Cut carbs, drink water, and lose the salty snacks!

Q: I have a special occasion where I want to lose some weight quickly, is it possible to lose 5 pounds in two days? If so, can you give me any tips to get the weight off quick?

-G. Crowe, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA


A: Yes, it is possible to lose 5 pounds in 2 days however; you must not imagine that you’re going to burn fat here. This information will help you find out how to get rid of those pounds, but you are only going to help your body eliminate the excess water, thus making you lighter. This diet plan will only help you lose water weight real fast only temporarily, so you need to incorporate a weight loss and exercise plan if you want to lose weight and keep it off forever.

This is what you need to do for the next 2 days in order to get rid of 5 pounds of water weight quickly:

1. Drink a lot of pure spring water or distilled water. I know it sounds strange but the more water you drink equals the less water weight you'll carry around. When you don't drink enough water (even when your body is a little dehydrated) your body will hold on to every single little drop of water it can to stay hydrated. If you drink plenty of water your body will have no problem getting rid of any excess water. You need to drink spring or distilled water because it has no salt in it and for the next 2 days you want to limit your salt intake (which makes the body retain water) so you can flush out excess water weight. Don’t drink your water all at once; try to drink water spread out during the day.
    
2. Restrict the salt consumption to zero, or next to zero. As mentioned above, salt acts like a water retainer, so if you want to get rid of the water in excess, you need to give up the salt. You can use salt replacements instead or spices can also help. You can also flush out excess salt and water by doing anything to make you sweat, the more the better. You could exercise by doing some workouts, go up and down stairs several times every couple of hours and wear warm clothes which would help you sweat. Sitting in a steam room for 10 minutes will get rid of excess salt/sodium.
    
3. Limit your carbohydrate consumption. Carbs are found in foods like cereals, bread, potatoes, pasta. Reduce them to a minimum, or eliminate them for the two days you need to lose the 5 pounds in. Carbohydrates retain water, so each pound of carbs stored in your body has about 3-5 pounds of water packed into it. If you don’t eat too many carbs for the next two days and let the carbs stored in your body burn up for energy; the 3-5 pounds of water that was packed in the carbs will vanish as well. The only carbs you should eat for the next 2-3 days should come only from fruits and vegetables. Everything else you eat should be high in protein and low in carbs.

Keep in mind that the number of pounds you’d lose depends on your previous lifestyle and on the water in excess you have accumulated in your body. If this amount of water is zero, you won’t manage to lose all the 5 pounds in a two day period, but if your body is retaining lots of water you may be successful in your attempt to lose 5 pounds in 2 days.

If you intend to extend your weight loss over a longer period of time, you could find it beneficial in keeping a food diary. There are many software programs that help with counting calories. Remember this diet is only good for a temporary fix and should not be carried out for any length of time. The best way to get the weight off and keep it off is to exercise (cardio and weight training), eat a balanced diet (everything in moderation), portion control and get plenty of rest.
 

949.292.1799 | 30555 Trabuco Canyon Rd. # 101, Trabuco Canyon, CA www.ShawnsStudioFitness.com