Can I Lose 4 Pounds in a Week? Exercise and Diet Plans

Losing 4 pounds in a week isn’t unheard of — especially if you’ve got significant weight to lose. But even if it’s possible, it’s not safe — or sustainable — as your weight loss journey continues.

Experts suggest focusing on a sensible diet and exercise plan to help you lose weight each week, setting you up for a lifetime of healthy weight management.

“This equates to creating a 500- to 1,000-calorie deficit per day, which is realistic for many people while still providing enough nutrients for overall health,” says Caroline Susie, RDN, an award-winning dietitian and national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

When you first make changes to your eating and exercise program, you may experience faster weight loss in the first week, especially if the changes are dramatic for you. This means that in a week you could lose 4 pounds or more with concerted effort.

But much of this accelerated weight loss will come from water weight, not fat. If you return to your old exercise and eating habits after a week, you will quickly gain back what you lost — and sometimes gain even more.

Build your diet around whole foods, replacing processed and fast food with fresh produce, lean proteins, and healthy fats, Susie says.

“The goal is to create a calorie deficit without sacrificing nutrition,” she says.

Each meal should include a lean protein, a high-fiber carbohydrate to keep you full, vegetables, and a healthy fat, such as olive oil, nuts or seeds, she says. Don’t forget to stay hydrated to support feelings of satiety. “Aim for patterns you can stick with long term — not extreme restriction.”

Her tips include:

• Prioritize protein. Protein helps to preserve lean body mass during weight loss while increasing feelings of fullness, making it easier to stick with a calorie deficit. Aim for about 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight during your weight loss journey, she says. Healthy sources of protein include chicken, turkey, beef, and pork, fish like salmon, tuna and mackerel, and beans, peas, lentils, and tofu.

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• Choose quality carbohydrates. Instead of loading up on simple carbohydrates like white rice, pasta, chips, and snacks, opt for complex carbs like whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits. “These provide fiber, vitamins, minerals, and steady energy,” Susie says. She says fresh fruits and vegetables are packed with micronutrients and — for relatively few calories — give you a “volume” effect that helps with satiety.
• Limit your intake of processed foods. Fast food, frozen dinners, restaurant meals, chips, soda, refined grains, and sweets contain significant calories without offering a lot of nutritional value. If you have a heavy processed food habit, eliminating these foods will be challenging, but it could have a notable effect on lowering your calorie intake, expediting weight loss that first week.
• Consider how you’re preparing your meals. Cook at home by roasting, grilling, steaming, or baking instead of frying your foods. Avoid heavy sauces, bottled salad dressings, and syrups, and amp up flavor with spices, herbs and lemon juice, or balsamic vinegar.

These changes shouldn’t be temporary. Once you reach your weight loss goal, you may not have to maintain such a calorie deficit, but eating more whole foods and avoiding processed ones promotes good health, maintenance of a healthy weight, and optimal nutrition.

Your serving sizes at mealtime depend on exactly how many calories you’re eating to jump-start weight loss for the week. Remember not to eat fewer than 1,200 to 1,600 calories per day though.

Susie suggests a one-day meal plan that consists of three meals and two snacks:

H3: Breakfast (~350 calories)

• 2 scrambled eggs (140 calories, 12 grams of protein)
• 1 slice whole-grain toast with a teaspoon of avocado spread (90 calories, healthy fat, fiber)
• 1 small apple (80 calories, fiber)
• Black coffee or unsweetened tea

Other breakfast options might include: 

• ⅓ cup of dry oats cooked in water with ½ cup of berries, low-fat milk, and 2 teaspoons of slivered almonds
• 1 egg poached and served on a slice of 100 percent whole-wheat toast with an orange
• A smoothie made with 1 cup of frozen raspberries, a container of plain Greek yogurt, a handful of raw baby spinach, and a tablespoon of almond butter blended with a little water to thin it out
• 2 slices of 100 percent, whole-grain toast topped with a tablespoon of peanut butter and half of a sliced banana
• 1 cup of shredded wheat topped with skim milk and a cup of sliced fresh strawberries

H3: Snack (~150 calories)

• About 1 ounce of almonds (160 calories, 6 grams of protein, healthy fats, fiber)

H3: Lunch (~400 calories)

• 4 ounces of grilled chicken breast (180 calories, 35 grams of protein), seasoned with herbs and lemon
• 1 cup roasted vegetables (broccoli, zucchini, bell peppers) with olive oil drizzle (120 calories), seasoned with garlic salt
• ½ cup quinoa (110 calories, complex carbs, fiber)

A large green salad could also fill you up at lunch, but with minimal calories. Use lemon juice or vinegar and olive oil for dressing. Vary the vegetables you include, choosing from the following:

• Spinach
• Chopped kale
• Romaine
• Chopped peppers
• Cucumbers
• Radishes
• Steamed green beans
• Onions
• Shredded carrots
• Tomatoes 

You can top the salad with a few ounces of protein such as: 

• Grilled chicken breast
• Broiled flank steak
• Tuna, canned in water
• Baked tofu 

H3: Snack (~150 calories)

• ¾ cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt (100 calories, 10 grams of protein)
• ½ cup berries (30 calories)
• Sprinkle of chia seeds (20 calories, omega-3s, fiber)

H3: Dinner (~500–550 calories)

• 4 ounces of baked salmon (230 calories, 25 grams of protein, omega-3 fats)
• 1 cup roasted Brussels sprouts (70 calories)
• ½ cup roasted sweet potato (100 calories, complex carbs)
• Side salad with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and vinegar dressing (120 calories)

Dinner could also be: 

• 3 ounces of grilled salmon fillet with a small sweet potato and steamed broccoli
• A cup of whole-grain pasta topped with chopped tomatoes, a baked, lean ground-turkey patty, and steamed zucchini
• Roasted pork tenderloin with quinoa and boiled asparagus

Exercise burns calories, which contributes to a greater calorie deficit and more significant weight loss. If you have just one week, focus on cardiovascular exercise, such as brisk walking, jogging, circuit training, or cycling. 

The benefits extend beyond the scale, Susie says. “Exercise is not just about burning calories — it’s about preserving lean tissue, supporting metabolic health, supporting mental health, and can support managing your weight.”

• A 4- to 5-mile brisk walk
• 40 to 45 minutes of jogging
• An hour of moderate lap swimming

The recommendations also call for two days of muscle strengthening activity each week. 

Weight training helps prevent the loss of muscle mass that often occurs when you create a calorie deficit. Weight training also improves bone and joint health to enhance overall daily functioning. You won’t see much difference in a week, but that time can be used to start a focused routine that you can keep up for long-term health and body maintenance.