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How to lose 5 pounds in 2 weeks

Many people do not believe it’s possible. Some say that it’s possible but unhealthy. I say that based on my own experience it is possible and it is healthy. In this article I explain how to lose 5 pounds in 2 weeks by following just a few basic steps. 

The basic steps are as follows –

Ask yourself why you are doing it

Decide what your goal is and define it

Write down your target and tell others about it

Get your kit together

Do it

Ask yourself why you are doing it

Are you doing it for someone else? Did a thin guy said you should? Do you feel bad about yourself or are you doing it because a Doctor said you must ?

All of the above reasons are valid, but from my own experience all of the reasons above are demotivators.

I decided that I wanted to look good for my son’s upcoming wedding and increase my chances of living longer. I wanted it for me…..not for anyone else. ME!

Decide what your goal is and define it

You found this post by searching “How to lose 5 pounds in 2 weeks ?” so your goal is 5 pounds. However are you looking for a quick fix or are you looking for a long term change of lifestyle?

This is very important because to lose 5 pounds in 2 weeks is easy. To regain 5 pounds in 2 weeks is even easier.

The approaches to short term weight loss and long term weight loss are different.

“How to lose 5 pounds in 2 weeks?” – this is a short term weight loss goal that doesn’t consider what happens in week 4, 5, 6…..

“How to lose 5 pounds in 2 weeks, keep the weight off and feel much healthier?” – this is a long term goal that encompasses weight and fitness

Before you do anything more it is important to decide if 5 pounds in 2 weeks is really what you want to achieve.

Use a reputable Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator to determine how close you are to your ideal weight

US: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

UK: National Health Service

With this in mind I used the calculators and they told me that I was in the “obese” range so I decided that the long term approach was best for me.

Write down your target and tell others about it

Writing down your target and telling others is less important if you have decided on the short term approach, but it is really important if you have decided on the long term approach.

It is common that most of us can stay motivated for short periods such as 2-3 weeks so we don’t really need the support from others.

Staying motivated for longer periods is extremely difficult without the support of other people.

In my case I intended to change my life for the better. It was obvious to me that I could not lose 50 pounds without support from other people. So I informed everybody I spoke with – family, friends and work colleagues my starting weight and target weight.

My progress was regularly shared with anyone who was interested and I was overwhelmed by the moral support that came from everybody.

I wrote my target weight on a whiteboard – in public for all to see.

Get your kit together

In the 21st Century people seem to think that if they spend money they will be motivated to achieve a goal – eg….people think “I really don’t like gyms, but if I sign up for a 1 year gym membership then I will be forced to lose weight.” – Forget it!

There is absolutely no need to sign up for gym memberships and buy lots of fancy sportswear and sports gadgets. From my experience, irrespective of whether you have a short term or a long term goal the only things you really need are – 

  • Bathroom scales – $20 USD
  • Pencil and paper – $1
  • Pair of reasonable walking shoes – $70 USD

The “nice to have” things that I bought are – 

  • Whiteboard and tripod (used) – $30 USD
  • Garmin GPS watch – $200 USD

Do it

This is where your goal is important. People who have decided on the short term approach will set about achieving their goal differently to the people who are in it for the long term. Throughout the years I have done both so here are two different approaches

Short term approach

  • Cut out anything from your diet that you don’t really need – eg dairy products (milk, cream, butter, cheese), pasta, pizza, bread, bagels, croissants, muffins, soda, alcohol…..
  • Increase daily water intake (drink ~ 5-6 pints per day)
  • Weigh yourself each morning (immediately after getting out of bed)
  • Even without doing exercise I have found that by doing the above I was able to lose 5 pounds in 2 weeks. BUT…..
  • After the first week the body really starts to miss the things that have been removed from the diet so by the time the end of the second week has been reached and the 5 pounds goal has been met, the body is craving those foods so much that people generally celebrate their weight loss by going out for pizza and beer. Within 3-4 more weeks the 5 pounds are back again.

Long term approach

  • Think about the foods and liquids in your diet – paying particular attention to things like dairy products (milk, cream, butter, cheese), pasta, pizza, bread, bagels, croissants, muffins, soda, alcohol….
  • Ask yourself honestly if you are willing to cut out any of those foods and liquids for a period of time, if not then decide which ones you are willing to reduce your consumption of
  • In my case, I really enjoy eating honeycomb (every day), drinking milk (1 pint per day) and beer.
  • I decided that – 

Food

I would have honeycomb for breakfast on Wednesday and Sunday

I would stop drinking milk and only drink beer (1-2 cans) on Wednesday or Friday

Exercise

Exercise every single day was mandatory and I chose walking because I didn’t need any equipment and I could do it anywhere. My minimum daily goal was 1 ½ hours – 45 minutes before breakfast and 45 minutes in the evening. (Note: I was to embarrassed to walk during the day).

  • 1 hour before breakfast
  • 1 hour mid day 
  • 1 hour in the evening
  • Note: I decided that there was no reason to be embarrassed – after all I was making an effort to change my life for the better
  • Walking became my friend, my passion and my obsession – it changed my life. At the time of writing this article I have walked more than 3600 miles 
  • Weigh yourself each morning (after your first exercise block but before breakfast)
  • The actual weight value isn’t really important – maybe it’s less than yesterday, maybe it’s the same – it could even have increased. Don’t worry! As long as you keep up the exercise and restrict the intake of a few of your not so healthy foods you are guaranteed to lose weight over the long term
  • By following this approach there were many occasions when I lost 5 pounds or more in 2 weeks AND more importantly the weight loss has been sustainable.

Conclusion:

Just because you may not have succeeded before that doesn’t mean that you cannot succeed – you can! Weight loss is as easy or as complex as you want to make it. Losing 5 pounds in 2 weeks is possible – I am living proof. I went from 258 pounds to 208 pounds within 9 months AND I walked more than 3600 miles in that time period…and I feel great!

These simple steps can change your life as they changed mine.

Thanks for taking the time to read this post. If something I’ve said in this post has resonated with you then please leave a comment

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