The many promises to help you slim down in a blink of an eye are tempting. The same goes for the five-day diet plan to lose 10 pounds. But have you ever asked yourself what is it about these diets that makes them so effective?
A Diet That Offers A Rapid Weight Loss
Some of them are based on extreme calorie restrictions, others are simply ridiculous and ineffective. And while the first type of diet can actually help you slim down, the results that they give you are unsustainable.
Besides that, losing weight too fast can have some negative side effects, including irritability, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, constipation, hair and muscle loss, and more.
That said, when choosing which diet to follow try to stick to a healthy one that offers a gradual weight loss pace.
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Diets That Claim To Help You Lose 10 Pounds In 5 Days
There are hundreds of nutritional plans that claim to provide a quick result. Let’s take a quick look at the ones that promise to help you shed 10 pounds in less than a week:
- Cucumber diet
This is a mono-diet, meaning that you are only allowed to eat one type of food during the whole dieting course. It is focused on the consumption of cucumbers.
Although this vegetable is rich in water and fibre and low in calories, it fails to provide you with all the essential nutrients.
The cucumber diet is an unhealthy diet and it is not recommended by the experts.
- Apple diet
Like with a cucumber diet, an apple diet is a mono-diet and allows you to eat only apples for the whole five days. It is not nutritious enough and is not recommended by specialists.
- Water fast
Water fast requires you to abstain from any calories and allows you to only drink water.
It is followed by people for various reasons, including religious and moral beliefs. It can be safely followed short term, but it is not recommended for a long period of time.
Can You Burn Two Pounds Of Fat A Day?
Although the sky’s the limit when it comes to dreaming, if you are planning a real-life action that would help you reach your goals, you should be realistic.
Let’s take for instance a five-day diet plan to lose 10 pounds. Of course, the promise of shedding two pounds a day sounds alluring, but is that result safe and even possible?
This question can be answered with the help of simple maths.
To slim down, you need to burn more calories than you consume.
Since one pound of fat contains 3,500 calories, by aiming at shedding two pounds a day, you set a target of burning 7,000 calories a day.
According to the NHS, an average adult man should consume about 2,500 calories a day, and an average adult woman 2,000 calories.
As you can see, it is impossible to lose two pounds a day, unless you eat over 7,000 calories a day.
How Much Time Should You Workout To Burn 35,000 Calories In Five Days?
If you still think that it is possible to lose 10 pounds in five days by avoiding any calories and performing lots of exercises (which is extremely dangerous), let’s take a look at how much exercise you need to burn this amount of fat.
Since the number of calories you burn working out depends on such factors as your initial weight, age, sex, body composition, and others, let’s take, for example, an average 155-pound person (70kg), whose diet provides them with 2,325 calories a day.
If this person starves, they will have 4,675 calories left to burn with the help of exercise, to burn two pounds of fat a day.
Now, let’s look at how much time will that require for different types of exercise:
- Swimming – 649 minutes (10.8 hours)
- Running at a speed of 5mph – 487 minutes (8 hours)
- Moderate intensity calisthenics – 865 minutes (14 hours)
- General weightlifting – 1298 minutes (21 hours)
As you can see, it is impossible to lose 10 pounds in five days, unless you are extremely obese or are preparing for surgery. In such a case medical supervision is a must.
How Many Pounds Can You Safely Lose In Five Days?
Now, although quick weight loss sounds great, it will not bring you the desired result, since it may harm your health and cause weight regain.
What you need to aim for is a healthy result and a gradual weight loss pace.
It will not only ensure that you get enough vital nutrients from food, but also ensures a sustainable result.
According to mayoclinic.org, the recommended weight loss pace is 1-2 pounds (0.5-1 kg) a week. This result is reached with the help of a reduction in your daily caloric intake by 500-1,000 calories.
So, in 5 days you can expect to burn 2,500-5,000 calories, which is about 0.5-1 pound. If your goal is to shed 10 pounds, then you can expect a healthy and sustainable result in 5-10 weeks.
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Conclusion
It is extremely important to be able to set your priorities correctly. You need to always put your health first.
So, if you want to slim down and are trying to choose the right diet for you, focus on the ones that provide you with a gradual and safe weight loss.
Make sure your diet offers you all the vital nutrients and increase your levels of physical activity to boost your results.
Remember, that your nutritional plan should create an adequate caloric deficit.
Since the number of required calories varies individually, calculate your own caloric needs before cutting on calories. Before making any lifestyle changes, make sure to consult with a health professional.
DISCLAIMER:
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances.
It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind.
A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any medical conditions. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!
Photo:Shutterstock
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