With a Master of Science in Dietetics and Exercise Science, 11 years of experience in fitness, and 5 years in nutrition, Hollee Mohni is a professional dedicated to improving individuals' health and confidence through sustainable habits.
The weight loss process can sometimes feel slow. It can feel like months of eating bland foods and boring workouts for mediocre results.
You don’t need expensive workout equipment, books, or magic pills to lose weight at a healthy rate. You only need morale, determination, and the right plan to shed those pounds. But can you lose 10 pounds in 2 days? Here’s what you need to know about losing 10 pounds in 2 days.
Unfortunately, losing 10 pounds in 2 days is not a safe or realistic goal. At best, you may lose several pounds of water weight, but you won’t lose a significant amount of fat in 2 days, regardless of your efforts.
There are around 3,500 calories in one pound of fat. Quick calculations will tell you that you would need to burn 35,000 calories to achieve a 10-pound weight loss.
A realistic, yet still challenging goal is to create a 1,000-calorie deficit per day. This means that in two days, you could only create a 2,000-calorie deficit, which doesn’t come remotely close to burning 35,000 calories in two days.
Can you lose 10 pounds in under 48 hours?
No, you cannot lose 10 pounds in 48 hours. Here’s another example to put this in perspective. This example is not safe, so don’t attempt to replicate it. An average woman needs 2,000 calories every day if she rests and eats nothing (7). So, if you don’t eat anything for 2 days, you’ll technically already have a 4,000-calorie deficit. This means you would lose just over one pound without eating anything for 48 hours.
Now, you need to make up for the remaining calories through exercise. And to lose another 9 pounds in 2 days, you would need to burn an additional 31,000 calories in 48 hours. To achieve that deficit, you could probably choose to run.
According to a table from the American Council on Exercise, a 120-pound person can burn 11.4 calories every minute when running (2). So, assuming you were to run for 10 minutes, you would lose 114 calories.
To burn the additional 31,000 calories in 48 hours, you would need to run for approximately 2,720 minutes, which equates to 45 hours. Therefore, to lose 10 pounds in 2 days, you would need to eat nothing, rest for only 3 hours, and run for 45 hours.
Math aside, you cannot sprint for 45 hours in just two days. Even if you’re an ultra-marathoner, this would be impossible. Therefore, it’s impossible to try to cut 10 pounds in under 48 hours. So, you should aim for other realistic goals such as losing 10 pounds in a month or even several months.
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If you want to shed pounds at a faster rate, here are some tips that can help you do it. Regardless of your timeline, healthy weight loss is 1-2 pounds per week. Keep this in mind when tackling your weight loss goals. Use these tips to help you get there (23).
Running on a treadmill or taking a walk will burn up to 300 calories in an hour.
You can also achieve your goals more quickly through resistance training and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). These exercises will help you maintain your muscle strength and mass as you lose some pounds.
Resistance exercises work by damaging and repairing muscle. Repaired muscle is bigger and stronger, which also means it requires more energy to function. This increases your metabolism when you’re at rest and helps burn more calories over time.
High-intensity exercises are another effective way to boost the pace of your weight loss. Researchers have found that 5 to 10 minutes of HIIT training has similar weight loss and health benefits as five times the amount of regular exercise. Just like resistance training, this will reduce your fat stores and boost your metabolism and fat-burning hormones (6).
Decreasing excess carbohydrate intake can go a long way to helping you lose weight.
Refined carbs have their grains stripped of the germ and bran content, which results in a final product with no fibers and inadequate nutrients. These carbohydrates have a higher glycemic index (GI), which makes your blood sugar levels spike and crash and results in hunger and cravings.
Research has shown that a diet with refined carbs is responsible for increased belly fat.
At the same time, a diet that is rich in complex carbohydrates and whole grains is associated with low body mass index (BMI), a smaller waist, and lesser body weight (9).
To get started, replace refined carbs foods such as pasta, white bread, and pastries with whole grains such as quinoa, oats, and brown rice.
Including protein in your diet is one of the most effective ways to improve your metabolism and reduce your appetite.
Several studies have shown that eating protein poses a lower risk of having belly fat (14). Furthermore, another study showed that protein intake can preserve your muscles when you’re losing weight.
Eating a lot of protein could also make you feel full for longer, thereby decreasing your appetite and reducing the number of calories you eat.
Here’s the amount of protein you should consume daily. Many factors determine how much of this you need. However, a normal person requires the following average quantities (13):
Healthy sources of proteins include:
Going to bed earlier than usual or waking up a little later could help prevent weight gain and boost your calorie-burning capacity. Several studies have shown a connection between weight loss and getting sufficient sleep.
One study included 68,183 female subjects. It found that those who slept for 5 hours or fewer every night for 16 years were more likely to gain weight. Those who slept for more than 7 hours every night were less likely to gain weight (1).
Another study found that getting 7 hours of sleep per night could increase the chances of weight loss by approximately 33%.
Scientists believe that a lack of sleep contributes to increased appetite, alterations in hunger hormones, poor decision-making (around food), and a high risk of obesity.
Although everyone needs to sleep for a different amount of hours, many studies have found that getting seven hours of sleep every night has the most benefits for weight loss (18).
To ensure you get enough sleep, don’t drink caffeine close to bedtime and minimize the use of electronic devices such as television, laptop, and phone before you go to bed.
Intermittent fasting is another method that can help you achieve your weight loss goals faster.
This type of fasting involves cycles of eating and fasting.
Researchers have found that this type of fasting can help enhance the pace of your fat loss.
One study showed that eating during an 8-hour window every day can help maintain muscle strength and mass and decrease fat mass when it is combined with weight lifting (5).
There are several types of intermittent fasting and popular types include the Warrior Diet, 16/8 method, 5:2 diet, and Eat-Stop-Eat. You should choose the variation that suits your lifestyle and schedule. The type that is most commonly recommended and researched is the 16/8 method, which includes a 16-hour fast with an 8-hour eating window.
Every weight loss journey is different from the others. Individual factors like the starting weight, BMI, and distinct contours of the body create an impact on appearance. Weight loss becomes noticeable at about a 2 – 5 percent reduction of body weight (22). This might be ten pounds for some people.
According to Sean Bettam from the University of Toronto, weight loss clearly impacts health and appearance. An 8 to 9-pound loss can become visible, especially on the face (11). A ten-pound loss may be quite visible for a person who is already at a low weight, such as 120 pounds. It represents around 10 percent of the overall body weight. On the other hand, a person weighing 250 pounds may not show vivid changes when they lose ten pounds.
It is essential to understand that the point of weight loss also matters. Losing ten pounds from the abdomen may be more visible than losing it from other body areas. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that even small changes, like losing just 5 percent of your weight, can improve health (10). This includes losing some fat around your belly.
Regardless of the circumstances, a ten-pound weight loss is a huge milestone. People who lose ten pounds and aren’t underweight may experience some positive changes in their lives, like improved energy levels, improvements in the way clothes fit, and fewer sick episodes.
Be cautious when trying to shed those pounds, as too much reduction can put your body under stress. We suggest counting macros for weight loss and having a solid plan at hand to hit the target weight on the scale!
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Ten pounds is a tremendous weight loss milestone. You may expect yourself to look much better if you lose ten pounds or more. This isn’t a baseless statement. Science-backed evidence shows people may consider you more attractive if you lose substantial weight.
A 2015 study followed participants who had a massive weight reduction (4). It was found that subjects looked more attractive. So, a drop in BMI can increase your physical appeal. Know that losing weight can potentially change the way your face looks. But, the extent of this change relies on factors like your genetics and body composition.
In general, losing weight can lead to a slimmer appearance, which can be noticed through your face. Fat loss from facial areas like cheeks and jawline can result in a more defined face. The degree of changes may not be as dramatic as with massive weight losses, and individual differences can affect how vivid these changes are.
Losing a whopping 10 pounds in 2 days may seem like a dream, but it isn’t practical for most people. Steady weight loss is considered to be 1-2 pounds per week, so losing 10 pounds may take 5-10 weeks or longer. The CDC suggests that if you want to lose weight, you should try to lose about 1 to 2 pounds weekly as this is a safe and healthy way to do it (10).
The bombardment of advertisements and unrealistic beauty standards may push some individuals toward an inferiority complex. The fact that you don’t look a certain way doesn’t mean you should force your body into severely unhealthy practices such as trying to lose 10 pounds in 2 days.
Rapid weight loss of this magnitude is not sustainable and can pose serious health risks. Most of the weight is likely to be water weight and not fat. This may cause extreme dehydration or electrolyte imbalances.
Are you still wondering how to lose 10 pounds in 2 days? Keep reading to learn about the problems you may face:
People who are trying to lose a massive number of pounds in a short period often do so because they want to fit into a specific dress or want to look great in an upcoming event. This desire compels them to choose unhealthy habits such as taking dietary supplements or extreme exercise plans. They may lose a few inches off their waistlines and the numbers on the scale may go down, but they will most likely return to their previous eating habits after depriving their bodies too much (20).
Losing weight too quickly may also affect the basal metabolic rate (BMR). This is the number that shows how many calories you burn while you’re resting. A less restrictive diet and a steady weight loss strategy may help keep the BMR under control (15).
Scientific evidence shows that more muscle and water weight loss is the result of rapid weight loss than slower methods. In a small study with 42 overweight or obese people, one group lost 5% of their body weight in 5 weeks by eating 1,000 to 1,500 fewer calories daily. Another group lost the same amount of weight in 15 weeks by cutting 500 to 750 calories daily (16).
The fact that you put on weight later may push you into another crash diet plan. This can lead you into a pattern of weight cycling that could take a toll on your physical and mental health (19).
Reading through these potential impacts of extreme weight loss makes it evident that steady weight loss is the way to go. Losing 10 pounds in 2 days is unattainable and unsafe for everyone. We strongly recommend that you aim for a steady weight loss plan that keeps you motivated and energetic and shows results in due time.
Although losing all the extra fat within a few days is tempting, you don’t have a magic wand. Anything that promises to help you lose weight within a week or a month is probably a scam. (16).
Losing weight too quickly can also backfire in the following ways:
Don’t opt for drastic measures unless you’ve consulted a healthcare professional. Structured guidance can help you understand the correlation between protein powder and weight loss and some of the best recipes to power through the days.
Read more: Counting Macros for Weight Loss: Pros, Cons, and How-To (A Beginner’s Guide)
Losing 20 pounds in a month is not safe. It often involves extreme calorie restriction or an aggressive exercise plan that can pose serious health risks. You should aim for a more moderate goal of 1-2 pounds per week, which can be achieved through a balanced diet and exercise.
You can always check out the best 24 weight-loss smoothies that could help you to hit your target weight without making you feel sluggish or sick.
You can’t burn 5,000 calories in a day. To increase the amount of calories you can safely burn in a day, you should focus on staying active and limiting your caloric intake. Try to move more and incorporate more physical activities such as taking the stairs and walking. Also, consume fewer calories to create a large caloric deficit.
Make sure you get enough rest and prioritize recovery, as excessive exercise without adequate rest can lead to fatigue, injury, and other health issues.
Achieving a flat tummy in two days is an unrealistic goal. Sustainable changes in body composition and the appearance of your stomach require time and consistency. Limit your intake of foods that are known to cause gas and bloating, such as beans, cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli and cabbage), and certain dairy products.
Following these tips may take some time to yield results. You should be consistent and incorporate sustainable lifestyle changes to ensure your overall health improves, together with a reduction in the size of your tummy.
It’s not possible or safe to lose 10 pounds in 2 days, as you need more time to achieve your 10-pound target. This could be several weeks or even months. Use the tips in this article to quicken the pace at which you lose weight.
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