Rapid weight loss tips?

What’s the maximum amount of weight I can drop in a week or two without feeling completely wiped out or messing up my blood work?

Losing weight isn't just about starving yourself. It involves daily workouts, sweating through it, all that stuff. 😬

Austin Phillips3 said:How much weight can you actually drop in a week or two without feeling like complete garbage or—even worse—totally wrecking your bloodwork? I’m talking about losing the pounds without that soul-crushing lethargy where you can barely crawl out of bed, or dealing with some medical nightmare because your labs went sideways. Is there even a "safe" speed here, or are we all just playing Russian roulette with our metabolism?

Look, can we please stop acting like losing weight is just about starving yourself? Seriously, give me a break! It’s not some magical disappearing act where you just stop eating and hope for the best. That’s a recipe for disaster, not health. Real weight loss actually requires effort. We're talking daily workouts, pushing yourself until you're sweating through your shirt, getting your heart rate up—all that hard work. You have to earn it. If you think you can just sit on your couch, skip meals, and expect a transformation, you're kidding yourself. It takes sweat, discipline, and actual movement. Why is it so hard for people to grasp that simple concept? 😬

Man, let me tell you about this time I was stuck in the hospital about a year ago. I ended up dropping like 18 pounds in just ten days! Now, before anyone starts judging my "diet," let me get one thing straight: I wasn't starving myself. I ate whatever they put on my tray, but honestly? That food was absolutely pathetic. It wasn't even fit for human consumption! How am I supposed to recover when the meals taste like wet cardboard? Seriously, what are they thinking?
I spent the first two days living on nothing but tea. Just straight-up tea. Can you even imagine? I was basically running on caffeine and pure willpower while everyone else was out grabbing full meals. Honestly, it felt like some kind of weird, self-imposed survival test, though why I'd put myself through that kind of misery is anyone's guess!

Austin Phillips3 said:How much weight can you actually drop in a week or two without feeling like total garbage? I’m talking about losing it without that soul-crushing exhaustion or completely wrecking my blood work. Is there even a limit?

Losing weight isn't just about starving yourself. It’s about hitting the gym every single day, sweating your soul out, and actually putting in the work. You think you can just stop eating and call it a day? Please. Get real. 😬

4 kg in two weeks at Whole Foods. That’s the limit. After that, the weight loss hits a wall unless you’re cutting out all the fat.

From what I’ve been reading, experts say aiming for about two pounds a month is the way to go if you want to lose weight the healthy way. Apparently, if you try to crash diet too fast, there's a huge chance you'll just gain it all back—plus extra—once you're done... Personally, I don't think I could pull that off. I'm just not patient enough to wait that long to see any real results.

After taking a massive hit that basically killed my appetite overnight, I ended up dropping
about 13 pounds in just a few weeks. I haven't even gained it back because I’ve just kept
eating like a bird... plus, I've been staying active, obviously.
Honestly, I feel way too thin now, but what can you do? My appetite is just completely gone.

Just work out constantly and don't eat a thing—that’s my routine, and I’m pushing to hit exactly 81 pounds.

Maria Rogers63 said:Just work out constantly and stop eating—that’s my routine, and I’m aiming for exactly 81 pounds.

I really hope you're, like, incredibly tiny.
And I'm also hoping that when you say "don't eat," you actually mean just watch your portions a bit more. 😲

Honestly, crash dieting is a total dead end. It’s much better to lose maybe 5 to 9 pounds over a month (the kind of weight that actually stays off) than to drop 18 pounds in ten days only to gain it all back in the next twenty—leaving you right back where you started, or even worse. 😉)

A pound a week... you don't want to shock your system too much 🙂

Maria Rogers63 said:Just work out constantly and stop eating—that’s my routine, and I’m aiming for exactly 81 lbs.

And look where that mindset gets you... right into a discussion about eating disorders and anorexia.

Hm... I guess some people missed my point.

I have a deadline approaching where I need to hit a specific weight. Right now, I'm sitting at about 165 lbs, and I really need to be down to around 155 lbs.

No joke, though. My main concern is not losing muscle mass in the process. So, is there any way to drop—or rather, "sweat out"—those extra 10 pounds in just two weeks without feeling completely wiped out or crashing?

The fact that the weight will probably come right back later isn't actually an issue for me. 🙂

I mean, look... it feels a little awkward even bringing it up since everyone's body reacts differently to things... so you can take this with a grain of salt or whatever if you want.

Austin Phillips3 said:Huh... Guess some people just don't get what I'm asking.

I need to hit a specific weight by a certain date. Right now I'm sitting at about 165 lbs, but I need to be down to 155 lbs.

I'm not joking around here. And I definitely don't want to lose my muscle mass. So, is there any way to drop—or rather, "sweat out"—those extra 10 pounds in just two weeks without feeling like total garbage or crashing?

The fact that the weight comes back later is actually a plus in my book. 🙂

If you aren't joking, then what are you planning on burning? Your only option is losing muscle, which you already said you don't want.

Austin Phillips3 said:Hmm... I think a few people missed my point here.

I have a specific target weight I need to hit by a certain date. Right now, I’m sitting at about 165-167 lbs, and I really need to get down to 155 lbs.

The thing is, I don't have access to a gym, and I absolutely do not want to lose any muscle mass. So, is there any way I can drop those extra 10 or 11 pounds—basically just "sweating it out"—in two weeks without feeling like total garbage or losing all my energy?

Honestly, if the weight comes back later, I'm totally fine with that.🙂

But wait, if you aren't trying to lose muscle and you don't have a gym to work out in, what exactly are you planning to lose in those 5 pounds? Your bones??
If you go on a "crash diet" for two weeks, sure, you might drop 6 to 10 pounds, but most of that is going to be water weight and muscle tissue—there's no way around that. Plus, you're going to feel pretty drained; it's a massive shock to your system.
If you take it slow so you don't crash, you might manage to lose maybe 2 to 4 pounds. But again, I'm still confused—what's the goal of dropping that much weight so fast?
Just try shaving, grooming, and slimming down your silhouette instead. 😬

I’m guessing you’re training in some kind of combat sport, which is why you're looking to climb through all those different weight classes?

You might actually pull it off in a week or two if you push hard enough, but honestly, you'll probably end up in a complete coma by the end of it. My advice? Just learn to be okay with the weight class you've got.

jadetiger962 said:I'm guessing you're into some kind of combat sports, which is why you're trying to climb through all those different weight classes?

Yeah.

jadetiger962 said:You might pull it off in a week or two, maybe. But you’ll end up in a complete coma by the end of it. Honestly? My advice is just to accept that things are this hard for you.

I think I’ll give it a shot. If things start going south, I’ll just bail and go grab some burgers before the tournament starts. 😬

If you're straight-up fasting, you can drop a couple of pounds a week... especially if you're hitting the gym too.
In those first few days, I was actually losing like two pounds a day. It was honestly wild.

I eventually hit 125 lbs... and then things went south and I spiraled into anorexia... but now I’m back up to 165 lbs and I've totally pivoted to working out, staying active, playing sports... all that stuff... plus, my muscle mass is way bigger than my body fat right now.

Austin Phillips3 said:Hmm... I guess some people just didn't get what I was getting at.

So, basically—is there any way I can drop, or rather "sweat out," those extra 5 pounds in just two weeks without feeling like absolute garbage or dealing with that total exhaustion thing?

The fact that those pounds will probably come right back later is actually a good thing in my book. 🙂

Yeah. You can definitely shed water weight and mass in two weeks. It’s easy. You could even take diuretics to flush it all out.
But honestly, that is a guaranteed way to end up feeling completely wiped out.

I don't really know why you're even trying this, but if it isn't a huge deal to you, you might as well go for it.

That’s exactly how bodybuilders prep right before they hit the stage—they flush their system with diuretics and load up on potassium just to manipulate their levels. Then you see them all standing there, grinning for the cameras and flexing their muscles, when in reality, they’re probably one step away from a total physical collapse. It isn't just incredibly reckless; we're talking about stuff that can genuinely kill you.

Austin Phillips3 said:How many pounds can you actually drop in a week or two without feeling like total garbage? I’m talking about avoiding that nasty hit where you feel completely drained or, even worse, end up messing up your blood work...

Look, losing weight isn't just about starving yourself until you can't think straight... that's a rookie mistake. It actually involves hitting the gym every day, sweating your soul out, all that good stuff. You gotta put in the work... 😬

Walk through a preschool, pick up strep... then it sticks to you like glue while you're lying in bed, and that's when the real magic happens... You'll struggle just to swallow your own spit, let alone muster the strength to take your antibiotics a few times a day. Forget about eating, either. Give it five or six days and you’ll be down at least ten pounds easy... pure bliss... 🙂
Of course, I'm just messing with you... the real heavy hitters don't head out until later... in about two weeks, the heat breaks and we finally get that crisp air, right after Christmas and New Year's...

Emily Hayes said:I honestly hope you’re incredibly short.
And regarding this whole "don't eat" thing—it actually means eating less, right? 😲

Just an honest thought here: crash dieting is completely useless. Wouldn't it be better to lose maybe 10 or 15 pounds in a month—weight that actually stays off—rather than trying to drop 20 pounds in ten days only to gain it all back in the next twenty, potentially ending up right back where you started or even heavier? 😉 )

I'm not short. I'm about 5'5", and when people say "don't eat," they act like it means living on nothing but apples and cherry tomatoes.