A common weight loss goal is losing 50 pounds in 3 months, or people hoping to lose 50 pounds in three months may ask: “How much weight can I lose in 3 months? Can I lose 50 pounds in three months?”
So, how long does it take to lose 50 pounds?
In this guide, we will discuss how long it takes to lose 50 pounds, whether it’s possible to lose 50 pounds in 3 months, and our top tips for losing 50 pounds in 3 months or as fast as possible in a healthy way.
We will cover:
- Can You Lose 50 Pounds In 3 Months?
- How Long Does It Take to Lose 50 Pounds?
- 8 Tips for How to Lose 50 Pounds In 3 Months (Or As Fast As Possible)
Let’s dive in!
Can You Lose 50 Pounds In 3 Months?
It is imperative to begin this discussion with how to lose 50 pounds fast with the truth:
In most cases, you cannot and should not lose 50 pounds in three months unless specifically guided by a medical professional experienced in obesity treatments or in preparation for recovery from weight loss surgery or bariatric surgical procedures.
This transparency likely comes as a disappointment for anyone who is looking into how to lose 50 pounds in three months or rapid 50 pound weight loss plans.
However, trying to lose 50 pounds in three months without understanding not only the safety and health risks that rate of weight loss entails but also the impracticality in most cases can set you up for failure, if not significant, health consequences.
Therefore, we want to present the disclaimer that we are not recommending losing 50 pounds in three months or doing a 90 day weight loss challenge to lose 50 pounds.
We believe losing 50 pounds in 90 days is too fast for most individuals, aside from those with clinically diagnosed morbid obesity who are working with a trained team of medical professionals.
To lose 50 pounds in 3 months means you have to lose more than 4 pounds a week for 12 weeks.Because it takes a caloric deficit of 3,500 calories to lose one pound of fat, losing 50 pounds in 90 days means you have to burn nearly 2,000 calories a day more than you are consuming every day for 90 days.
According to the USDA, this is unreasonable and almost as much as the average daily caloric needs for most men and women.
That means that you’d either have to eat next to nothing or spend almost your entire day exercising for 50 pounds of weight loss in three months.
That said, depending on your current body weight, if you have a significant amount of extra body fat and are clinically diagnosed as morbidly obese according to your BMI (body mass index over 35 kg/m2), you may be holding onto a significant amount of water weight.
This can lead to some rapid initial weight loss that isn’t fat loss and is not unsafe in most cases.
We will cover how long to lose 50 pounds shortly, which this discussion will arise.
This is to say that people who are holding onto a ton of water weight due to current dietary habits and health conditions may be able to drop a lot of water weight and then begin losing fat, bringing them closer to losing 50 pounds in three months.
Additionally, we have set up this article as a discussion of “how to lose 50 pounds in three months“ or a “three month 50 pound weight loss challenge“ as a way to draw people in who are looking into how to lose 50 pounds fast.
Even though we are not recommending a “how to lose 50 pounds in three months diet plan,” we hope that this will draw in readers who are looking for tips for rapid 50 pound weight loss that we can help steer onto a safe, sustainable, yet still effective and fast 50 pound weight loss plan.
How Long Does It Take to Lose 50 Pounds?
So, we have said that the answer to the question: “Can I lose 50 pounds in three months?“ is generally no, so how long does it take to lose 50 pounds?
Unfortunately, the answer is: it depends.
Your starting weight, your activity level, your current health status, how much you are willing to adjust your diet and how much time and energy you have to exercise, etc., all affect how long it takes to lose 50 pounds.
That said, the recommended rate of weight loss for losing 50 pounds safely yet sustainably is about 2 pounds per week for most people.
This requires a daily caloric deficit of 1000 calories, which can be generated by cutting calories in your diet, being more physically active, or combining both, the latter being the preferred strategy for overall health and sustainable weight loss and weight maintenance.
So, how long to lose 50 pounds?
With this rate of weight loss, it would take 25 weeks to lose 50 pounds or approximately six months.
However, as mentioned previously, many people who actually have 50 pounds or more to lose live in a state of chronic systemic inflammation and hold onto a lot of water weight.
If you begin changing your eating habits, moving your body, and reducing inflammation in your body, you can drop a significant amount of water weight over the first couple of weeks on a 50-pound weight loss plan.
In fact, some people may drop 10 pounds in the first week if they indeed have obesity or morbid obesity according to BMI or generally eat a lot of salt, processed and refined carbs, alcohol, or other inflammatory foods that may be contributing to water weight gain.
The best 50 pound weight loss plans also help rebalance hormones, and many people who suffer from obesity have hormonal imbalances that have either contributed to the obesity or are a result of carrying excess fat.
This can then help improve metabolism and lose water weight quickly.
All of this is to say that while it may take six months or more to lose 50 pounds for some people if you have excess water weight and can make a lot of adjustments in your diet and exercise habits, you may be able to lose 50 pounds in 3 months or 4 months safely and effectively.
The more weight you have to lose, the easier it is to create a caloric deficit and lose 50 pounds fast.
8 Tips for How to Lose 50 Pounds In 3 Months (Or As Fast As Possible)
Again, with a disclaimer that losing 50 pounds in three months is generally not safe for most people unless you have a ton of water weight to lose as well as additional fat and/or are guided by a medical professional, here are some tips for how to lose 50 pounds quickly yet sustainably and safely:
#1: Track Everything
For effective weight loss, you need to know how many calories you are burning in a day and how many calories you are eating in a day so that you can create the caloric deficit needed to lose 50 pounds as fast as possible.
The goal should be to achieve a caloric deficit of about 1000 calories daily if you want to lose 2 pounds weekly.
Track everything you eat with a good food tracker app and calculate your daily energy expenditure with an online calculator or use a fitness watch.
#2: Drink More Water
According to studies, drinking more water supports all of your physiological functions while helping control your appetite and burn more calories.
#3: Eliminate Processed Foods
The best tip for how to lose 50 pounds in three months or as fast as possible is to cut out all processed food, sugar, alcohol, refined grains, fast food, high-sodium foods, fried foods, and foods with chemical additives.
All of these “foods“ contain substances that are either addictive, increase appetite, alter hormones, provide empty calories, lead to cravings, or contribute to water retention.
#4: Change Your Portions
A good tip for how to lose 50 pounds fast is to rethink your plate and your portion sizes.
Every meal should be at least 50% non-starchy vegetables, such as leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, mushrooms, etc. Then, of the remaining half, make up 2/3 of lean protein sources like fish, lean protein, tofu, eggs, or lean cuts of meat (90/10).
The remainder should be whole grains like oats, quinoa, starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes, and a tablespoon of healthy fats like avocado, nuts, or seeds.
Focus on getting as much fiber and protein as possible, as these nutrients contribute to satiety.
Healthy fats should also be incorporated at every meal, though fat contains a lot of calories per gram, so unless you want to do the keto diet, be mindful of high-fat foods.
#5: Exercise At Least 30 Minutes Per Day
Getting at least 30 minutes of exercise every day is not only important for your health but will also help you burn calories, create consistent healthy habits, and improve your self-confidence and energy levels, helping you stick with your plan to lose 50 pounds.
#6: Get More Sleep
Getting at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night, which is the recommended amount for adults, is a crucial component for losing 50 pounds because it helps improve the function of your body, regulate energy levels, decrease cravings, and support your gut microbiome and metabolism.
#7: Consider a Support Group
Losing 50 pounds is really challenging, and a weight loss support group, whether in person or online, can be helpful to keep you accountable, motivated, and guided on your weight loss journey.
#8: Find a Diet that Works for You
We all respond to different diets differently based on our food preferences, eating habits, genetics, hormones, and biochemistry.
You might do well with a low-carb diet like the keto diet, intermittent fasting, a balanced approach like the Mediterranean diet, or a low-sodium diet like the DASH diet.
Check out some of our top diet guides to find a healthy, sustainable weight loss diet that works well for you.
Stay positive and committed; you can do it!
