How to Lose Weight in 4 Days

Co-authored by Tara Coleman

Last Updated: August 27, 2023 Approved

Fast weight loss requires a commitment to eating healthy and exercising. It takes the loss of approximately 3,500 calories to lose 1 lb. Following this day by day weight loss plan can help you to lose weight in 4 days and develop a routine that will shave off 1 to 2 lbs. per week.

Method 1

Method 1 of 5:

Day 1: Overhaul Your Diet

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1
Go to the grocery store. Stay on the perimeter of the store and buy mainly fruits and vegetables. Over 1/2 of your plate should be filled with vegetables at each meal.
- Aim to replace processed foods, such as bread, with complex carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables.
- High-carb vegetables include squash, beans, sweet potatoes, green peas, carrots, beets and corn. These vegetables will fill you up and keep you full longer than bread or pasta.
- Mix in low-carb vegetables, such as avocado, green beans, tomatoes, bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, lettuce, chard, asparagus and summer squash.
- Swap out rice, couscous, and potatoes with quinoa, which is higher in protein and fiber.^{[1]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Tara Coleman
  Clinical Nutritionist
  
  Expert Interview. 2 March 2021.}
- Get a variety of colors into your diet. Buy red, green, orange, brown, blue and any other color of fruit and vegetable you can get your hands on.
- Colors indicate different nutrients and a balanced diet.
2
Eat a 300 to 400 calorie breakfast within 90 minutes of waking up. Breakfast jump starts the metabolism to ensure you are burning, rather than storing fat.
- Try high-protein breakfasts, like Greek yogurt, oatmeal, quinoa, an egg white omelet or a large smoothie.
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3
Reduce meal portions by 25 percent. You will want to reduce overall calories by 25 percent over the next 4 days, and reduce portion sizes on fatty foods is a great way to do that.
- Replacing processed foods with produce will also reduce your calorie intake.
- Don’t skip meals.^{[2]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Tara Coleman
  Clinical Nutritionist
  
  Expert Interview. 2 March 2021.} You should eat 3 meals with 2 snacks per day. Try to limit snacks to a single serving of protein or fruits and vegetables.
- If you are eating a 2,000-calorie diet, you will reduce to 1,500 calories. If you are eating a 2,500-calorie diet, you will reduce to 1,875 calories for 4 days.
4
Replace fatty protein with lean protein.
- Replace all full-fat dairy products with no-fat dairy products. While eating high-protein, no-fat Greek yogurt each day can help you lose weight faster, full fat cheeses and milk can pack on lbs. Choose non-dairy proteins for the next 4 days.
- Eat salmon, tuna, mackerel, turkey, chicken, and beans or lean cuts of meat in 4 oz. sizes for lunch and dinner.
- Eat 1 serving of almonds or 1 serving of Greek yogurt for a post-workout snack, starting on day 2.
5
Eliminate liquid calories. Drink only water, tea or drip coffee for the next 4 days.
- Alcoholic beverages, sodas (including diet) and sugary coffees add hundreds of empty calories to your diet.
- Drink 2 to 3 l of water each day. This will make you look thinner by flushing sodium and reducing water weight.
- Drink 1 cup of coffee before you work out. Studies show it will help you workout harder, burning more calories.
6
Make these changes for the next 4 days; however, consider making them into lifestyle changes.
- Doctors agree that low-carb and yo-yo dieting leads to weight gain when diets return to normal. It is also hard on your body. The best way to lose weight is to change your eating habits to include produce, lean protein and whole grains.
- Recent studies have shown that eating low-carb just 2 to 3 days a week can help you achieve weight loss goals. After your first 4 days, you can add whole grains in, but replace processed carbohydrates with low-carb vegetables every other day.

Method 2

Method 2 of 5:

Day 2: Do Interval Training

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1
Sign up for a 1-hour interval based class for each of the next 3 days. Good choices for weight loss include boot camp, booty barre, aerobics with hand weights and other classes that combine cardio and strength training.
- Learning high-intensity interval training from a teacher will help you burn approximately 600 calories during 1 hour.
- If you prefer to lead your own workout, then make sure you exercise for 1 hour, with 30 minutes dedicated to high-intensity interval training and 30 minutes dedicated to strength training.
2
Alternate strength training targets. Workout your upper body on days 2 and 4. Workout your lower body on day 3.
- To speed up weight loss, you should do 30 minutes of strength training each week.
- Make sure you give areas of the body a day to rest before the next workout.
- Aim for muscle fatigue. You should choose the weight by the number of lbs. you can lift for 8 repetitions in 2 to 3 sets. You should not be able to lift any more, a target known as muscle fatigue.
- Lifting weights that are too light will not boost your metabolism.
- Vigorously lifting weights can burn approximately 150 to 300 calories per half an hour.
3
Stretch and sleep well. If you have an inactive lifestyle, adding 1 hour of intense exercise for 3 days will cause soreness and some pain.
- Stretch for 15 minutes following each hour of exercise. Focus on stretching each muscle group for 2 to 5 minutes.
- Give yourself 30 minutes to 1 hour of extra sleep per night. Your body needs rest to heal and rebuild. Make sure you are getting at least 8 hours of sleep.

Method 3

Method 3 of 5:

Day 3: Visualize Results

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1
Keep a journal of your goals. Write down the reasons for wanting to lose weight this week.
- Include long-term goals. Ask yourself what your motivation for weight loss is in the short term and long term.
- You can also keep a food journal, where you track what you eat and how different foods make you feel.^{[3]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Tara Coleman
  Clinical Nutritionist
  
  Expert Interview. 2 March 2021.}
3
Practice mindful eating. If you find cravings for food are very bad, try to commit mealtime to tasting and enjoying your food.
- Don’t eat out. Studies show we consume more calories in groups and when we are drinking alcohol.
- Don’t watch TV while you eat. You may get distracted, making you eat more and not notice when you are full.
4
Plan a reward. Pick a way to treat yourself after you lose weight this week.
- Choose a food that you will allow yourself to eat in place of a healthy food on the fifth day. Choose a serving that is 300 calories or less.
- Consider treating yourself with a purchase you have wanted to make for a while.
- Opt for an experience, such as booking a vacation.

Method 4

Method 4 of 5:

Day 4: Do the Math

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1
Add up the calories you have cut from your diet over the past 4 days.
- For example, cutting 500 calories for 4 days is 2,000 calories.
2
Total the calories you've burned from exercise.
- For example, 600 calories from a class over 3 days is 1,800 calories.
3
Add food calorie deficit and exercise calories together. If it adds up to more than 3,500 calories, you should have lost 1 lb.
- Losing 1 lb. in 4 days is very fast weight loss.
- If you continue this way, you can lose 2 lbs. by week’s end.
- Losing 2 lbs. per week adds up to 8 lbs. per month, a healthy a noticeable weight loss goal.
4
Try on clothing that was tight 4 days ago. Although actual weight can fluctuate throughout the day, if you are losing inches on arms, legs, stomach or chest measurements, you are making good progress toward healthy and substantial weight loss.
- After you try on clothing or measure yourself with a fabric measuring tape, you can weigh yourself. Try to weigh yourself only once each week, at approximately the same time during the day.
- Keep in mind that while you burn fat, you may also be gaining muscle.
- Muscle building may keep the scale from dropping for a few days; however, muscle tissue burns more calories than fatty tissue, and you will see greater weight loss in the long-term.

Method 5

Method 5 of 5:

Additional Quick Weight Loss Tricks

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1
Walk or bike during your commute. In addition to all the changes you’ve made, commit to walking or biking for 30 minutes to 1 hour before and after work.
- This change can add up to 300 to 400 calories burned each way.
(0.47l) glass of water before each meal. It can make you feel fuller faster and reduce your caloric intake.
3
Replace 1 meal per day with vegetable soup.
- Soup can be both filling and very low calorie. You may be able to reduce your caloric intake by 200 to 400 calories for each meal you can replace with soup.
- Some diets suggest a soup only diet to detoxify and lose weight very quickly. A vegetable soup diet will be healthier than a juice diet.
- Make your own soup, if possible. Many store bought soups contain processed thickeners and preservatives, while homemade soups have higher nutrient content.
- This does not include soups that contain pasta or meat products.
4
Try a body wrap. Make an appointment at a spa and allow them to wrap your body in a material that will reduce water weight and make the skin look tighter.
- The lipase body wrap claims to reduce fat near the surface of the skin.
- In place of a body wrap, go to the sauna. You may lose some water weight after 20 to 30 minutes in the dry, hot air. Drink plenty of water to reduce the risk of sickness and dehydration.
5
Do household chores. Do some gardening, mop the floors, vacuum and take the stairs frequently to put items away.
- Deep cleaning and yard work can burn 400 or more calories per hour. Do your spring cleaning during your 4 days of weight loss.

4-Day Exercise and Meal Plan for Weight Loss

Sample Four Day Meal Plan for Weight Loss

Sample Four Day Exercise Plan for Weight Loss

Expert Q&A

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Question

Why is dieting is not a good way to lose weight?

Tara Coleman
Clinical Nutritionist
Tara Coleman is a Clinical Nutritionist who has a private practice in San Diego, California. With over 15 years of experience, Tara specializes in sports nutrition, body confidence, and immune system health and offers personalized nutrition, corporate wellness, and online learning courses. She received a BS in Biology from James Madison University and spent six years in the pharmaceutical industry as an analytical chemist before founding her practice. Tara has been featured on NBC, CBS, Fox, ESPN, and Dr. Oz The Good Life as well as in Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Self, and Runner’s World.

Tara Coleman

Clinical Nutritionist

Expert Answer

A lot of diets have suggested end dates, which aren't a healthy or realistic way to manage your weight. Instead, it's better to focus on changing your long-term nutrition habits.

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Question

How much weight can you lose in a week on Atkins?

Tara Coleman
Clinical Nutritionist
Tara Coleman is a Clinical Nutritionist who has a private practice in San Diego, California. With over 15 years of experience, Tara specializes in sports nutrition, body confidence, and immune system health and offers personalized nutrition, corporate wellness, and online learning courses. She received a BS in Biology from James Madison University and spent six years in the pharmaceutical industry as an analytical chemist before founding her practice. Tara has been featured on NBC, CBS, Fox, ESPN, and Dr. Oz The Good Life as well as in Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Self, and Runner’s World.

Tara Coleman

Clinical Nutritionist

Expert Answer

The Atkins diet really isn't a good way to reach your weight loss goals. Atkins simulates starvation, which isn't good for your body.

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Things You'll Need

Produce
Water
Tea
Coffee
Lean protein
Almonds
No-fat yogurt
Fitness/diet journal
Reward
Calculator
Body wrap
Sauna
Vegetable soup

Tips

Ask a friend to commit to a 4-day weight loss boost with you. Moral support has been shown to increase weight loss.

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Consult a doctor or physical therapist if you have a medical condition that makes exercise or diet changes difficult.

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Go slow. For example start by doing a 1 min jog then proceed to do longer jogs. Then you can start jogging for 12 minutes.

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Warnings

Never start lifting weights without learning proper form. Sign up for sessions with a personal trainer to learn how to weight lift correctly. If you have never used weight machines or free weights before, you should learn proper form to avoid serious injury.

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