Embarking on a weight loss journey is an exciting but often challenging process. Every time someone starts a new diet or exercise program, several variables must be considered; this is especially true when trying to achieve the goal of losing 50 pounds!
This requires much more planning, patience, and discipline which requires a clear roadmap. Understanding how to lose 50 pounds effectively is the first step toward success. This article will provide the framework you need to achieve your weight loss goal.
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50-Pound Weight Loss Journey
Losing 50 pounds is a significant milestone that requires dedication and consistent effort.
It will take a good bit of time, but for many people, the journey involves several ups and downs, but ultimately, it's about setting yourself up for long-term success. Before you dive into specific weight loss strategies, it's important to establish a clear plan and break down your long-term goal into manageable parts.
Set Realistic Goals
Getting from point A to point B is much easier when you have a general plan of how to get there. A major part of this is setting realistic goals along the way.
Having goals will ensure that you stay on track with your weight loss and act as checkpoints. When we have a long plan in front of us, thinking about the entire process can be overwhelming.
Long-Term Goals
Your long-term goal is the final outcome and overarching goal—losing 50 pounds. This is what your entire program is ultimately built around and is easy to define.
However, just because it's easy to define, it's crucial. So many people will start a weight loss plan with no real goal; they just want to "lose weight." However, there are some other questions to answer;
- How much weight do you want to lose?
- When do you want to lose it?
- Are you using diet, exercise, or both?
Answering those 3 questions instantly gives you a better idea of how your plan will work.
Short-Term Goals
While long-term goals are your ultimate goal, starting a year-long process can be overwhelming without having any other goals in between.
Therefore, we think it's really valuable to set up various short-term goals to act as checkpoints. Not only can these provide motivation, but they can also make the entire process easier to manage mentally.
For example, instead of thinking about how you need to lose 50 pounds, think about how you need to lose 5 pounds. Then, once you lose 5 pounds, think about burning another 5 pounds. Once you lose that, have a little celebration and then lose another.
Continue this until you reach your goal!
- Losing 5 or 10 pounds in the next month.
- Incorporating 30 minutes of physical activity into your daily routine.
- Reducing calorie intake by 300–500 calories per day.
- Drinking more water or cutting back on sugary drinks.
Non-Weight Goals
Something else to consider is to set various non-weight goals. These can be things like;
- Do 5 chin-ups
- Run 1 mile non-stop
- Climb 20 flights on a stair climber
You get the idea.
These goals can help keep your mind off weight loss while still demonstrating progress.
How Long Does It Take to Lose 50 Pounds?
The first question you probably have is, "How long does it take to lose 50 pounds?"
Well, that will depend a lot on the person, but we can tell you how long it will take, theoretically.
Having 50 pounds of weight to lose signifies you have a significant amount of fat to burn. This means you can get into a caloric deficit of 500-1000 calories.
If you maintain this deficit, you will burn between 3,500-7,000 calories weekly.
Now, consider that burning 1 pound of fat requires you to burn approximately 3,500 calories. This leaves you with the possible range;
- 1 pound per week: It would take about 50 weeks (roughly 1 year) to lose 50 pounds.
- 2 pounds per week: It would take about 25 weeks (around 6 months) to lose 50 pounds.
This means that if you lose 50 pounds in 6 months, you'll be at the higher end of the caloric deficit.
As we said in the beginning, don't let this time frame deter you. Losing weight must start somewhere. Rather, let the 6-12 months merely be the framework for your program.
Our biggest piece of advice would be to follow a plan you can adhere to, as this will play the biggest role in your success.
Nutrition Plan to Lose 50 Pounds
Losing 50 pounds is no easy task and will require a complete life makeover. This can seem overwhelming at first, but in reality, it's extremely beneficial.
That's because you can use multiple tools to shed the pounds. With that said, the anchor of your entire weight loss program will be your diet. Here's how to use your diet to lose weight.
Find your TDEE And Create A Caloric Deficit
To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume. This will create a caloric deficit, which will result in weight loss.
For example, if you need to burn 2,500 calories but only eat 2,000, you'll burn 500.
To do this, you must first find your total daily caloric expenditure, also known as your TDEE.¹
Your TDEE is the total number of calories you burn throughout the day. It has four components.
- Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): This represents the calories your body needs to perform basic functions like breathing, circulation, and cell production while at rest. BMR makes up the largest chunk of your TDEE at around 60-70%
- Thermic Effect of Food (TEF): The energy used to digest, absorb, and metabolize food. Your TEF depends on the macronutrient composition of your diet (protein, carbs, or fats) but is usually around 10-15% of your TDEE.
- Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT): The energy expended through any form of physical activity, including exercise, walking, household chores, and even fidgeting.
- Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT): This includes all non-exercise activities throughout the day. It includes standing, walking around the house, or even clicking around this website. NEAT can significantly impact your daily calorie expenditure, especially if you have an active lifestyle.
Once you find your TDEE, you would then subtract your desired deficit.
Remember that above, we spoke about a 500-1000 calorie deficit. 1,000 is quite a bit. However, as you have a lot of weight to lose, it could work for the beginning of your weight loss program.
Eat Nutrient-Dense Foods
Choosing nutrient-dense foods is critical to ensure you get the vitamins and minerals your body needs while in a caloric deficit. Focus on:
- Lean proteins include chicken breast, fish, eggs, tofu, beans, and low-fat dairy, which help preserve muscle mass and keep you full.
- Fruits and vegetables: High in fiber and low in calories, fruits and vegetables help keep you satisfied without packing on extra calories.
- Whole grains: Brown rice, quinoa, oats, and whole-wheat products are fiber-rich and provide long-lasting energy.
- Healthy fats: Avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil can keep you satiated and help support fat loss.
Limit Processed Foods and Sugar
Processed foods and sugary drinks are often high in calories and low in nutrients. Reducing soda, candy, and fast food will help you maintain a steady caloric deficit.
These foods can also cause blood sugar spikes and crashes, increasing hunger and cravings. Limit these foods as much as possible. When it comes to junk food, try to keep your consumption to a bare minimum.
Eat High Protein
Of all your macronutrients, your protein intake will likely have the largest impact on your weight loss. Research has consistently shown that high-protein diets are highly effective for weight loss.²
This is due to 3 main reasons;
- Very high in satiety, so you'll feel fuller
- Mitigates muscle loss during your weight loss
- Has the highest TEF. Protein has been shown to have a TEF of 20-30%!
What this means is that eating high protein keeps you feeling fuller for longer while increasing your total calories burned.
Therefore, we strongly recommend you eat a high-protein diet. Aim to hit 2.0g per kilogram of body weight.
3 Components Of Exercise To Maximize Weight Loss
Another important mechanism to maximize your weight loss is exercise. Specifically, you should have 3 components;
- Cardio
- Strength Training
- Physical Activity
Together, these forms of exercise will mitigate muscle loss (possibly build), improve health markers, and increase calorie burn.
1. Cardio Workouts
First and foremost, the primary benefit of cardio training is increased cardiovascular health.
That said, cardio is also a good way to bump up your burned calories. Now, you have two options of cardio;
- HIIT
- Moderate Steady-State
People will argue back and forth about which one is "better"—don't fall into that trap. Both HIIT and steady-state are awesome and serve different purposes. Therefore, you should ideally include both in your overall program.
Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio per week or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity cardio.
2. Strength Training
Many people neglect strength training during a weight loss program. Don't do that.
Even when people use it, they do so inappropriately by focusing too much on burning calories. Strength training has one primary purpose—to build muscle or mitigate muscle loss.
That is your goal when lifting weights, as only weight lifting can optimally promote these adaptations. You already have your nutrition, cardio, and daily activity to control your calories; you also don't need lifting weights.
That said, lifting weights will still burn some calories, some of which may be a lot. However, just think of these as an extra bonus to the muscular adaptations.
When you train, here are some easy guidelines;
- Train at least 2 times a week
- Ideally, you will train 3-4 times and maybe 5
- Focus on compound movements (squats, bench press, rows, dips, etc.)
- Train through the spectrum of the rep range (6-12)
3. Increase Physical Activity
When we say to increase physical activity, we simply mean to increase the NEAT we spoke about above—just simple, basic, low-intensity activity. Just get on your feet more and minimize some of your sedentary behavior!
The easiest way to do this is to increase your steps. A lot of research has examined the association between physical activity and weight loss and found a dose-response. This means that when people follow a weight loss plan, the ones who lose more weight are those with more daily steps.
In other words, an awesome little hack is to walk your way to 50 pounds!
Lifestyle Factors That Support Weight Loss
Achieving your 50-pound weight loss goal isn't just about diet and exercise—it's also about creating a supportive environment that helps you stay on track. Here are some lifestyle factors that can help you along the way:
Get Enough Sleep
Adequate sleep is essential for weight loss, and much research has shown that sleep restriction generally results in the body's holding on to and gaining fat.³
Sleep deprivation can affect hunger hormones like ghrelin and leptin, increasing cravings for high-calorie foods.
Aim for 7–9 hours of quality sleep per night to help regulate your appetite and energy levels.
Manage Stress
Chronic stress can lead to overeating and cravings for unhealthy foods. Additionally, stress increases the hormone cortisol, which promotes fat storage, particularly around the abdomen.
Engage in stress-reducing activities such as yoga, meditation, deep breathing exercises, or simply taking time for yourself.
Track Your Progress
Tracking your progress can help keep you focused when losing weight, similar to any long-term goal. By monitoring your food intake, exercise, and weight loss progress, you keep yourself accountable while being able to identify any issues.
Several apps and fitness trackers allow you to log your meals and workouts. Celebrate milestones along the way, even if they're small, and use setbacks as learning opportunities.
Conclusion
Losing 50 pounds is a huge effort, but it can definitely be done. In fact, it's been done many times before. Focus on the different parts of your weight loss plan and optimize each one individually. In addition, set little goals for yourself along the way as you approach the ultimate 50 pounds! Learn and build good habits along the way so that once you lose the weight, you can keep it off!
Prepare to lose some pounds with our exclusive 12-week fat loss training program. Choose between a 4 or 5 day training split and torch that stubborn fat, all while retaining, or even gaining muscle...
References
- Ostendorf, Danielle M., et al. “Physical Activity Energy Expenditure and Total Daily Energy Expenditure in Successful Weight Loss Maintainers.” Obesity, vol. 27, no. 3, 25 Feb. 2019, pp. 496–504, https://ift.tt/osfbm09, https://ift.tt/ZyGYKW1.
- Pesta, Dominik H, and Varman T Samuel. “A High-Protein Diet for Reducing Body Fat: Mechanisms and Possible Caveats.” Nutrition & Metabolism, vol. 11, no. 1, 19 Nov. 2014, p. 53, https://ift.tt/y4EoXpb.
- Stich, Fabia M., et al. “The Potential Role of Sleep in Promoting a Healthy Body Composition: Underlying Mechanisms Determining Muscle, Fat, and Bone Mass and Their Association to Sleep.” Neuroendocrinology, vol. 112, no. 7, 27 July 2021, https://ift.tt/Kwkhbsp.
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