Lose Weight in 3 Days

Maintaining a healthy weight is an ongoing, life-long pursuit. But sometimes you need to shed a few pesky pounds quickly -- whether it's to meet a weight requirement, feel better in a bikini, or fit into your dream wedding dress. If you're looking for a few quick tips on how to get rid of bulk and water weight in 3 days, look no further! Remember, though, that there's only so much one can safely do in 3 days to slim down. To really shed calories, burn fat, build muscle, and achieve longer lasting results, you'll have to tackle some bigger dietary and lifestyle changes. But, don't worry, we'll cover some tips for that, too!

Steps

Following a “Fad” Diet (Short Term)

1. Try the “3-Day Diet.” The 3-Day Diet, sometimes also referred to as The Military Diet, is a three day diet plan with a strict breakfast, lunch, and dinner regime. Proponents of this method recommending following the meal plans as closely as possible, and then return to a more normalized 1,500 calorie diet for the remainder of the week.
   • Breakfast for day 1 consists of:
     • 1 cup of unsweetened black of coffee or tea
     • 1 slice of toast, preferably whole wheat
     • 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
     • 1/2 grapefruit
   • Lunch for day 1 consists of:
     • 1 cup of unsweetened black coffee or tea
     • 1 slice of toast, preferably whole wheat
     • 1/2 can of tuna
   • Dinner for day 1 consists of:
     • 3 ounces (about the size of a deck of playing cards) of any meat
     • 1 cup green beans, seamed or raw
     • 1/2 banana
     • 1 small apple
     • 1 cup vanilla ice cream (yay, dessert!)
   • Breakfast for day 2 consists of:
     • 1 egg, cooked however you prefer
     • 1 slice of toast, preferably whole wheat
     • 1/2 banana
   • Lunch for day 2 consists of:
     • 1 hardboiled egg
     • 1 cup cottage cheese
     • 5 saltine crackers
   • Dinner for day 2 consists of:
     • 2 hotdogs (without any hotdog buns)
     • 1 cup broccoli
     • 1/2 cup carrots
     • 1/2 banana
     • 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream (dessert again, yes!)
   • Breakfast for day 3 consists of:
     • 1 small apple
     • 1 slice of cheddar cheese
     • 5 saltine crackers
   • Lunch for day 3 consists of:
     • 1 egg, cooked however you prefer
     • 1 slice of toast, preferably whole wheat
   • Dinner for day 3 consists of:
     • 1 cup tuna
     • 1/2 banana
     • 1 cup vanilla ice cream (dessert trifecta!)
2. Go on a 3-day juice cleanse. This type of “fad diet” has you replace food, or most of your food, with fresh-pressed fruit and vegetable juices. Most medical sources remain skeptical about the long-term effectiveness of such diets, but if you're looking to shed some pounds fast for an upcoming event or occasion, these quick fixes might work well for your specific needs.
   • Start your day with a glass of lukewarm water and lemon to jump-start your metabolism.
   • Have a serving (8-10 ounces) of fresh-pressed juice every 2-3 hours to keep you metabolism up and your hunger down. You’re aiming for approximately 32 to 96 ounces of juice a day, with at least half of this amount coming from green vegetables.
   • You can also work in some nut milk to stave off cravings and increase your protein consumption.
   • Make sure that all the products going into your juice are organic so that you’re not ingesting any harmful pesticides or added elements.
   • Eliminate dairy, wheat, gluten, fermented foods, coffee and alcohol. These foods can be difficult to digest and will not fall well on your stomach during a juice cleanse.
   • Keep exercise light and moderate, and get plenty of sleep while on this 3-day cleanse.
3. Consider a 3-day fast. Some research has shown that drinking only water and limiting yourself to less than 200 calories per day for only 3 days can help you reboot your immune system in addition to dropping some quick pounds.
   • This form of “forced starvation” depletes your energy reserves (in the form of glycogen), which triggers your body to recycle and then create new immune cells once your finish the fast.
   • Warning! Fasting can be harmful, especially for young or old people, or for those with other health problems. If you’re seriously thinking of trying a 3-day fast, you should consult your doctor first.

Shedding Water Weight (Short Term)

1. Hold the salt. Sodium helps to store water in the body, and limiting your intake of salt and other foods high in sodium can help you give rid of extra girth-widening water weight.
   • Limit your daily sodium intake to 1-1.5 grams a day. (less than 2.3 grams is the medically recommended amount for those under 50).
   • Avoid canned and prepackaged foods, including sauces and dressings. These types of preserved foods often rely on salt as a preservative and are thus packed full of sodium.
   • Drop deli meats and cold cuts. These are also jam packed with sodium.
   • Skimp on the salt when cooking.
   • Cut down on cheese. There's tons of salt in cheese.
2. Drink. It's important to still stay hydrated.
   • Get lots of water. I know, it might seem counter-intuative but drinking lots of water is quite important when you're trying to lose water weight. Drinking about a gallon of water throughout the day will help to normalize your hydration levels and keep you fluids in balance.
   • Add some lemon to your water. Lemon can act as a digestive aid and diuretic, which can help with both water retention and bloat.
   • Go for that second cup of coffee or tea. These drinks can act as diuretics, which means they stimulate your body to release more water.
3. Get lots of rest and sleep. Besides sodium, the levels of cortisol in the body also affect water retention.
   • Make sure your cortisol levels are in check by getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night.
   • Try scaling back on your exercise activities for 3 days. Exercise can actually elevate cortisol.
   • Relax and de-stress with calming tea, soothing music, meditation, and breathing exercises. These can all help chill you out and bring down your cortisol levels.

Beating Bloat (Short Term)

1. Take an anti-gas pill. While it is not recommended to turn to water shedding or "diet" pills, you can safely try taking one over-the-counter anti-gas pill to reduce excess air, gas, or other forms of intestinal bloat for a quick slimming effect.
2. Try a magnesium supplement. If you don't have gastrointestinal issues, try taking a magnesium supplement to help clear out your gut.
3. Do some stomach-specific stretches. This will help to elongate and relax your stomach muscles.
   • Try bending both of your knees into your stomach while laying on the floor, to help relax your belly and your de-bloat your digestive system.
   • Focus on your posture, too. Try to sit and stand up straight and don't hunch over or collapse your stomach. This can cause it to seize and cramp up.
4. Make some food changes. Changing what and when you eat can help you banish the bloat.
   • Avoid beans, the notoriously gassy musical fruit.
   • Eat smaller meals, slowly, and more frequently throughout the day to avoid bloating up when you eat.
   • Go for protein smoothies, yogurt, and soups instead of solid food. Liquids are easier to digest and don't pouch out your stomach as much as solid meals. Through some fiber-rich fruit into your smoothies and yogurt to help move things along in (and out of) your intestines.
   • Avoid carbonated beverages and chewing gum. The bubbles in these drinks can bloat you up, and you ingest a lot of extra air when you chew gum.

Making Better Food Choices (Long Term)

1. Don’t skip breakfast. This really is the most important meal of the day, even when your trying to lose weight. Focus on eating lean protein (egg whites or low-fat greek yogurt) for breakfast as a way to jump-start your metabolism, stay fuller longer, and help you burn calories throughout the day.
2. Veg out on veggies. Eating, fiber-rich fresh vegetables as part of your meals and as snacks will help you curb hunger and eat less throughout the day.
3. Drink lots of water. Skip other sugary types of drinks and stick to pure, simple water.
   • Drink 8 ounces of water before every meal to help you feel full even before you start eating. Water also helps boost your metabolism and aid in digestion.
   • Be sure to drink at least 64 ounces of water every day.
   • Try infusing your water with non-sugary flavor sources, like fresh mint, basil, or cucumber slices, to make hydration more palatable.
4. Avoid liquid calories. High calorie drinks can be dangerous in that you end up consuming more calories that you notice. Try to limit drinks like sugary juices, sweetened coffee or tea, and alcoholic beverages.
5. Cut back on “problem foods.” The biggest “problem foods” are solid fats, added sugars, salts, and starches. These count for more 800 of our daily calories, and we often consume them without even noticing!
   • Pay attention to food labels and avoid products with solid, trans, and saturated fats as well as added sugars.
   • Eliminate fast foods and refined grains (white bread, for example) which are loaded with fats and often pumped full of extra, unnecessary sugars.
   • Limiting salt and starches will help you reduce fluid retention and shed water weight, which is great for a quick slim-down fix.
6. Control your portions. It's just as important to consider how much food you’re eating, in addition to what kinds of foods you’re eating. Try to cut back on your portions to save calories, and follow these basic guidelines for portion control:
   • Eat 5-6.5 ounces of lean (not fatty) proteins like chicken, beans, and fish.
   • Eat 5-8 ounces of grains, with 1/2 from whole grains.
   • Eat 1.5-2 cups of fruits.
   • Eat 2.5-3.5 of vegetables.
   • Eat 3 cups of nonfat or low-fat diary.
   • Eat no more than 5-7 teaspoons of oils (try to get these from plant and protein sources).
   • Eat no more than 121 calories from solid fats and added sugars.
7. Eat smaller meals more often. Instead of having just a few big meals in a day, spread out your food into several smaller sized meals. This will help keep your blood sugars and metabolism up, and reduce the temptation for snacking in between meals.

Increasing Physical Activity (Long Term)

1. Focus on cardio. Cardiovascular exercises, like running, swimming, or aerobics, burns more calories which is ideal for quick weight loss..
   • Always consult your doctor before you begin a new exercise (or diet) routine.
   • Be sure to break a sweat after you finish warming up, and keep the intensity up for an hour of cardio work.
   • Try including intervals, which are short bursts of high-intensity, in your workout.
   • Aim for 70 minutes of cardio exercise a day for 3 days to melt away fat.
2. Work in weight-lifting. Engaging in light weightlifting and strength training will help you build muscle and burn fat.
   • Muscles eat up fat and calories, even when your at rest.
   • Don’t go crazy when you first start to lift weights, you don’t want to injure yourself. Instead, start with some easy basics.
3. Go for max calorie burn. If you burn 500 calories more than you eat every day for week, you can expect to lose around 1-2 pounds. If you’re eating between 1,000-1,200 calories a day and exercise for one hour per day, you can lose between 3-5 pounds.

Tips

• Get tempting snack and junk foods out of your home. If it's not there, you can't eat it!
• Keep a food journal and write down everything you eat during the day. This can help you identify sources of calories and pay attention to mindless snacking.
• Help control your meal portions by eating off of smaller salad plates instead of big plates.
• If you're eating at a restaurant, plan on splitting your entrée with a friend, or taking half of it home as leftovers for another meal.
• Increase your intake of vitamin C and calcium. Both vitamin C and calcium are fat burners, and studies have shown that people with low concentrations burn less fat than people with normal levels. The minimum daily dose of vitamin C is 75mg for women (under 50) and 90mg for men (under 50), but it’s safe to increase your amount to 400mg. You can get more vitamin C from strawberries, broccoli, and tomatoes; and of course, you can get more through vitamins and supplements, as well. It’s recommended that both women and men (under 50) should consume 1,000mg of calcium per day. Calcium can be found in diary products and supplements.
• Eating more protein is also essential for losing weight (as well as gaining muscle and staying healthy!). Eating more protein helps you to stay feeling “full” longer and stokes your metabolism to burn more calories. Swap out your carbohydrate based snacks (like chips and bread) for protein-packed ones (like beef jerky, nuts, or greek yogurt).
• Have toothpaste for dessert. No, not literally! But you can help curb the impulse for desert or after meal snacking by brushing your teeth after you finish eating. Chances are you’ll be less likely to go back for more once your pearl whites are freshly polished.

Warnings

• Avoid crash diets if you can and instead focus on making lasting lifestyle changes to your diet and exercise. This will help you lose and keep of weight for much longer than 3 days.
• Always consult your doctor before starting a new diet, exercise, or vitamin regime.

Sources and Citations

See also

• Improve Your Fitness With Proper Sports Nutrition
• Do Water Aerobics
• Cross Train
• Choose a Personal Trainer
• Get Exercise Outdoors
• Do Core Exercises
• Measure Your Thighs
• Wear a Fitbit
• Switch from Treadmill Running to Outdoor Running
• Burn Fat at Home

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