How Long Does It Take To Lose 50 Pounds And How To Get There
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How long will it take?
Even at a slow rate of weekly weight loss, losing 50 pounds can be achieved in a reasonably short period of time. This will of course depend on you sticking to your diet plan and reaching your exercise quota consistently.
At a steady rate of 2 pounds a week, you can achieve 50 pounds of weight loss in around 25 weeks. Why 2 pounds a week? This is commonly recommended as a healthy rate of weight loss [1].
Sure, faster weight loss is possible, but if you want to aim for a steady, sustainable pace, 25 weeks is roughly how long it will take.
Weight loss over 2 pounds a week is doable but the amount of sacrifice required may not be for you.
And if you’re not in a major rush to shed those extra pounds, you can commit to a less demanding diet and exercise plan that will get you to where you want to be eventually. Slow and steady wins the race.
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How to lose 50 pounds
To lose weight, you’ll need to first create a calorie deficit (burn more calories than you eat).
To lose 2 pounds a week, you’ll need a calorie deficit of around 1000 calories a day[2].
You could achieve this by simply eating less. But this would be very difficult for many people not used to eating dramatically fewer calories.
So rather than taking a purely dietary approach to achieve weight loss, you should aim to burn some calories through exercise. To keep it simple, a 50/50 split between calorie reduction and moving more might be a good approach to take.
But before you create a calorie deficit, you first need to work out your daily caloric requirement – how much you need to eat to maintain your current weight.
How many calories do I need to maintain my current weight?
Your daily caloric requirement depends on a number of factors: your age, sex, body size and activity levels. On average, a female requires 2,000 calories a day and a male requires 2,500 calories a day[3].
If you would like a more specific estimate based on your requirements, the following calculator should give you a more accurate figure.
* This calculator is provided for information purposes only and should not be relied upon for medical advice. Health related advice should always be sought from a licensed medical practitioner.
Diet
If you decide to achieve 50% of your 2 pound a week weight loss through diet, then you will need to eat around 500 calories less than your daily requirement.
On average, this will mean sticking to a 1500 calorie-a-day meal plan for females or a 2000 calorie-a-day meal plan for males.
To keep things simple, we will base our suggestions on average daily calorie requirements.
1500 calorie meal plan
The video below provides an example of a 1500 calorie meal plan.
2000 calorie meal plan
Below is an example of a 2000 calorie meal plan
Alternatively, you may decide to put together your own meal plan. In any case, You should plan all your meals. This will make it far easier to stick to your daily calorie quota.
Hate calorie counting? Here’s an alternative…
Some foods are more satiating than others. For example foods rich in protein are more filling than foods high in carbs [4]. Foods high in certain fats are also very satiating [5].
This explains why the Atkins diet and the keto diet are so effective for weight loss.
By sticking to one of these diets, you can lose weight without feeling as hungry as you would just calorie counting.
And if you don’t feel hungry all the time, you’re less likely to fall off track and sabotage your diet.
The Keto diet in particular has become very popular in recent years. The internet abounds with keto-friendly recipes. But haphazardly planning your meals may not be the best approach to take if you want to shed the pounds.
Exercise
Different exercises burn different amounts of calories based on their intensity and duration.
And different people burn more or fewer calories depending on multiple factors such as size and metabolism.
The chart is a rough guide as to how many calories different exercises burn [6].
Exercise | Duration (in Minutes) | Calories burned (approximate based on a 185-pound individual) |
Brisk walking | 30 | 189 |
Running/jogging | 30 | 525 |
Cycling:16-19 mph | 30 | 504 |
Swimming | 30 | 252 |
Aerobics | 30 | 420 |
Weight lifting (General) | 30 | 126 |
For those not used to exercising regularly, the simplest exercise to take up is brisk walking. It’s cheap, accessible to people of all fitness levels and doesn’t require a gym membership.
Many people looking to lose 50 pounds weigh more than 185 pounds, so they could easily burn over 500 calories from 60-90 minutes of brisk walking.
If walking outside isn’t an option, non-motorized treadmills can be picked up for under $150. No need for anything fancy.
Of course, your health and fitness levels will determine what exercises you can perform. If in doubt, always seek the advice of a qualified medical practitioner.
Important: Focus on processes not goals
There’s a chance your progress may not be as fast and consistent as you would like. This is normal, as there are so many factors that will affect your progress. If you stick to your plan, you should get to your goal eventually. But in the short to medium term, it may seem at times that you’re making very little progress.
For this reason, you shouldn’t obsess over the readout on your bathroom scales. Simply focus on sticking to the process. Pat yourself on the back when you stick to your meal plan or go for that walk. Let the weight loss take care of itself over the longer term.
And if you fall off the wagon, don’t be too harsh with yourself. Just pick up from where you left off and continue with your diet and exercise plan. Rinse-lather-repeat.
Look at your weight loss journey as a marathon, not a sprint.
How to speed up the process
While a rate of weight loss of 1-2 pounds is generally recommended, faster weight loss certainly is possible and, indeed, quite common.
Of course, anyone with concerns should consult a qualified medical practitioner.
Some of the most common ways people use to lose weight fast are meal replacement shakes, fasting and the use of supplements.
Meal replacement shakes typically involve replacing at least 1 meal a day, usually dinner, with a milkshake or smoothie of some description. There are popular brands, such as Slimfast, and some lesser-known ones, and some plans involve making your own from scratch.
Smoothie recipes are available online for those who would prefer to attempt a DIY plan, but this may involve a lot of trial and error to get right.
A done-for-you plan removes the learning curve and gives you a tried and tested approach that others have used to shed the pounds with success.
>>How you could lose 8 pounds in a week with these delicious smoothies. Click here to learn more<<
Fasting is a popular option of late. You’ve likely heard of at least one fasting method, whether it’s the 16/8 methods (fast for 16 eat in an 8-hour window) or alternate-day fasting.
Fasting can be effective for weight loss – in addition to other purported health benefits [7] – but it requires discipline and may take a while to get the hang of. Furthermore, some forms of fasting may require medical supervision [8]
Supplements are another popular option. They tend to work either by reducing appetite, speeding up metabolism or a mixture of both.
They can be made either from natural ingredients, such as catechins, or synthetic ingredients, such as Liraglutide, and some require a doctor’s prescription.
Most of the over-the-counter supplements use proprietary blends of natural ingredients known to be effective for weight loss. But picking the right supplement can be a challenge since there are so many.
Anyone considering supplements should speak to a doctor, especially if they’re on any sort of medication.
And to avoid disappointment, it’s important to buy from a reputable company.
How to keep the weight off
So you’ve finally reached your goal and your work is done. Or is it? There’s a reason the term “yo-yo dieting” exists. Rapidly putting the weight back on after losing it is very common.
In fact, some experts estimate that 80-95% of dieters gain back the weight they lost [9]. What a shame it would be to see all your hard work go to waste.
But there are a few simple steps you can take to prevent this from happening.
1. When you’re full, stop eating. Just because there’s food left on your plate doesn’t mean you have to keep eating. When you feel satiated, stop eating.
2. Stay hydrated. Drinking 8 glasses of water will make you feel full and can help you burn more calories [10]
3. Reduce refined sugar consumption. Many foods are laden with sugar, which in addition to being high in calories can also be harmful to your health in other ways, in particular by increasing your risk of type 2 diabetes [11]
4. Keep exercising. You should aim to exercise at least 30 minutes a day. Even if it’s only going a brisk walk, establishing a consistent exercise habit should be a priority.
5. Get at least 8 hours of sleep. Lack of sleep promotes a hormone imbalance in the body that can result in overeating [12]. It is important to make sure you are getting at least 8 hours of sleep.
Conclusion
If you’re looking to lose 50 pounds, a steady rate of 2 pounds a week weight loss will get you there in just under 6 months. But there are ways to speed up the process for those who are comfortable with a faster rate of weight loss.
And once your goal has been achieved, it’s important to take sensible steps to avoid putting the weight back on.
References
1.https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/losing-weight-too-fast
2.https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/weight-loss/art-20047752
3.https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/food-and-diet/what-should-my-daily-intake-of-calories-be/
4.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23107521/
5.https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/15-incredibly-filling-foods
6.https://www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-weight-loss/calories-burned-in-30-minutes-for-people-of-three-different-weights
7.https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/intermittent-fasting-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-work
8.https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/water-fasting
9.https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-people-diet-lose-weight-and-gain-it-all-back/
10.https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322296
11.https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/features/how-sugar-affects-your-body
12.https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/sleep/