When you’re trying to slim down and get into shape, it’s always especially motivating to see what healthy hacks worked for individuals who lost the same amount of weight as you’d like to. Weight loss doesn’t have to be a grueling process; with just the right, tried and true tips at your fingertips, you can see which methods work best for your body, since everyone is unique. We took to TikTok to see what people who lost five pounds in two weeks revealed about how they achieved their goal, along with getting feedback from The Nutrition Twins®, Tammy Lakatos Shames, RD, CDN, CFT, and Lyssie Lakatos, RD, CDN, CFT, who sit on our Medical Expert Board.
The habits vary from tweaking your diet to following various exercise routines. There are so many ways you can go about losing weight, but the important thing is to find a path you will actually follow consistently. If you make a plan too unrealistic, it will be impossible to maintain in the long term. So if your goal is to lose five pounds in two weeks, see what habits worked for people who have already done it! Then, choose the methods you think you’ll easily be able to add to your own routine, and go for the gold. A solid plan and dedication can go a long way in any journey.
TikTok user @bytaylorlyndsey revealed exactly what she did in order to lose five pounds in two weeks in a weight loss video. Along with drinking one gallon of water every day, enjoying a salad for a light in-between meal was the name of the game. And getting your fill of veggies when hunger kicks in is a “secret weapon” for weight loss, The Nutrition Twins explain.
“Vegetables are very low in calories, but high in fiber, which takes up space in your stomach and is digested slowly, helping to stave off hunger,” they add. “The vegetables also pack in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that help to keep inflammation at bay; inflammation makes weight loss harder, and weight gain easier. Keep in mind that the dressing on your salad matters. Many people think they are eating a diet that would cause weight loss, but they’re unaware that their salad dressing is sabotaging them by adding hundreds of calories.”
Grab your jump rope for some cardio! TikToker @6mariee shared in a weight loss video that jumping rope is an excellent calorie burner—especially if you’re looking to lose five pounds in two weeks (or less).
“Any activity that burns calories is beneficial for weight loss since it can help to create a calorie deficit,” The Nutrition Twins say. “Jumping rope can burn a relatively large amount of calories in a short time because it requires you to move your legs and arms and engage your abdominals and if you do it consistently over a two-week time frame and monitor what you eat, it can be effective for weight loss.”
This leads us to our next point, which TikToker @6mariee also followed: If you want to make weight loss happen, establishing a calorie deficit is key! In fact, The Nutrition Twins refer to it as “the golden standard for weight loss.”
Creating a calorie deficit means torching a greater amount of calories than you consume. Beware, however, because if you eat fewer calories than you need for an extended period of time, your metabolism can actually slow down and become accustomed to a lower calorie consumption. If this happens, a calorie deficit will stop being effective for weight loss. “The other exception to this rule, which we’re now seeing more and more, is when someone has a lot of inflammation in their body from too many toxins in the environment, stress, etc. For these people, a calorie deficit won’t cause weight loss until they lower the inflammation in their bodies. We help our clients to do this frequently,” The Nutrition Twins add.
Walking 5,000 to 10,000 steps daily was one healthy cardio habit that helped TikToker @ericrobertsfitness achieve his weight loss goal. He pointed out that this was his only form of cardio. Five thousand steps a day can torch around 200 calories, The Nutrition Twins point out. If you walk 10,000 steps or greater in a given day, you can torch as many as 400 or more calories. This can amount to losing almost two pounds in just two weeks, if you stick to the same healthy diet.
Another healthy weight loss tip from TikTok user @ericrobertsfitness? Eliminate your liquid calories! Doing so is a fast and seamless way to shed weight.
“When we drink calories, our brain doesn’t get the message that we’ve been fed, and we eat just as much later,” The Nutrition Twins tell us. “What’s more, liquid calories add up quickly. A 12-ounce soda is typically about 150 calories, so if you’re drinking a few of these daily and then switch to a seltzer or another calorie-free beverage, you can easily lose at least a few pounds in a couple of weeks. Some people drink several sodas, Gatorade-type drinks, and energy drinks daily, equating to nearly 1000 calories each day. When these people cut out their liquid calories, they can experience a five-pound weight loss in two weeks.”
Last but not least, being mindful of portion sizes and not going overboard when dining out is essential to losing weight. It’s a trick TikToker @ericrobertsfitness used to lose five pounds in two weeks.
“Many people tend to eat portions that are oversized,” The Nutrition Twins explain. “Simply cutting back on the portion means you’re eating less food and it’s an easy way to lose weight without having to change what you’re eating or getting rid of the foods that you like. If your meals are calorie dense and you cut each of your meals by approximately one-third, you may lose as much as five pounds in two weeks.”
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Alexa Mellardo