How to Lose Weight in 2 Days

Co-authored by Alyssa Chang

Last Updated: October 16, 2024 Fact Checked

There are a variety of reasons people may want to lose a little weight very quickly. You might have a beach vacation coming up or a special event. Although it's not possible to lose large amounts of weight quickly, losing one to two pounds may be reasonable.^{[1]
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American Heart Association
Leading nonprofit that funds medical research and public education

Go to source} In addition, there are changes you can make to your diet that can help you lose any excess water weight. This may help decrease any bloating and help you feel more trim. A carefully restricted diet, exercise, and some lifestyle changes can help you lose weight and feel better and ready for your event.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Designing a Two-Day Diet

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1
Limit carbohydrates. An easy way to drop weight and decrease water retention is to limit the amount of carbohydrate-rich foods you consume each day.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Alyssa Chang
Nutrition Coach

Expert Interview. 16 October 2019.} Studies have shown that carbohydrates hold on to several water molecules in your body which may cause weight gain or bloating.
- Carbohydrates are found in many different foods including: dairy products, grains, fruits, starchy vegetables, and legumes.
- It's not advisable to cut out each one of these foods. Limit them in general and focus on cutting out the carbohydrates that are not as nutrient dense. For example, consume carbohydrates from vegetables and dairy rather than fruits and grains. Both vegetables and dairy products contain many essential nutrients to your diet.
- This is the quickest way to see a reduction in weight, bloating, and overall size of the abdominal area.
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Focus mostly on protein and vegetables. When you're monitoring both calories and carbohydrates, you'll need to make most of your meals or snacks. Try a lean protein and a non-starchy vegetable.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Alyssa Chang
Nutrition Coach

Expert Interview. 16 October 2019.}
- Protein and non-starchy vegetables make up an invaluable part of your diet. It's not healthy or smart to limit either of these foods. Include both in each meal and snack.
- Low-carb, higher-protein and vegetable meal ideas include: scrambled eggs with cheese and spinach, a kale salad will grilled salmon, chicken stir fry with peppers, onions and snap peas, a fat-free greek yogurt with almonds, or two hard boiled eggs.
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3
Cut out gas-producing vegetables. Cutting out certain types of vegetables that produce gas does not help you lose weight, but can limit bloating.
- Typical gas-producing vegetables include: beans, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and onions.^{[4]
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  Johns Hopkins Medicine
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- Stick to less fibrous veggies like: green beans, peppers, eggplants, beets, carrots, artichokes, tomatoes, mushrooms, or cucumbers.
4
Eat less salt. Salt can cause you to retain water and increase your weight and make bloating worse. Limit sodium-related water retention by using less salt and stay away from salty foods.
- Sodium attracts and holds onto water in the body. That's why after you eat a salty meal, you may feel puffy or bloated.
- Stay away from typical high salt foods like: processed meats, frozen meals, canned foods, take out or restaurant meals, high salt condiments (like ketchup, salad dressings or salsa), and prepared foods.
- Limit or cut out the salt you add to your meals or adding while you're cooking your meals.
5
Monitor calories. Calories will become very important in the few days you're watching your weight. They'll need to be monitored fairly strictly to help you meet your goal.
- Everyone's calorie goals will be different based upon age, gender, weight, and activity level.
- You can start by cutting out about 500 calories daily. This is generally considered safe and can produce modest weight loss. Combined with diet and exercise, you can feel trimmer in just a few days.^{[5]
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  EatRight.org
  Organization associated with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics providing advice about food, health, and fitness
  
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- It's typically recommended to never eat less than about 1200 calories daily. Any less and you could have nutrient deficiencies, fatigue, and muscle mass loss.^{[6]
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  Research source} You should not cut your calories too drastically or there may be serious medical and physical consequences.^{[7]
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  Expert Source
  
  Alyssa Chang
  Nutrition Coach
  
  Expert Interview. 16 October 2019.}

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Exercising for Two-Day Weight Loss

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1
Keep up with your workouts. Even though you may be limiting calories or certain foods, it's important to stay regular with your daily exercise routine.
- Exercise is a great way to support weight loss and also help the body sweat out excess fluid. This may help you feel trimmer and less bloated.
- Walk 10,000 steps per day. This is the general recommended amount of activity recommended by health care professionals. If you don't know how many steps you usually walk in a day, buy a pedometer and wear it all day long.
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Do toning exercises. Also doing some light strengthen training the day of or before your event or deadline can help you feel and look toned.^{[8]
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- Add in abs, arm, and leg work to help get a defined and toned look. Do these exercises the day before and day of your event. You'll notice that your body retains that defined look in the short-term.
- Exercises you can try: crunches, hanging leg lifts, lunges, squats, bicep curls, lateral raises and tricep dips. These exercises cover the basic muscle groups and should provide modest toning.
- If you're going to be wearing something specific on your "event day" consider the areas of your body that are going to be showing. For example, if your arms will be showing in a sleeveless dress. You may want to focus on toning that area more than others.
3
Incorporate interval training on day one of your diet. Interval training is a higher intensity cardio exercise that burns a lot of calories. It will help you sweat out excess water and help support faster weight loss.^{[9]
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- Interval training can be: sprinting or very fast running for one minute followed by three minutes of jogging. Repeat this cycle a few times for up to 15–20 minutes total.
- Interval training has also been shown to increase your metabolism and your body's ability to burn calories and fat for up to 24 hours after you've completed the exercise. This makes it a great activity to include on day one of your diet.^{[10]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Making Two Day-Lifestyle Changes

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1
Ditch the chewing gum and carbonated beverages. Chewing gum regularly allows you to swallow more air. This can cause bloating or make it worse. Carbonation also can make you feel bloated.
- Instead of chewing gum, try a mint or brush your teeth or use mouthwash to freshen your breath.
- Instead of carbonated beverages, stick with non-carbonated, hydrating fluids like water, flavored water, decaf coffee, or decaf tea.
2
Get adequate sleep. Adequate rest is also very important for quick results. Aim for at least seven to nine hours of sleep each night.^{[11]
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Research source} Not only does sleep help to destress and re-energize the body, but adequate sleep also helps stave off carbohydrate cravings.
- Try to go to bed early each night. Turn off all the lights, electronics, and anything that makes distracting sounds. Doing these things can make sure you have a sound and restful sleep.^{[12]
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- Sleep also helps you relax and de-stress. So if you're nervous or stressed about your event, getting adequate sleep can help you manage your emotions better.
3
Reduce stress. If you're trying to lose extra weight in just a few days you might be a little stressed or worried. However, increased stress may make you feel more tired, and lethargic or possibly make you more prone to stress eating.^{[13]
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Johns Hopkins Medicine
Official resource database of the world-leading Johns Hopkins Hospital

Go to source}
- Cortisol is a hormone released when you're stressed. When you have low levels of this hormone in your body, you may have more difficulty losing weight.^{[14]
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  Cedars Sinai Hospital
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- For Each day of your two-day diet, plan for some self-reflection and times for relaxation. Spend a few minutes listening to relaxing music, reading a book, meditating, or going for a relaxing walk.