How to lose 2 pounds a week? I know, I know, losing two pounds a week seems like nothing. Like a joke. Like air. Fairy dust. But it’s the realistic and healthy way to lose weight long-term and build good daily habits. And that’s what we need to focus on when it comes to weight loss and starting a healthy lifestyle.

I know the goal of losing 15 pounds in a week might sound more lucrative and like something you want to do when you’re overly ambitious and sick of where you are right now…but is it real? Don’t think so. Don’t think losing this much weight within a week is healthy either. Prove me wrong if you can and if you have to.

As my nephew likes to say: “Siri, show me a picture of dinosaur fossils”. Now, you show me a picture of a healthy person, who lost 15 pounds in a week and kept that weight off for more than a few months.

Accept Where You Are

As much as we don’t like where we are right now, we need to learn to stop looking for shortcuts. For ways to run away from reality as fast as possible and never look back. We need to start trusting and enjoying the process of getting a bit better every day.

One of my favorite quotes is: “Nature doesn’t hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” It’s a quote by Lao Tzu, a Chinese philosopher, who I don’t know much about, to be honest with you.

As uncomfortable as it is, accept where you are right now, make a plan to change what you don’t like and start working on that plan. When it comes to weight loss where are you disappointing yourself? What promises are you not keeping? What could you be doing better?

Accept that good things like getting to a healthy weight take time and effort. Not just one huge burst of effort within a week. One step at a time in the right direction can take you much further than the biggest jump you can take at once.

Think about it. If you lose 2 pounds each week, in about two months you’d have lost about 20 pounds. Two months is not a lot of time, but you can achieve so much when you use it the right way. Time is going to go by anyway, why not use it to lose the weight you’ve been struggling with for months, possibly even years?

The bonus of losing weight the healthy way, is that you will have the habits to continue living healthy, so you can keep the weight off. And even progress towards an even healthier, stronger you. To the person who you were truly meant to be.

If you gained some weight during the last two years and just can’t shut up about it (that’s me), isn’t it better to start the weight loss process right now where you are? Don’t run away. Develop healthy everyday habits towards losing weight and improving your health. Those habits will accumulate and you will eventually reach your fitness and weight loss goals and even surpass them.

How To Lose 2 Pounds A Week

Exactly how much weight you lose does depend on how lean you are to begin with and your metabolism. But two pounds a week is the healthy maximum you can expect to lose when you start incorporating these habits.

Now let’s get to the weight loss tips and habits that can help you lose 2 pounds a week!

1. Give Your Gut A Break

I love intermittent fasting. There’s something about it that I find so calming and strengthening at the same time. It truly feels this way. Because it can help with strengthening your discipline, your spirit and your body. And as a bonus, it’s a great way to lose weight when you need to and maintain a healthy body.

When you practice intermittent fasting, you’re giving your gut a break from digesting all the time while you’re awake. That break gives your gut and your body the chance to focus on deeper recovery, so you can actually heal from the inside and reduce chronic inflammation.

If intermittent fasting is not for you, you can also give your gut a break by spacing out your meals throughout the day. For example, instead of snacking all day long, have your three main meals 4-5 hours apart. This will give your body enough time to digest the food you enjoyed and then work on recovery on the cellular level. More than that, your blood sugar will stop going up and down – which is linked to weight gain and developing insulin resistance, all eventually leading to type 2 diabetes.

When you practice abstaining from food for more than 3 hours while you’re awake, you’re also giving your brain a break. A break from thinking about food all the time. We’ve got an over-indulgent culture right now and we’re obsessed with food, constantly wanting more and different.

When you give your gut and brain a break from food, you can actually focus your mind on something that you need to work on, something that brings you joy, peace, something that makes you happy you’re alive. Something other than food.

2. Cut Out The Fluff

Now, and I want to make it very clear: You can lose two pounds a week by cutting out 1000 calories a day and eating pizza for the other calories you got left. But. Don’t do that. Rather, than focusing on counting calories, focus on eating nutrient-dense low calorie foods like vegetables. Then add in the more calorie dense, also nutrient-packed foods like nuts, seeds, healthy oils, fish, protein and legumes.

While your body needs a break from food, it also needs nutrients. It needs them because they’re essential for basic things like breathing, walking, talking and just being. When you combine caloric restriction (which giving your gut a break and cutting out the fluff is all about) with the right amount of nutrients you can actually extend your lifespan and life quality (source)

Load on nutritious foods and cut out the fluff. The fake foods, but also the peanut butters, the chocolate, the rice cakes, the bread, the whole cup of quinoa on your plate…

Don’t twist my words, I’m not saying don’t eat quinoa, I’ve got so many quinoa recipes and it’s a healthy food to eat, but is it more nutritious than broccoli? It’s not.

It’s got way more calories, fewer vitamins, minerals, and healing phytochemicals. And, when it comes to health and weight loss we want that! Sure, sprinkle some quinoa over your salad, but don’t make it the base of your meals. Use vegetables as the base, add some spices and herbs, then throw in some seeds, nuts, grains, legumes, healthy fats and protein you enjoy. But let the bulk of what you eat be nutritious vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, kale, cabbage, radishes or arugula.

This way you will consume fewer calories and more nutrients, which will lead to, you guessed it: lower calorie intake and thus long-term weight loss.

3. Walk For At Least An Hour and A Half Every Day

You can count your steps too if you want to – do around 10,000 every day. I prefer to track time and spend at least one and a half hours walking outside. Briskly walking for the most part. It really helps clear my mind and move my body in a non-stressful way.

I read an article years ago that the epidemic of weight gain that we’re experiencing in recent years isn’t because we’ve started eating more all of a sudden, but because we’re not moving at all. Most of us have desk jobs and then, instead of moving – we sit in the car, then on the couch at home. It’s difficult to lose weight living this way.

So if you want to lose 2 pounds a week, do your steps every day and commit to doing the small things. Don’t put off taking out the trash, go fill up your water bottle, clean up your living room – do the small things right away. Be generous with the steps and the moves you make. You’ve got them for free and you need to spend more of them.

via @marta-wave

4. Twenty Minute Workout Is Better Than No Workout

So, we know it’s important to do strength training, right? Bones, muscles, everything seems to get stronger and better with it. If you don’t have time for the gym, don’t overthink it. Make a little exercise plan for the week, switching between abs, upper body and lower body every day. Commit to 20 minutes daily. Have one to two rest days as well.

Find some workouts that you can do at home using dumbbells, kettlebells, bands or even your own body. There are plenty of free workouts on Youtube that can help you lose weight and get leaner and you can do them from anywhere. Set those 20 minutes aside and go!

5. Drink Water.

Drink lots of water throughout the day to keep you energized and hydrated. Getting in enough water will also prevent cravings and help you avoid snacking. Which is essential when you’re trying to lose 2 pounds a week.

Once you’re hydrated, you might even discover that your headaches and other pains throughout the day have miraculously disappeared.

Plus, remember #3 – you will need to move your body to the bathroom more often. It’s a win win.

And that’s pretty much the most essential habits to focus on when it comes to weight loss. Don’t overcomplicate, don’t overthink, simply start somewhere. I recommend starting with two habits and adding more habits as the weeks progress and the new habits feel more natural to you. Within a few weeks, you should start seeing results and losing weight.

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More Healthy Habits & Recipes

I hope this article inspires you to take action, so you can see results (even if it’s “only” losing two pounds a week) and stay motivated on your path to a healthier body, mind and soul!

Now, if you need some ideas on how to eat and live healthier while you’re losing weight, check out these posts that can help you out!