An 11-pound weight loss in a mere 96 hours…sound too good to be true? It’s not, according to recent research—losing 11 pounds in four days is possible. In fact, you can even keep it off for months.
What’s the catch? Well, those four days won’t be easy. The study, published in The Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports put a group of healthy but overweight men on a low-calorie, high-exercise plan. The men ate just 360 calories a day—a reduction of about 1,800 calories from their norms—all in liquid form, either a sugary drink or a high-protein one.
Then came the exercise—a 45-minute strength workout that consisted of cranking an arm-pedaling machine, followed by an eight-hour walk (yes, you read that right). The men were allowed one 10-minute break every hour and as much of a low-calorie beverage as they wanted.
Sound grueling? Most of the participants didn’t think so, experiencing only minor joint pain and blisters. According to the study’s lead researcher José Calbet, most of the men “were surprised that it was easier than they thought it would be,” and none dropped out or complained of hunger.
