How much can I lose if I eat under 20 g of carbs for 4 days?

miainwonderland
miainwonderland Posts: 10 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello everyone.
I've been following a healthy lifestyle for a year now, and I've lost some weight.
The problem is, I binged for seven days in a row now, and I've gained A LOT. The thing is, I have this casting I need to go to in just 4 days, and I want to look my best. So I was thinking about staying under 20 g of carbs for these 4 days, without counting calories. I would also brisk walk for an hour every day and swim leisurely for half an hour.
What's THE MOST I can lose by doing that? I am aware that the weightloss is not going to be permanent and it will be only water, but that doesn't matter. I just need to look skinny on that day, that's it.

So, how much can I lose (I'm 5' 11', around 141 lbs after the binge) ? Is it possible to lose 8.8 lbs?
Thank you!
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Replies

  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
    you probably won't look any different after only 4 days. i'd say 2 pounds realistically because you're so small.
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
    The only thing that matters for weight loss, barring certain medical conditions, is the calorie total. Sorry to say, but low-carbing it isn't going to work. The good news is that I'm betting a lot of that weight is just water retention (3500 calories is one pound of weight), in which case eating less sodium and drinking lots of water will help.

    Also, is 132 lbs really healthy for someone who's 5'11"? That's my goal weight, and I'm half a foot shorter than you.
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
    low carbing DOES work, but it won't do much of anything in only 4 days, AND someone that doesn't have much of anything to lose.
  • brneydgrlie
    brneydgrlie Posts: 464 Member
    If you do this, and drink extra water, you may be able to drop close to 5 lbs. Almost 9 is probably not going to happen.
  • ChrisRN75495
    ChrisRN75495 Posts: 89
    Nothing does anything in four days. That's the whole point of this site and group of people.

    Your problem is binging for seven days. Stop that!

    A pound is 3500 calories. Twenty grams of carbohydrate is 80 calories. You can do the math.

    Here's how to lose weight:

    Don't buy the stuff you shouldn't eat, and don't run out to get it when you want it.

    Log every piece of food and every ounce of fluid you put into your mouth, every day. Do not exceed your daily goal.

    Get out and walk around, or run, or swim, or work out if that's your thing. Exceed your daily goal.

    Use the same kind of discipline for managing your body as you to do learn your lines. Although, frankly, if you are just now hunkering down to prepare for the casting call that's in four days, I guess I'd say, with no harm or insult intended.....

    Don't quit your day job.
  • Easywider
    Easywider Posts: 434 Member
    I'd say that's a ridiculous plan for starters. You're going to feel nauseous, withered, and drained by day 3. I've read journals that claim the human body needs between 50-80g's of carbs each day just for proper brain nourishment...let alone your daily activity. That's not to say carb cycling and keto dieting don't have their place in bodybuilding...but I'm relatively certain this doesn't fit your application.

    In the end: You'll lose some water weight and may 'feel' leaner...but I don't think you're going to yield the results you're looking for sadly. If you want to lose weight fast...Eat smart and burn more during the day.
  • beachlover317
    beachlover317 Posts: 2,848 Member
    Why don't you just do it and then let us know how that worked for you?
  • wamplerk
    wamplerk Posts: 2 Member
    I often have a low carb Monday after a big weekend and can lose as much as a 1.5 in a day. I know that it's not healthy long term, but it gives me incentive to get back on track. Eat high fiber carbs after that and you should make it!
  • sexforjaffacakes
    sexforjaffacakes Posts: 1,001 Member
    Just to answer your question, you can probably lose around 5lb.

    A pound is 3500 calories, I seriously doubt you binged enough in 7 days to put on 8 pounds.
    It will *mostly* be water weight.
    Keep your carbs as close to zero as you can, but DO watch your calories. Low carb will still make you fat if you eat like 3000 cals a day.

    Anyway, I would say in 4 days you could lose 3-8lb, but it will be water weight. Do what you need to do for your thing, but after that get back on the wagon and do things properly.

    And don't listen to all the people that are telling you you're going to die from lie 4 days of low carbs (low carbing is pretty safe in the long term, never mind 4 days), and the people telling you you can't lose anything in 4 days - of course you can! water weight comes off quickly and can make a huge difference. Also, if you lose like 2lb a week, you lose a pound every 3.5 days, so yes, actually, 4 days can make a difference in ACTUAL weight as well as water weight.

    Stop treating her like she's crazy, she said she knows it's water weight. And she didn't say "I'm gonna starve myself and work out for 1000000 hours for 4 days", she just said she's gonna cut down on carbs and do moderate exercise. Isn't that what a lot of us do anyway?
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    Stop treating her like she's crazy, she said she knows it's water weight. And she didn't say "I'm gonna starve myself and work out for 1000000 hours for 4 days", she just said she's gonna cut down on carbs and do moderate exercise. Isn't that what a lot of us do anyway?

    No.

    A lot of us when we binge get back to eating normally(Ie within our calorie goal), and drink extra water to help combat the water weight... and not go on a crazy crash diet.

    To OP:
    You can try it, but I doubt you'll get far with that low of carbs and not counting calories.

    Without knowing how much you are eating, you can still binge and thus gain more water weight instead of lose it.

    My suggestion, cut the low carb crap.. eat under your calorie goal for this site, drink extra water and watch sodium.
  • sexforjaffacakes
    sexforjaffacakes Posts: 1,001 Member
    Stop treating her like she's crazy, she said she knows it's water weight. And she didn't say "I'm gonna starve myself and work out for 1000000 hours for 4 days", she just said she's gonna cut down on carbs and do moderate exercise. Isn't that what a lot of us do anyway?

    No.

    A lot of us when we binge get back to eating normally(Ie within our calorie goal), and drink extra water to help combat the water weight... and not go on a crazy crash diet.

    No, I mean, plenty of people LIVE in a low carb diet. It's not a crazy crash diet, it's a lifestyle that many people choose to live. And live healthily.
    As far as I'm aware, all the paleo people aren't dropping dead - in fact some of the healthiest/fittest people on this site have been living on low carb plans for a while.

    Eating nothing but cabbage soup for like 4 days would be a crazy crash diet, maybe, but you're all treating her like she's anorexic or something for saying she's going to cut down on carbs for a few days. She's not starving herself or anything.

    And like it or not, low carb diets are a very very effective way to flush out water weight. 4 days of low carb is not what most would all a "crazy crash diet"

    But I agree that she should still count calories
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,386 MFP Moderator
    low carbing DOES work, but it won't do much of anything in only 4 days, AND someone that doesn't have much of anything to lose.

    Low carb does not have any better benefits long term short term you could come lose a few lbs more. The only difference is if you have hormone issues or have an issur like pcos.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    Eating low carb and getting moderate exercise for a few days is a "crazy crash diet"? Um... no. I'm not sure how much weight will come off - as you know it is going to be mostly water, it kind of depends on how much water you're retaining.

    The only concern I'd have is "carb flu". If you aren't used to low carb, suddenly starting it can cause some fogginess and lack of energy at first, in some people. If you are doing this for a casting call, you probably want to look and feel your best on that day.
  • pundas
    pundas Posts: 167 Member
    I wouldn't even bother. You are probably going to feel like absolute crap in 4 days for whatever you have to do. I would just eat healthy so you feel your absolute best for your thing in 4 days.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Given how thin you are? I'd say you'd like a couple of pounds of water.

    Consider what it does sound like though.

    You "binged" for 7 days straight (what YOU mean by binge we don't know).
    Now you're looking for get rid of it in 4 days.
  • LexyDB
    LexyDB Posts: 261
    Hello everyone.
    I've been following a healthy lifestyle for a year now, and I've lost some weight.
    The problem is, I binged for seven days in a row now, and I've gained A LOT. The thing is, I have this casting I need to go to in just 4 days, and I want to look my best. So I was thinking about staying under 20 g of carbs for these 4 days, without counting calories. I would also brisk walk for an hour every day and swim leisurely for half an hour.
    What's THE MOST I can lose by doing that? I am aware that the weightloss is not going to be permanent and it will be only water, but that doesn't matter. I just need to look skinny on that day, that's it.

    So, how much can I lose (I'm 5' 11', around 141 lbs after the binge) ? Is it possible to lose 8.8 lbs?
    Thank you!

    So you've binged and think that going to the opposite is going to undo the damage in a short space of time?

    Good luck with that and let us know when it hasn't worked.
  • gust1247
    gust1247 Posts: 23
    What you are talking about doing is like Atkins Induction phase, or a Ketogenic diet. When I tried this, I lost about 6 pounds in the first 4-5 days. But here is the deal. You just want to do it for 4 days, that's fine if that's what you want to do. But as soon as you start eating your carbs again, you WILL put all that weight back on, because most of the weight lost will have been water weight. Replenishing those glycogen stores will add weight back.
  • douglasmobbs
    douglasmobbs Posts: 563 Member
    141 lb is skinny for 5-11.
  • tbresina
    tbresina Posts: 558 Member
    141 lb is skinny for 5-11.

    Yeah, and skinny unfortunately does not always = healthy :frown:
  • Masharitos
    Masharitos Posts: 106
    My first week of keto, I lost 9lbs. I'm 5'6" and was 173 at the time. It's definitely water weight, but you feel much better. I didn't get keto flu, so I had no issue with consuming under 20g.

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