sure to talk to a registered dietitian or health care provider. 

Again, it’s all about safe and healthy weight loss for sustainable results. Without further ado, some practices that can help you lose 5 pounds include:

Creating a Deficit of Your Daily Calories

Creating a calorie deficit involves consuming fewer calories than your body burns (6). For this process to promote weight loss, you need to remain consistent with this practice. However, the problem is that you may be consuming more calories than your body requires.

You’ll first need to estimate your required daily calorie intake. This varies from person to person, depending on factors such as age, height, weight, sex, physical activity, and body weight.

So, if you’re consuming calories similar to your friend who is also on a weight loss journey, stop and backtrack. You must first determine the calories your body requires to then count how many calories you’ll need to reduce in order to ensure weight loss. 

There are complicated equations for determining your energy needs, but the easiest way to do it is to use a free online calculator that does the math for you. 

For a healthy calorie deficit, experts recommend subtracting 500 calories from your daily calorie needs. For example, if you estimate that you need 2,200 calories per day to maintain your current weight, you should  aim for around 1,700 calories per day from your diet. 

Creating a Calorie Deficit

You can create a calorie deficit on any type of diet, but we suggest opting for a healthy balanced diet that includes a variety of foods from all food groups, unless you avoid a specific group (such as animal products) for personal, ethical, or religious reasons. When creating a calorie deficit, it helps to focus on foods that are nutrient-dense but low in calories. Such foods include fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, low-fat or fat-free dairy products, and healthy oils such as olive oil.

Here’s a low-calorie meal plan idea from the Medical News Today website (8):

Breakfast

• One medium slice of whole-wheat bread spread with two teaspoons of regular jelly, half a cup of shredded wheat with a cup of 1% fat milk, a three-quarter cup of orange juice, and one cup of regular coffee.

Lunch

• A roast beef sandwich prepared with medium slices of whole-wheat bread, two ounces of lean, unseasoned roast beef, one lettuce leaf, three slices of tomato, one teaspoon of low-calorie mayonnaise, one medium apple, and one cup of water.

Dinner

• Two ounces of salmon cooked in one and a half teaspoons of vegetable oil, three-quarters of a medium baked potato topped with one teaspoon of margarine, half a cup of green beans, half a cup of carrots, one small white dinner roll, one cup of unsweetened iced tea, and two cups of water.

Snack

• Two and a half cups of popcorn made with three-quarter teaspoons of margarine.

Here is another low-calorie diet plan idea:

Breakfast

• A three-quarter cup of hot whole-grain cereal, one small banana, and a calorie-free beverage.

Lunch

• Tossed salad (prepared with two cups of romaine lettuce, a quarter cup of onion, a quarter cup of mushrooms, one medium tomato, one hard-boiled egg, and half a cup of low-fat shredded cheddar cheese), one whole-wheat dinner roll, one and a half teaspoons of butter, half a cup of cubed pineapple, and a calorie-free drink. 

Dinner

• Three ounces of seared scallops in one teaspoon of olive oil, garlic mashed cauliflower potatoes, half a cup of beets, and a calorie-free beverage.

Snack

• Two plums and/or eight wheat crackers.

These are just low-calorie meal plan ideas to help you lose 5 pounds. Before you implement either, talk to your nutritionist to get their go-ahead.

How to Lose 5 Pounds in a Day with Fasting

Some people aim to lose 5 pounds by fasting to lose weight. You cannot lose 5 pounds in a day through fasting. This will only cause detrimental health effects. To lose 5 pounds, you can try intermittent fasting as it has been linked to promoting weight loss for some people.

Experts acknowledge that intermittent fasting may help with weight loss by helping you consume fewer calories overall (9). There are different intermittent fasting methods, all of which contain different fasting and feeding windows.

Some of the most popular ones include:

• Fasting for 12 hours daily
  This approach requires you to abstain from food consumption for a 12-hour window. During this period, your body is forced to burn stored fat into energy. The process is believed to encourage weight loss. 
• Fasting for 16 hours

This method is also known as the 16:8 method or the leangains diet. You’re required to fast for 16 hours and then eat during an 8-hour window. However, women are sometimes recommended to fast for 14 hours. 

The 16-hour fasting window should also lead your body to convert stored fat into energy, promoting fat loss. This method is more suitable and recommended for people who have tried fasting for 12 hours. However, you should talk to your healthcare provider first and it’s not safe for everyone.

• The 5:2 diet

This approach requires you to eat regularly for five days of the week, but drastically limits your calorie intake for the other two (nonconsecutive) days. This diet helps with weight loss as it helps you cut calories, which makes your body burn more fat.

• Alternate day fasting

This fasting method tends to have several variations. The first one entails complete avoidance of solid foods on the fasting days. However, in another variation, you can eat 500-calorie meals on the fasting days. As you’re consuming fewer calories than your body requires overall, your body burns extra fat for energy provision. This process can be effective for weight loss.

If you’re considering losing 5 pounds using any of these or another fasting method, remember to seek professional help. Some methods are extreme and may not be suitable if you have certain health conditions or are a beginner.

Exercising: How Can It Fast-Track Weight Loss?

You can also lose 5 pounds quickly and safely by incorporating exercise. This method allows you to maintain a healthy body weight and weight loss without compromising your health. For faster results, you’ll need to combine regular exercise with other lifestyle changes, such as a healthy, balanced, reduced-calorie diet.

It’s the fastest and best way to lose weight. For example, try to go on a calorie deficit and eat healthy while still exercising. Coupling all these factors will most likely help you shed those 5 pounds quickly and safely. 

The reasoning behind this is that your body gets to burn more calories due to increased activity levels. Remember that you’ve reduced the calories in your diet by going on a calorie deficit. Therefore, you’re further triggering your body to burn more calories.

To lose 5 pounds and maintain a healthy weight, you need to consider either moderate or vigorous physical activity. Moderate exercises entail activities such as walking and biking at a casual pace.

On the other hand, vigorous exercises include activities such as running, skipping rope, or cross-country skiing. Each exercise will burn different calories. 

The CDC acknowledges that you can burn the following calories through the following exercises (10):

1. Moderate-Intensity Level Exercises

If you weigh 154 pounds, you’re most likely to burn these calories when you perform these activities for 30 minutes:

• Dancing: 165 calories
• Hiking: 185 calories
• Bicycling at less than 10 mph: 145 calories
• Stretching: 90 calories
• Walking at 3.5 mph: 140 calories
• Weight lifting following a light workout: 110 calories

If you wish to free yourself from all the extra pounds that have been weighing you down for way too long, start using the BetterMe: Health Coaching app and overhaul your entire life!

2. High-Intensity Level Exercises

If you weigh 154 pounds and exercise using these activities for 30 minutes, you’ll burn the following calories:

• Running or jogging at 5 mph: 295 calories
• Swimming involving slow freestyle laps: 255 calories
• Aerobics: 240 calories
• Bicycling at a speed higher than 10 mph: 295 calories
• Walking at 4.5 mph: 230 calories
• Playing basketball: 220 calories

Remember that you’ll burn more calories if you increase your workout duration. So, if you were to increase your workout duration to one hour, the calories you burn would also increase. For example, doing vigorous aerobics for one hour will help you burn 480 calories. 

This is double the calories you would burn doing aerobics for 30 minutes. However, before you consider increasing your workout duration, make sure to talk to your fitness trainer. They will guide you and help you create a safe workout plan that meets your needs.

Read more: Lose 20 Pounds in 3 Months with These Science-Backed Tips

Focusing on Healthy Eating

Developing a healthy eating plan will also help you lose 5 pounds quickly and effortlessly. The key to eating healthy is not only eating within the recommended calorie allowance. It also involves portion control, eating mindfully, and eating foods from all food groups. So, take note of these elements for faster weight loss. Similarly, if you create a diet plan, make sure it meets the following criteria:

• Includes lean proteins 

  Lean proteins tend to reduce ghrelin levels (your hunger hormone) and increase your satiety. As a result, you eat fewer calories but your body burns more, which is the concept behind weight loss. Protein is also important to help maintain muscle mass while losing weight (11). 

• Emphasizes the use of healthy fats

Despite its bad rap, you do need fat in your diet. So, don’t cut out fat from your diet plan. Instead, focus on healthy fats and those with low saturated fat levels. They will reduce your risk of high cholesterol and promote weight loss (12). Examples include olive oil and other vegetable oils, avocados, and nuts.

• Emphasizes fruit and vegetable consumption

Most fruits and vegetables have low fat and calories and are filling (13). Therefore, they’ll help regulate the number of calories you consume.

• Advocates for healthy snacking

To lose 5 pounds safely and healthily, you’ll have to eat smart and healthy snacks. Most weight loss diet plans will accommodate either one or two snacks daily. Whatever the case is, the goal is to choose healthy snacks that have 100 calories or less. Here are some examples of healthy snacks you can consider:

• One medium-sized apple: 72 calories

• One cup of grapes: 100 calories

• One cup of carrots: 45 calories

• One cup of broccoli: 30 calories

• One cup of steamed green beans: 44 calories

• One cup of blueberries: 83 calories

• One cup of bell peppers: 30 calories

Talk to a dietitian if you need help creating a healthy weight loss diet plan. Their advice and help may help you sustain the meal plan, even after you lose these intended 5 pounds.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why did I lose 5 lbs overnight?

Losing 5 lbs overnight is typically due to water weight loss rather than fat loss. Factors such as changes in sodium intake, dehydration, sweating, or diuretics can lead to significant fluctuations in water retention. In addition, a low-carb diet can cause rapid water loss as glycogen stores are depleted, releasing water that is stored with glycogen.

• Is it possible to lose 5 pounds of water weight in a day?

Yes, it’s possible to lose 5 pounds of water weight in a day, but it’s probably not something to strive for. This can occur through various means, such as reducing carbohydrate intake, which depletes glycogen stores and the water bound to them. Increased physical activity leading to excessive sweating, or the use of saunas, can also contribute to quick water weight loss, which could result in dehydration if you don’t replace that water. Diuretics can cause the body to expel water, but this shouldn’t be done without medical supervision as it can lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.

• Will I lose weight if I only drink water for 5 days?

Drinking only water for five days, essentially fasting, will lead to weight loss primarily from water and glycogen depletion, along with some muscle loss. While fat loss can occur, it’s not the primary source of weight reduction during such a short period. This practice can be dangerous due to potential nutrient deficiencies, muscle loss, and metabolic disturbances. It’s important to consult a healthcare professional before you undertake any extreme dietary changes.

• How can I lose 1 pound in a day?

Losing 1 pound in a day is challenging and typically involves a combination of calorie reduction and increased physical activity. As a pound of fat is roughly equivalent to 3,500 calories, creating a deficit of this size in one day is neither advisable nor sustainable. However, you may lose water weight by reducing your sodium and carbohydrate intake, increasing your fluid intake, and exercising to induce sweating. For sustainable weight loss, you should aim for gradual changes in diet and exercise.

The Bottom Line

Most methods for losing 5 pounds in a day are, sadly, unsafe and unhealthy. Not only is it impossible to lose 5 pounds in 24 hours, it’s also incredibly dangerous to your health. Rather than looking for such methods, try to aim at losing 5 pounds gradually and healthily.

All it takes is to focus on a calorie deficit, exercise regularly, eat healthily, and perhaps, fast intermittently. These practices should help you lose 5 pounds gradually, safely, and healthily. Most importantly, remember to seek professional and medical help before you start any weight loss program.