You've probably thought about how much weight you can lose in a week, whatever the reason you want to shed a few pounds. How much damage (the good kind) can you realistically and safely do in a week?

The good news is that, according to personal trainer and strength coach Pete McCall, C.S.C.S., an instructor at Equinox in San Diego, "you can realistically dump 1 to 3% in a week, assuming you're already very healthy, ranging between 15 and 20 [percent body fat].

Is that terrible news? You'll need to focus all of your willpower on performing at your best. After all, you would have reached and maintained the next number by now if it were simple to do so.

Genetics plays a role in how simple it is for you to lose weight. Jim White, R.D., proprietor of Jim White Fitness and Nutrition Studios in Virginia Beach, says, "I've seen guys lose 1% in a week, but I've also seen guys take a month to lose 1%."

There are aspects you can manage, but your eating and sleeping habits also have a significant impact.

The majority of the weight you can lose quickly is water weight rather than fat. Reduce your carb intake to prevent water storage in your muscles, says McCall, if you want to lose weight quickly. Carbohydrates hold onto water around three times as much as other nutrients do.

This is a short-term strategy at its core; the moment you touch bread or drink, you'll gain it back. However, reducing bloating can assist you to carve out more muscle and simulate having a smaller percentage in the near future.

Even if you can't sweat off a poor diet, you can try these exercises.

When McCall says, "Especially given it's a momentarily restricted lifestyle, you can do it no issue if you're already healthy and you need to be a little more cut, simply stop doing what you don't need to do, do what you do need to do." Discover what that lifestyle entails by scrolling down to learn how to lose one percentage point of body fat in a week.

If trimming the fat from your life isn't that difficult, why is it so difficult to cut the fat from your body? Continue on and establish yourself in your new body fat category. To assist you in achieving your goals, use these 6 tips.

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1. Eliminate Alchohol

Your first step in losing actual body fat quickly is to swear off alcohol for a week (we'll say it again: steely resolve). In addition to the fact that the majority of types are high in water-retaining carbs, White argues that weight loss is also somewhat of a caloric game. And with only 150 calories per beer, you can easily cut a few from your daily caloric intake.

2. Eat often

Although diet is undoubtedly the most crucial element, the best course of action is actually quite simple: Try to eat five to six meals of real food each day—three full meals and two snacks—each of which should be high in protein and fresh veggies with few carbs. When you eat this way, White continues, "your metabolism will increase, your blood sugar levels will stabilize, which boosts fat burn, and your energy levels will rise, which will improve your exercises."

3. Eat often but not before a workout

Working out in the morning while fasting will increase fat metabolism, according to McCall. However, if you are exercising with food in your system, choose high-intensity interval exercise to burn calories quickly. Christopher Jordan, CSCS, Director of Exercise Physiology at the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute and author of the 7 Minute Workout, advises.

4. Hit the weights

To ensure that your muscle mass is sustained and not converted to energy to make up for some of the calorie shortfalls, Jordan advises resistance training.

5. Do some yoga

If you're extremely stressed, McCall suggests going to a yoga class to unwind rather than ramping up your workout in the gym (or try these yoga poses for men). Your body stores fatter, particularly in the abdominal region, as a result of the main stress hormone cortisol. HIIT can trigger your sympathetic nervous system, which is already active due to stress, and send it into overdrive, according to McCall. Opt to engage your parasympathetic nervous system, which will help you to relax and digest. You may not even regularly attend a light yoga class during a stressful period, but you'll be astonished at how much calmer you'll feel afterward and that you'll actually lose weight as a result. He continues, "Plus, it'll help you sleep."

6. Go to bed earlier

A half-hour or 45 minutes more of sleep can definitely help, according to McCall. According to research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, frequently skipping bedtime alters how your body reacts to the hormone insulin, which controls your metabolism and appetite. People who slept for only 4.5 hours each night had cells that were 30% less sensitive to insulin than normal, similar to those of obese or diabetic people.

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Additionally, staying up too late sets off a destructive cycle Studies have demonstrated that overeating and poor sleep are mutually reinforcing, according to White. Also, a study published in the journal SLEEP found a direct correlation between sleeping for five hours or fewer and accumulating belly fat. Aim for 7 to 8 hours per night because losing willpower or unwanted fat gain are the last things you need. Not only will this prevent weight gain by balancing your hormones, but it will also give you more energy to crush your workouts. In addition to avoiding coffee after 2:00 or 3:30 p.m., White advises against exercising too late since it boosts body temperature, which can occasionally interfere with sleep.