How can I lose 70 pounds in 4 months? is a question that someone who hopes to lose a large amount of weight in a short time frame may be curious about.
With instant gratification being more common than ever and videos/stories of miraculous weight loss feats going viral, it’s no wonder why some people may be inclined to believe in the concept of quick weight loss.
But is a 70-pound weight loss in just 4 months really possible? If so, can such a drastic change be healthy for you and can it be sustainable in the long term? Let’s take a look at what it takes to achieve a 70-lb weight loss and what a realistic timeframe for this really is.
Absolutely not. Unless you’re doing this through surgery or another closely monitored medical intervention, there’s no safe way for you to try losing 70 pounds in 16 weeks through dietary changes and exercise. Here’s the most basic reason why this is not only impossible, but also incredibly unsafe.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, healthy weight loss is a slow and gradual process that should let you lose just 1 to 2 pounds a week and no more (1). This means that in a month, you should be losing anywhere between 4 and 8 pounds and in 4 months, you should lose anywhere between 16 and 32 pounds.
Aiming for a loss of 70 lbs in 4 months is more than double the highest number of lbs you can healthily lose during this period, something that is unrealistic, impossible, and incredibly dangerous to your health.
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If you’re still not convinced and want to push yourself into losing this much weight in such a short time period, you should note that while research states that rapid weight loss can be successful in the short term, it’s challenging to sustain and can lead to some unfortunate secondary effects.
These negative side effects of rapid weight loss include (2, 3)
These can include reduced immunity, dehydration, hormonal imbalance, reduced bone density and muscle strength, hyperthermia, reduced metabolism, reduced plasma and blood volume, and electrolyte imbalances
These can include nausea, vomiting, cramps, general weakness, fatigue, and in extreme cases, death.
You may feel mentally fatigued or experience mood swings such as increased irritability and anger, sleepiness, headaches, reduced vigor, cognition, and processing speed, and an increased risk of developing an eating disorder.
If you’re working out during this time, you may notice that you get tired/winded faster when exercising and during aerobic workouts in particular. If you’re lifting weights, you may also find that you’re unable to lift the same weights as before as they now feel too heavy for you. You may also realize that your myocardial efficiency and your maximum oxygen consumption have decreased.
If we go by the healthy weight loss estimate given by the CDC where you can shed 4 to 8 pounds in 1 month (1), then it should take you anywhere between 9 and 18 months to shed 70 pounds.
But why is there such a huge difference in the time taken to lose the same amount of weight? The truth is that weight loss in general is dependent on too many individual factors (some that are out of our control) that we cannot automatically give one blanket answer for everyone.
These factors include things such as your diet, genetics, amount of sleep you get per night, stress levels, intensity and consistency of physical activity, age, sex, and any medication you might be taking (4, 5, 6). All of these different factors are why two people who are looking to shed the same amount of pounds will most likely lose them at very varying rates.
Read more: Metabolic Weight Loss Program: How It Works
You should expect to lose anywhere between 16 and 32 pounds in 16 weeks (approximately 4 months). This estimate relies on the advice of the CDC for weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week (or 4 to 8 lbs in a month).
However, it’s important to remember that all the above-mentioned factors that affect weight loss must be considered. Therefore, if you notice you’re losing less weight than this, take a minute to look at each factor to see what may be causing the delay. You can also speak to a professional to try and pinpoint the potential underlying issue.
Not necessarily. When people experience loose skin after weight loss, it’s usually because they lost a large amount of weight in a relatively short time. What you need to understand is that your skin contains collagen and elastin – two types of protein that allow the skin to stretch.
The presence of these two proteins is why your skin doesn’t break and tear apart when you increase in weight and size. In such a situation, you stretch these collagen and elastin fibers (7). And if you lose weight too quickly, these fibers in the skin don’t get enough time to adjust their elasticity in order to shrink to fit your new smaller size. This then results in loose skin around the thighs, upper arms, abdomen, and other parts of the body.
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If you want to lose 70 pounds without harming yourself or your health and also manage to keep the weight off long-term, here are some tips you can follow:
If you’re not naturally a patient person, start practicing a patient mindset today. This will help you increase your ability to cope with things that take time and understand the fact that everything takes its own time to process.
As explained above, weight loss can’t be rushed and attempting to do so will only lead to negative side effects. By having a patient mindset, you’ll understand that the process of losing 70 pounds will take close to a year, if not a year and a half, to achieve.
However, just because it’s taking longer than you would have liked or anticipated, this doesn’t mean that the results are stalled.
The hard truth is that you can be patient all you want, but without consistency in doing all the right things to help with weight loss (listed below), the desired results won’t come. Patience and consistency go hand in hand with weight loss. Understand that and nothing will stand in your way.
Read more: I Want to Be Skinny: 6 Science-Backed Strategies for Fat Loss
Once your mindset is right, the next step is your food. This can be done in the following ways:
The first thing you’ll need to do is to get rid of most ultra-processed foods from your diet – clean out your fridge and pantry. These foods are high in added sugars, salt, and unhealthy fats that are likely to derail your plans (8, 9). Replace them with healthier, less processed versions or substitutions. For example, switch from white to whole-wheat bread and pasta. If you can’t afford to clean out your fridge and pantry all at once, don’t be afraid to start small. All that matters is that you’ve made the first step.
Studies agree that reducing your calorie intake is one of the main points that can help you shed those extra pounds. A good place to start is to cut 500 to 750 calories from your daily average calorie intake (10).
If you don’t know what your average calorie intake is, we suggest downloading the BetterMe App as it can help you track all the calories that you eat and drink in a day. Track all you normally eat and drink for about a week so you can get a clear view of what your daily food energy intake is like.
This is a good way to help you regulate your calorie intake and prevent overeating. A simple way to practice this is through mindful eating or simply getting smaller plates. You can also weigh or measure out your portion sizes for a while until you’re familiar enough to eyeball it.
Yes, to lose weight, you need to eat. Practicing portion control and watching your calorie intake doesn’t mean you should starve yourself. Failure to eat pushes the body into starvation mode where it holds on to fat instead of burning it as it believes that the lack of calorie intake means you’re starving and might die.
To better understand how not eating could affect your progress, check out our article on 14-day liquid diet weight loss results.
So make sure to eat. Do it at a healthy calorie deficit and consume a variety of healthy foods from all food groups. Your plate should be filled with whole grains, lean animal protein or plant protein, healthy fats, and lots of fruit and vegetables.
Avoid alcohol and sugary drinks and instead drink plenty of water and you’ll be set.
Yes, you need to sleep. Research has shown there to be an incredibly close correlation between failure to sleep enough/bad-quality sleep and weight gain and obesity (11, 12, 13). To prevent this, do everything you can to get at least 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep each night (14).
This is the final step, not the first as many people assume. Diet is the main tool behind weight loss for most people – exercise is an add-on. It’s an important add-on of course, but not the main point.
Are you wondering how to lose 2 pounds a week without exercise? This article sheds some light on whether this is possible.
There are many kinds of exercises you can choose from, but the easiest thing to do is to always make sure you engage in some kind of aerobic activity for 150 minutes per week and resistance training at least twice a week. This is the minimum and you can add to the duration of the workout session as you see fit and as your body allows.
If you’re unsure where to start, this 4-week workout plan for weight loss is a good place to start.
No, you can’t. If the average weight loss is 1 to 2 pounds per week, this means it will take you between 50 and 100 weeks to lose 100 pounds. This is roughly anywhere between 1 and 2 years. Yes, you can. As explained above, you can lose anywhere between 16 and 32 pounds in just 4 months. Depending on your weight loss goal, this may not be your final goal, but it’s an impressive step forward. As this is such a huge loss of weight, there’s no guarantee that you’ll fully avoid getting loose skin. However, choosing to lose weight gradually can help minimize how much loose skin you will have (if any) at the end of your journey. No, it’s not. If you’re consistently losing approximately 2 pounds a week, then it’s possible to lose this amount of weight in 6 months, but it will take effort and consistency.Frequently Asked Questions
Can you lose 100 pounds in 6 months?
Can you transform your body in 4 months?
Is it possible to lose 100 lbs without getting loose skin?
Is it unhealthy to lose 50 pounds in 6 months?
When it comes to ‘how to lose 70 pounds in 4 months’, the simple answer is that this is unrealistic. No safe amount of exercising or dieting will help you lose such a huge amount of weight in 16 weeks and manage to keep it off.
Rather than hoping to do this, you should manage your expectations, be realistic, and increase your time frame. This is the only way you’ll manage to lose weight the right way. By following the right healthy tips and tricks, you should manage to keep the weight off long after you’ve lost it.
Remember: weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint.
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