When most people decide to lose weight, they put a time frame on it. They want to get ready for bikini season or look their best for their wedding three months away. While it's good to have goals, it’s also important to be realistic.
Losing 50 pounds in a week isn't going to happen, and that juice fast might help you drop the weight quickly, but it isn't sustainable in the long term. If you truly want to lose weight, you need to be prepared to make some changes and be flexible.
Healthy Weight Loss
Healthy weight loss varies from person to person. This makes sense because everyone has a different metabolism, so they lose weight at different rates. With that said, a normal, healthy amount of weight loss tends to range from one to two pounds a week.
It can vary, with some people losing three to four pounds during the first week of their diet and then slowing down to around one to two pounds per week after that. Others may see things go in the opposite direction, losing one to pounds at first, and then more during the following weeks, once their metabolism wakes up and kicks into gear.
In addition to losing weight, you also need to focus on losing inches. If you decide to go on a diet and take up an exercise regimen, you may notice that you get thinner, and your clothes will fit better, but the numbers on the scale don't go down. This is because muscle weighs more than fat, and when you're exercising regularly, you'll begin to gain muscle mass where those fat cells previously were.
As a result, you'll see some results, even if the scale doesn't move much. With that said, if you want to lose 50 pounds, you'll see both the scale and your body change.
Don't Follow a Fad Diet
Fad diets, like living off of juices, drinking only cabbage juice, or avoiding entire food groups you need for energy (like protein and carbohydrates), are not designed to last. You could count your macros or follow the keto diet, which only cuts back on carbs, not eliminates them entirely, in order to lose weight, but those fad diets are bad news.
You might lose a lot of weight very quickly, but it isn't healthy or sustainable. Most people go back to their usual habits within weeks, gaining back any of the weight they lost. Instead, find a diet that's sustainable over the long term and stick with it. That, as well as starting an exercise regimen, is the best way to lose weight in a healthy manner.
Cut Back on the Calories
In general, the goal is to cut 3,500 calories out of your weekly diet. This amount, which comes to 500 calories per day that you're no longer eating, will, in most people, cause them to lose one pound per week.
If you balance that out with exercise, you might be able to increase that number to two pounds per week, but that depends on your metabolism, the type of exercise you're planning, and how your body responds to both dieting and exercise. After all, everyone is different.
While the thought of cutting out 500 calories per day may seem daunting, when you consider which foods consist of that amount, it makes sense.
For example, one cup of macaroni and cheese is around 480 calories, while a small order of fries and a single cheeseburger comes in at over 520. One plain bagel with a ton of cream cheese on it easily comes to around 500 calories, and large lattes from some of the most popular chains, complete with whipped cream and caramel sauce, can add up to over 500 calories as well.
If all you need to do is cut back on one snack or unhealthy lunch per day, substituting lower-calorie, better-for-you foods, this type of diet seems reasonable, doesn't it?
Exercise Counts as Well
There's a reason why people say that it's important to diet and exercise if they want to lose weight – exercising burns calories. This means that you don't necessarily need to cut your diet down by 500 calories per day. You can cut out 250 calories and then use your newfound exercise regimen to work off the other 250.
If you have less than an hour to work out per day, choose your exercises carefully. Jumping rope for 20 minutes straight will burn 250 calories, as will riding a bike (keep your speed at around 10 miles per hour) for 30 minutes.
Another option is bowling. Yes, you read that right. One hour of bowling will take care of 200 calories, more if you jump around when you bowl a strike. Speed walking for an hour and 30 minutes of jogging will both take care of 250 calories as well.
Now that you know how these fitness options measure up, it doesn't seem so daunting anymore, does it?
Keep Yourself From Feeling Overwhelmed
It's easy to get overwhelmed during the first few weeks of a new diet and exercise plan. You might be excited during that first day and then bummed out the next few as you adjust to not eating as many snacks as you previously had.
Finding time to exercise can also become daunting, especially if you have a busy schedule. Thankfully, there are a few things that you can do to stay on track during these initial weeks without feeling as though you're ready to give up.
Be Realistic
You aren't perfect, nor should you expect to be. If you berate yourself for every little slip-up, then you're more likely to give up on your new routine before it's really gotten off the ground. Instead, make room in your diet for the occasional snack of your choice, and realize that you don't actually have to give up all of the foods that you like. Cutting back might be just enough to meet that threshold of 500 fewer calories per day.
Weigh Yourself Once a Week
Nothing derails your progress like jumping on the scale a day after starting your diet only to realize that you gained a pound instead of losing one. That will make you feel as though you're doing all of this for nothing. Instead, weigh yourself the morning that you start your diet and exercise routine in order to give yourself a baseline to measure your progress against.
Then, weigh yourself exactly a week later, around the same time of day. Keep this up and weigh yourself once a week from that point forward. This will give you something to truly measure your progress.
Take Your Measurements Once a Month
Your measurements matter as well because you might be gaining muscle and burning fat but not seeing that on the scale. The day that you start your diet, measure yourself. Do the usual hips, waist, and bust measurements using a tape measure, and write them down.
Then, a month later, measure yourself again. You may see that you made progress by losing inches without the scale truly reflecting that weight loss. This will give you something to look forward to each month because those numbers may continue to change for the better and prove that your efforts are all worthwhile.
Losing 50 Pounds Is Doable
Now that you know what it takes to achieve a healthy amount of weight loss, it's time to answer the question: how long does it take to realistically lose 50 pounds? You can expect it to take around six months, more or less, depending on your metabolism, diet plans, and exercise regime.
As long as you watch what you eat, track your calories, and continue to work out regularly, then you'll lose that weight. Remember that it doesn't matter how long it takes – it matters how you feel throughout the process and how proud you'll be of yourself once you meet that goal.
Sources:
How To Lose 50 Pounds | Everyday Health
10 Behaviors For Healthy Weight Loss | Harvard Health Blog
How Long Does It Take A Person To Lose 50 Pounds? | Livestrong
About Author: Mario Mendias
