How to Lose 4 Pounds in a Week, and Diet Plans

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.