Is it possible to lose a pound a day while staying healthy?

RHachicho

Not likely. There are some evil ways you can lose a lb a day short term. But they are ALL bad for your overall health and they all tend to come back. If you don't give your body time to adapt slowly it will snap back. Think of it like an elastic band. If you shock it quickly it will just pull tight but if you slowly stretch it over a long time it will adapt and become looser. It isn't just a matter of starving the system of energy you need to make fundamental changes to your metabolism to achieve lasting weight loss. And those take time .. period.

chelstakencharge

short answer: NO

MBrothers22

A true pound per day isn't going to happen. My last 30 days I have been losing about .533 pounds per day and THAT is a lot. Rounds to 3.7 pounds per week. Now I'm a large man so that's easier for me, 323 and 6 foot 2. I'm not starving my self either, about 2100-2200 calories per day.
Being a 190 pound female, it just isn't going to happen

MrGonzo05

You'll lose a fair amount of lean mass with this approach, and you'll feel fatigued even if you manage to sustain it.

kdeaux1959

No. Not in the long run. Losing more than 1-2 lbs per week means you are losing a larger than necessary amount of lean mass (which will mess with your metabolism)... Slower is better... Now, if you are talking 4 pounds total over 4 days? It is possible-- as one said, it may be mostly water weight, but you could do it. If it is 40 pounds over 40 days, that is a different story... not healthy at all.

Aaron_K123

Probably going to get hell for saying this so I am going to first say that no, you should not approach weight loss like that.

As to can you lose that much weight that fast while having good energy and not suffering at the end. Well, I did a 180 mile backpacking trip where I ate as much as I could reasonably carry for 14 days of travel in backcountry which amounted to 2500 calorie intake a day. My estimated TDEE was about 5000 so I was running a net -2500 daily loss roughly. The result was at the end of the trip I had lost 10 pounds although there was an immediate water rebound of about 3 pounds. Knowing what I was signing in for I had myself bodyfat tested before and after and my bodyfat loss matched exactly with my weight loss so I hadn't seemed to lose any significant lean mass during this time. That was 7 pounds in 14 days so a bit close to that and I honestly felt great. High energy, very high endurance. That is 0.5 pound a day which isn't 1 pound a day but its close.

I didn't do that to crash diet though, it just is what happens when you go on a long distance pack. Over time I put the weight back on of course. I do NOT think this is a good approach to weight loss for the purpose of weight loss though so I must stress that but I have to say from personal experience I don't think its utterly impossible.

Shropshire1959

One way I like to think about weight loss is this:

It took me about 10-15 years to get to the weight I am now. If it'll take me 1-2 years to clean up my act to lose that weight and learn a new lifestyle -- and make it sustainable, I think it's a total deal to be able to lose what I did to myself in this amount of time!

It's all about perspective.

Great way to think about it .. nice one.

Aaron_K123

Look, here is the thing. If you have a lot of weight to lose its because you have habits in your lifestyle that make or allow you to eat regularly at a suprlus of calories. If you want to lose weight and remain healthy and keep the weight off you need to change those behaviors. That takes time and repetition and discipline. A sustainable weightloss program where you take years to lose the weight will get you those sustainable behaviors, a crash diet where you burn yourself as hard as you can for a couple of weeks will not. It is a futile effort.

geebusuk

For you yes. For some, quite possibly most people.

But don't presume what will work for you will work for a random person.

Plenty of people go for the slow and steady to find they get tired of it and so on.

Of course, not suggesting going for the massive deficit the OP asked about is sensible.

troybsmith

YES!!!

It is possible, as I am currently doing it. I started by modifying my diet… no sugar, high protein, low carb, low fat. I have started exercising, although not regularly yet, because of the muscle soreness.

I started on August 17th, 2014, and my goal is to lose 90 pounds (1 pound per day for 90 days). I am on track as of today, September 4th, 2014, with a total weight loss of 20 lbs thus far.

I am a male. Starting weight 320 lbs. Height 6'2". Build = large, muscles, and fat (that's the part I'm trying to get rid of)

Current weight 300 lbs. and counting...

yopeeps025

YES!!!

It is possible, as I am currently doing it. I started by modifying my diet… no sugar, high protein, low carb, low fat. I have started exercising, although not regularly yet, because of the muscle soreness.

I started on August 17th, 2014, and my goal is to lose 90 pounds (1 pound per day for 90 days). I am on track as of today, September 4th, 2014, with a total weight loss of 20 lbs thus far.

I am a male. Starting weight 320 lbs. Height 6'2". Build = large, muscles, and fat (that's the part I'm trying to get rid of)

Current weight 300 lbs. and counting...

Your right not impossible to lose 90 pounds in 90 days. Let us know the results since everyone know what will happen. Also you starting weight is very high. OP is not so much. I might think your pound a day loss will probably slow down arpund 45-60 days and that is being nice.