If you lose up to 4 kilos in 1 week, you don’t just burn body fat. You also lose body fluid. This is because your insulin level drops and your body gets rid of the stored carbohydrate reserves. These carbohydrate reserves contain water.
Your carbohydrate reserves are between 300 and 500 grams in size. Another word for this stock is glycogen. Glycogen occurs during your digestion. Hereby carbohydrates are split into glycogen and glucose. You use glucose for direct energy such as the beating of your heart and you use glycogen for endurance sports such as running.
The glycogen reserves are therefore between 300 and 500 grams, but they exist for about three times as much water. That is 900 grams to 1.5 kilos in weight. And you can see that on the scales.
Okay, let’s look at the steps to get rid of those 4 pounds. The 7 steps below will help you lose 4 pounds in just 1 week.
1. Lose 4 kilos through fewer carbohydrates and more protein
Research shows that eating less carbohydrates from, for example, potatoes, bread, rice and pasta helps to lose weight. Research also shows that proteins contribute to weight reduction. Protein saturates and nourishes enormously, so you experience less hunger and therefore you are less likely to eat something (quickly) again.
Put vegetables, fish, eggs, lean meat, full-fat cheese, legumes, and beans on your menu for a week. Leave potatoes, bread and pasta for a week. For example, in the morning, eat a bowl of oatmeal, with soy milk or whole curd cheese with muesli.
2. Lose 4 kilos by eating fully and avoiding junk
Junk means junk in English. Junk food, therefore, means junk food. Unfortunately, this junk food is often available in sports canteens, station restorations, supermarkets and gas stations. Junk food is only made for one thing; sale.
Junk food actually only fills and it does not feed enough. Your blood sugar level usually rises, so that your insulin level also peaks. This is very bad because a lot of insulin ensures that your body stores more body fat.
An hour or two after eating junk food, you will feel hungry again. Then you are going to eat something again, with all its consequences.
Whole food, such as a whole tomato, a moot of salmon or a carrot will feed you. You eat less of it and you stay saturated for longer.
3. Take fewer calories
Losing 4 pounds in 1 week is only possible if you get fewer calories than you burn. It is therefore important to make your energy balance negative. Reducing calories on the nutrition side helps you with that.
The tips below help you to limit your calorie intake:
3.1 Awareness by weighing your meals
Weighing your food or counting calories can help you to become aware of what you put into your mouth every day. This can be quite confronting, but it works.
3.2 Do not snack
Less snacking and snacking naturally also helps with losing 4 pounds. Only eat during planned meals and if you really can’t do without a snack, eat something from raw nuts, dried fruit, carrot or celery sticks.
3.3 No dressings
Do not use dressings or herbs from a bag to season your food. These ‘convenience products’ usually contain a lot of calories, salt and certain E-numbers, so you tend to eat more.