Important note: Please advise your doctor before following any plan. Don’t follow the advice below if you are under 18.
People always ask: “How much weight can you lose in a week?” Well… to answer your question I have good news, awesome news, and bad news.
First onto the good news: YOU CAN LOSE A TON OF WEIGHT IN ONE WEEK
That’s right, you don’t have to be bound to the conventional wisdom of only losing 1 or 2 pounds a week. Extreme weight loss diets can definitely work, but only for a short period of time.
In fact, you can lose up to 15 pounds in one week if you do it correctly.
Now onto the awesome news: ALL THAT WEIGHT YOU LOSE WILL BE WATER AND FAT, NOT MUSCLE
Yup, you read that correctly, if you follow the methods at the end of this post, all the weight you lose during the week will be pure body fat. The conventional statement that losing more than 2 pounds per week leads to muscle, organ, and hair loss is absolute unicorn shit.
How do I know this? Because some awesome scientists from the American College Of Nutrition back in 1999, conducted a study, which tested 2 groups of people for 12 weeks.
One group only did traditional cardio, while the other group only did weight training. Both groups ate 800 calories a day. At the end of the study, both groups lost large amounts of weight, but the one that only did cardio lost large amounts of lean muscle mass, and the one that only did weight training didn’t lose any muscle mass at all.
So there you go, some hard hitting scientific facts that prove that you will not lose muscle during extreme dieting as long as you lift weights.
Note: And if you don’t have a gym membership or if you don’t have access to any weights, then doing a well-designed bodyweight program like Bodyweight Burn is your next best option.
And lastly, the bad news: YOU HAVE TO EAT VERY VERY LOW CALORIES
So yeah…. you have to eat a ridiculously low amount of calories to lose a lot of weight in a week. I’m talking along the lines of 800 calories a day.
The amount that would make any nutritionist hang themselves.
And now, onto the plan, but first, a picture of steaks:

The 2-step plan to lose the maximum amount of weight in a week
Please note that the following plan can be used by both men and woman.
And don’t do this plan if you’re under 18, you’re way too young to be eating such low calories.
I guarantee that if you follow the plan below, you will lose 10-15 pounds(water and fat) in one week:
1) For one week only, eat 800 calories per day.
2) Workout 2-3 times per week with weights. Make sure the weights are heavy and be sure to hit all body parts.
That’s all.
Some notes/tips about the above 2 steps:
- 800 calories is very little food, for any man, woman, or baby walrus. Because of this, I suggest that you only eat 1 meal per day a la Brad Pilon’s Eat Stop Eat. If you eat one 800 calorie meal per day, then you’ll at least feel somewhat satisfied, but if you split that up into 3 or even worse, 6 meals per day, then you’re not going to fare so well on this one week venture. Yes, this means that you will be fasting 24 hours every day for a whole week. Just remember, you will be burning fat, not muscle.
- Whenever possible, eat higher protein and eat foods with high water content such as fruits and soups. Also, drink lots of coffee and green tea, since they both tend to blunt hunger quite well.
- Stick with heavy compound exercises when in the gym. That means no curling and crunching, and if you even step foot on a treadmill, my dumbass radar will go off and I may have to kill you.
- If you can’t lift weights, then your next best option is to do some sort of bodyweight training. You know…exercises like squats, push-ups, lunges, pull-ups, sit-ups, etc..
- This is a mental game more than anything else. When you’re eating very few calories to lose weight faster, your mind starts playing tricks on you. Your stomach is gonna be grumbling more often. And there are gonna be times where you want nothing more than to self-sabotage yourself. Which is why the next point is so important.
- Above all, keep yourself distracted and out of the kitchen. If you’re constantly prancing around the kitchen and thinking about food, you’re going to fail. So keep yourself busy. Read a book, play some video games, take a nap, work on your tan, or shave your pubes. I don’t care. Just do something that doesn’t involve food.
- [EDIT 10/6/2014] I should also add that your protein intake needs to be HIGH. Like really high. In fact, the majority of your calories should probably come from protein, fruits, and veggies if you want this diet to be effective. The protein will help keep you full but more importantly also help maintain muscle.
Remember, this is only for one week
I just wanted remind you all, that this sort of extreme weight loss plan is only a temporary plan.
The results don’t have to be temporary, but the plan is. Please do not try and do this weight loss plan for more than a week.
Doing so is really going to mess with your head and you’ll most likely binge back to your original weight.
After one week, transition to a more moderate weight loss plan for the long haul.
I hope you guys now know how much weight you could lose in a week if went balls to the walls.
Want even better results? Take it to the next level with Fat Loss Boost
Many people have been asking me, “Can I do this for more than 7 days?”
Uh…
Yes and no.
Technically, you could eat 800 cals per day for a sustained period of time.
But sooner or later it’s gonna backfire on you.
If you want a more sustainable rapid fat loss plan…
Then I highly recommend checking out Fat Loss Boost.
This is a more long-term approach than the strategy I outlined in this blog post.
It’s a strategic rapid fat loss diet that works in 14 day cycles.
So you go hard on the diet for 14 days, lose a crap ton of weight, take a break, and repeat.
And the results from Fat Loss Boost are even better:
““I have been able to lose 10 pounds using this program. Starting weight 186. Weight this morning was 176.”
“I lost 12 lbs for my first attempt. Started at 201.7 and ended at 189.9. I am amazed!!! Thanks to everywhere for all the support and great hacks.”
“Ok people I’m done 😀. I hit 171.8 today, my goal was to break 172 on this round which was what I weighed almost ten years ago (lowest as an adult). That’s 30.2 lbs in just under 3 months.“
Pretty crazy, right?
Definitely give it a look if you want a realistic, yet challenging plan that burns fat faster than anything. you ever tried before.
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Questions? Like steak? Let me know down below.
I respond to (almost) every comment, which is pretty crazy considering there’s been over 3000 comments. Sigh…I need a hobby.


Hello. Sound great and am keen to try it but can you give a bit more info on the food you should eat or at least an example of one meal?
like a said – a lot of high protein foods (chicken and whey), fruits and veggies.
I been eating between 750 to 950 calories for a month. and I love how much skinnier I look! I agree with 800 calories a day but not one big meal. I could not do that. I eat 2 or 3 meals a day that way I am never hungry! even with 800 calories I drink a can of Pepsi to treat myself. and I’m still within 800 calories. I love how finallyim losing wight with not working out(:
I’m wanting to start this today. What type of things do you eat in a typical day?
Hi Sabrina
Just thought I will share some of the things I eat
For breakfast, I would have plain Probiotic yogurt and blueberries or one boiled egg. For lunch, I would have tuna mixed with red onions, chilli and lime and have it with roasted sweet potatoes (I love this by the way)
For dinner, I would go for seasoned grilled prawns or seasoned grilled chicken or grilled or steamed fish with onions, mixed veg, butter beans and have it with couscous or cauliflower rice. Remember, portions are very important. I have actually changed my dinner plate and now use a much smaller plate. I would also have 2 slices of water melon after dinner.
I snack on almond nuts, boiled peanuts, carrots, nectarine and grapes. Yes I eat these on a daily basis but in small portions and I am never hungry
.
This usually sums up to between 800 and 1000 calories
I have not had chocolate, biscuits, cakes sweets for two whole weeks and I notice I feel a lot more energised and alert.
I do a 40 mins walk a day, 5 days a week
Week 1, I lost 1.5 pounds. I was a little disappointed but kept going. I am in week two, just did my second weigh in and I have lost another 2.88 pounds. My goal is to lose 10 pounds in total so I have another 5.62 pounds to lose
Starting weight:136 pounds
Goal: 127 pounds
Lost so far: 4.38 pounds
To lose: 5.62 pounds
At this rate, I reckon I will reach my goal in 3 weeks or so
Hope this helps
Hey Christina,
How much weight have u lost doing this and what weight range are you in? And how do u feel in general? And what do u eat in a typical day? Do u think u could maintain this way of eating long term? 🙂 thanks
Has anyone succeeded with this? How many lbs did people actually lose?
Why exactly do you have to be over 18.. I mean would it really hurt that much?
because you’re too young and your body is developing.
I know this can work but I’m a little confused about the weight training. No curls? No crunches? What are your top recommendations?
not that curls and ab exercises are bad, but you’ll get the most “bang for your” buck if you focus on heavy compound lifts.
So if you’re supposed to eat only ONE 800 calorie meal a day, when do you propose this meal be eaten? Breakfast? Lunch? Dinner?
i recommend dinner.
unfortunately, it’s 800 calories in the entire day…that sucks…
Can I get my 800 calories from protein shakes or does it have to be solid food?
i recommend solid foods to help you feel fuller.
How many hours or mins can i work out for a week to lose weight? And can i eat whatever foods i want in portion by staying with the 800 calorie diet to lose 15 lbs or so?
read the article.
Does it matter what kind of food I eat? I just added it up and 12 pizza rolls and a pop tart is like 770 calories. Is that fine? Or do I need to eat healthier foods?
no it should be healthier foods.
I had a baby 11 weeks ago. I was always really tiny but gained 60 lbs during my pregnancy (no I was not eating for two). Is the weight you put on during pregnancy different? Right now I feel like I would have already lost it all because I have not been eating over 1000 cals:/day but it is definitely hanging around….just wondering because I have never had a “belly” before and it still looks like a have a small bump.
yes from what I’ve seen, baby weight seems to come off much quicker than normal weight.
54 male, 6’2. 190lbs. Would like to lose 20lbs. To a weight I was for years. Medication has made my weight go up and down until we found the right balance of meds.
I ate <700 today, with coffee, and feel ok. Sometimes I go way over, sometimes I don't eat-forget.
To me this seems like a better goal.
what would happen if I only had protein shakes and ate nothing else?
you need more nutrients, so try getting more fruits and veggies and I recommend eating whole foods.
Does it matter if you don’t just have one meal a day. I work 8-6, so I get really hungry around lunch. Normally I don’t get home till about 9 because I go to the gym after work. Could I have a small lunch and still be successful?
yes, but i find one meal is easier since you’re already dealing with such low calories.
What does a typical meal look like? I am LOST on this aspect — thanks!
something like a huge salad tons of chicken breasts and a zero to low cal dressing.
Thanks a lot!!
OK, I plan to stick with what I’ve been doing (today is day 3… in Europe so it’s already Monday here:) which is a huge salad with iceburg, arugula, kale for the greens and then a bit of celery, cucumber and tomato plus the 100g of chicken breast. I’m using a little olive oil and lemon juice + fresh pepper as dressing which is what I usually do anyway. 🙂 Yesterday I “cheated” and had both an apple and hard boiled egg but I still feel GREAT today and regardless of what happens, I am already seeing it in my face and feeling it in my clothes (I don’t own a scale). Thanks a lot for this! I’m thinking about moving on to 5:2 (which I just learned about thanks to your comment section) after this so I can lose more then maintain. Should be a ‘piece of cake’ (no pun intended, lol) since I plan to keep up the weights and start running again too (next week).
I’m enjoying your blog a lot and on this particular post, the comments are hilarious. 🙂
p.s Bugged you on Facebook but I suppose you didn’t see it anyway, so thanks for replying to my (probably too many comments) here. 🙂
Why is running such a bad thing? Does it really diminish the effectiveness of the plan or is it simply bordering on unsafe due to the low caloric intake?
it’s unnecessary when your cals are this low
So I understand that this method should not last more than a week but is it possible to repeat that week every month and a half or so?
no, I’d wait at least every 3 months or so.