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.
To my previous comment i will add that i am 19 years old and im about 6.0 feet
hey Keith so I wanted to ask if I’d lose 10-15 pounds if i used your plan. only thing is I’m not obese or anything,im like 140 pounds but not sure if it would still work and if I’d still lsoe that kuch weight in a week.
thanks
so I’m 25 year old, 143 pounds, and 5 feet 3 inches. I usually lift weights and eat healthy most of the time but I do need to loose a good amount stubborn fat, preferably soon or fast for certain personal reasons. Could I do this and, maybe not loose 15 pounds, but a good amount in this one week? Also, do you suggest not doing weight lifting more than 2-3 times a week while doing the 800 calorie diet for a week? could I continue doing weight lifting 5 times this week while doing a one 800 calorie meal a day?
yes you can def lose a good amount in a week.
If u lift 5x per week, it depends on the intensity of your lifting and volume used. If you do typical hardcore bodybuilder type workouts, then I would recommend cutting down to at least 4 workouts per week.
Hi im 16 years of age and I miss 5ft2 I’m about 83 kg and I want to loose NYC belly fat and leg fat and arm fat yeh anno a lot of fat but I want to do this very quickly does anybody have any advice and know how much Ill loose ? Thanks x
dont do this.
You’re 16 so you are still growing. I would focus more on eating healthier foods like fruits,veggies, lean meats.
I’m doing this and I’m on the 5th day. Good news is I saw weight drop off right away… after only two days I lost 3 pounds! Bad news is, I’ve only lost 3 pounds lol. Weighed myself this morning and I was the same weight as two days ago. Am I really going to achieve 10-15 pounds when I’ve only lost 3 by the fifth day?
Been counting calories religiously but I’ve been doing around 300 in the morning and 400 in the evening with a 100 calorie snack either in the middle of the day or before bed. Am I failing to lose weight because I’ve spread the calories out a bit instead of putting them all down in one 800 calorie dinner like suggested? I feel satisfied after 400-600 so 800 in one sitting seems excessive to me, plus I have to be active through the day to take care of my kids and the spread I’m using gives me more usable energy levels….but is the spread vs one meal the reason I’m not losing as much as I’d like?
what’s your starting weight? If you don’t have much weight to lose, it’s less likely you’ll hit the 10 pound mark. But 3 pounds still good. Don’t be discouraged if u dont lose 10 pounds. See this week as a “jump start” to a more long term weight loss journey.
My starting weight is 152. I’m about 5’10”. My goal weight is 125 or at least 135. I was 125 from age 12 to age 24ish. Then I gained 10lbs on a cruise that I never lost lol. I remained 135 till I had kids 3 years ago, and haven’t been that weight since….Anyway the way I see it 125-135 iseems healthy for my height. At least I’d be able to fit back into most of my clothes lol. My normal habits aren’t too bad and tend to maintain my weight but I want to maintain something healthy.
I’m going on day 6 now and have lost a total of 4 pounds. If this doesn’t get me to my goal I plan to transition to something like eat-stop-eat with an insanity workout 2xweek until I get down to my target. I like diets and fitness programs that are hard in short bursts but give me freedom otherwise.
Eat pure protein as one meal a day, do a set of what is really hard for you (weights) of a hundred for hands at least.
These comments/questions from people are HILARIOUS. lol we’re screwed as a society and the lack of common sense coupled with no brain mass.
i do it with love
Kate…..go and take your head for a shit…..go, do it now.
The saying goes along the lines of,
“There is no such thing as a stupid question”
So if you think people seeking answers to questions they are curious to find is in itself stupid, you’re a tool! 🙂
hey fatboy, be nice please.
Hi Keith, I’m currently on vacation(I’m in college) and have gained a massive amount of weight(20 pounds!!!!) after being force fed pasta from my mom and grandma. As I’m going back to college soon, I won’t have access to many good foods. Eggs, veggies and fruits are basically it. Would it be bad for my body if I only ate 3 eggs, veggies and a couple of fruits as my meal everyday? If it helps I’m 5’0, 141 pounds right now.
Sidenote: Aside from the last month, I intermittent fast for 15-18 hours(on weekends) and 21 hours on weekdays. How much more weight would I expect to lose from this?
Sorry if these questions have been asked before! Thank you for the helpful information!
i honestly wouldnt worry as much about how much weight u can lose vs simply doing what you did before you went on vacation.
During the week of this diet you mention leave out cardio and focus on weight training. So my question is, I set all day so at the end of the day or on my lunch break I like to go on 30mn-1hour casual walks almost everyday, would you consider this as being a bad idea? if I want to continue walking everyday on top of weight training should I just add like 100-200 more calories or do you think I should be fine since its not intense walking?
I am 74 kgs and 5’5 will it work?
you’ll lose weight faster, can’t promise 10-15 lbs tho
Hi Keith,
Firstly, thanks for the article. I’m a 22y.o female weighing 156lbs and I’m about 5ft3 in height. I’ve seen that some of the replies say the less you weigh the less you’ll lose using this plan, I’m at the end of my first day (and very hungry, lol) and am following all of your recommendations… How much would you say I can realistically lose during this week? Also, once I revert back to a normal (but healthy) diet at the end of the week, how much more could I lose in the two weeks that follow? I know you’re not a fortune teller but would be so grateful of your opinion 🙂
Also wondering if you could offer any advice on my normal diet? Recently my calorie intake goal has been 1500 per day. I have a Fitbit tracker but I don’t trust the “calories burned”, it says I’m burning over 2000 per day. Surely that can’t be right? I do cardio (usually on the elliptical) and lifting as often as I can, I usually manage an average of 4 days per week for 30-60mins and I walk everywhere I go…. Am I doing enough to reach calorific deficit?
realistically, like 5 pounds prob. Maybe more.
AFter that, like 1-1.5 per week.
But i wouldnt stress too much about the number on the scale and focus more on how you look and feel. Yes i know, sounds very hippy dippy, but scale weight just fluctuates too much and too many people get crazy emotional about it.
you’ll do fine eating like 1600 cals long term, even more if you start lifting weights.
I’m 5″3 and 170 pounds, fat yes i know. Would this work for me? I have sports after school and get more than 10k steps a day. How much do you think I would lose by doing this for the full 7 days
how old are you? If you are under 18 i dont suggest this. Actual amount I can’t really predict, close to 10 if im being conservative.
I’m 238lb. Does it matter what the 800 cal is. I know high protein but can I just have protein shakes of 800 calories plus loads of water ?? And what are compound weights ?
protein powder can help but i highly suggest you eat more whole foods like actual meat and veggies.
Compound exercises are exercises that work more than one muscle in your body like bench press (triceps, chest, shoulders), pullups (arms and back), squat (entire lower body).
Hello Keith! I am 6’3″, about 215-220 lbs. and I was just wondering 3 different things.
1) What would happen if I decided to just not consume calories at all, throughout the week?
2) Would it be beneficial to take a Vitamin and Mineral supplement, I currently take Centrum for Men?
3) Would it be possible to continue this diet for 2 weeks? I have done tried this diet before and failed, but I think that if I have a 2 week goal I would have more motivation. (I’m a long term goal kind of person)
Thank you for your response in advance.
1. Well, i can say you prob won’t die as long as you drink water. And that’s all I can say. Do not recommend.
2. It’s not gonna change the game for you. Minimal benefits. More of an insurance policy than anything, and not a great one.
3. Do not recommend.
I’m 209 pounds and I’m 6 feet tall. I do lots of exercise squat,abs especially really well. I am taking 800-900 calories per day. But the body weight not even reduces gradually. The physique frame has changed a lot. I used drink 2 beer in the weekend is that a problem.
so your body changed but scale didn’t go down? If true, that’s fine.
Hi! I’m 170 pounds, how much weight can I lose in a week??
Also thank you sooo much for the information!!!
depends. Most people lose at least 5 no matter where they start.