# What is the fastest a person can lose weight? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 20, 2017, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-a-person-can-lose-weight/789459 "2017-06-20T18:35:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-a-person-can-lose-weight/789459/21 "2017-06-22T21:30:23Z")
Depending on what part of a person you consider to be essential, King Louis XVI lost quite a bit of weight very quickly. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-a-person-can-lose-weight/789459/22 "2017-06-22T21:54:18Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > How do you survive more than a year without calories?? [Multi-vitamins, yeast, some potassium, and long term medical supervision.](http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/07/24/3549931.htm) An obese person carries a lot of calories on their backs, literally. They key is accessing them without significant malnourishment. With the right vitamins and minerals, a long term fast is just an extreme caloric deficit. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-a-person-can-lose-weight/789459/23 "2017-06-22T21:55:35Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > Angus Barbieri weighed 456 lbs. and didn’t eat _anything_ for 382 days, hitting his goal weight of 180. That’s an average loss of .72 lbs. a day. Unfortunately, he probably doesn’t have much chance of keeping this weight off. Because the way he lost the weight was extraordinary, and not something he can continue from now on. To lose weight & not gain it back, people need to re-learn their eating & exercise habits. Like keeping healthy snacks (baby carrots, celery sticks, etc.) in the house and not candy & cookies. And walking down stairways instead of elevators, and parking your car at the far end of the parking lot. Little things that you can do, and keep doing for the rest of your life. He likely didn’t do that this way. So while he has got his weight down to a good number, the problem will be to keep from re-gaining it. Hopefully, a doctor is working with him to help him learn effective techniques. Now is his best chance to start new. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-a-person-can-lose-weight/789459/24 "2017-06-22T21:59:46Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Unfortunately, he probably doesn’t have much chance of keeping this weight off. > > Because the way he lost the weight was extraordinary, and not something he can continue from now on. To lose weight & not gain it back, people need to re-learn their eating & exercise habits. Like keeping healthy snacks (baby carrots, celery sticks, etc.) in the house and not candy & cookies. And walking down stairways instead of elevators, and parking your car at the far end of the parking lot. Little things that you can do, and keep doing for the rest of your life. > > He likely didn’t do that this way. So while he has got his weight down to a good number, the problem will be to keep from re-gaining it. Hopefully, a doctor is working with him to help him learn effective techniques. Now is his best chance to start new. I think after 382 days of not eating he’d find it pretty easy to just not eat. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-a-person-can-lose-weight/789459/25 "2017-06-22T22:11:58Z")
The link I posted said he lost 125kg (275lbs) that year, and five years later he had only gained back 7kg (15lbs). ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-a-person-can-lose-weight/789459/26 "2017-06-22T22:30:10Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > [Multi-vitamins, yeast, some potassium, and long term medical supervision.](http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/07/24/3549931.htm) > > An obese person carries a lot of calories on their backs, literally. They key is accessing them without significant malnourishment. With the right vitamins and minerals, a long term fast is just an extreme caloric deficit. But even the “starvation diets” that obese people are put on, at least the ones I am aware of, always have some (low) baseline of caloric needs. Usually this is around 400-500 calories/day. From your link: > [@](#): > > Treating obesity by total starvation can be dangerous. There are many reports of total starvation leading to death. This seemed to discuss one man’s success with this recognized-to-be-dangerous diet strategy. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-a-person-can-lose-weight/789459/27 "2017-06-23T03:36:50Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > He likely didn’t do that this way. So while he has got his weight down to a good number, the problem will be to keep from re-gaining it. Hopefully, a doctor is working with him to help him learn effective techniques. Now is his best chance to start new. Actually I’m pretty sure he’s lost even more weight via an even more extreme method starting in 1980. He’s now nothin’ but skin and bones. Or I should say, just bones. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-a-person-can-lose-weight/789459/28 "2017-06-23T04:04:56Z")
This story says he died in 1990, and was not confined to the hospital, which makes me wonder just how well he stuck to that “fast”. 😕 :dubious: > **[The tale of Angus Barbieri who fasted for more than a year - and lost 21 stone](https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/dundee/2544215/tale-angus-barbieri-fasted-year-lost-21-stone/)** > > For most of us, dieting and trying to lose weight involves cutting out sugary snacks and signing up to a gym. However, one Tayport man’s rather ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-a-person-can-lose-weight/789459/31 "2017-06-23T11:57:25Z")
NM ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-a-person-can-lose-weight/789459/32 "2017-06-23T12:33:54Z")
Just as an anecdotal data point, after my bariatric surgery I lost 40 pounds in the first month (when I was on a 600-700 calorie/day mostly liquid diet) after which is slowed and I lost 120 over 7. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-a-person-can-lose-weight/789459/33 "2017-06-23T15:05:22Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > This seemed to discuss one man’s success with this recognized-to-be-dangerous diet strategy. True. I don’t think this is an advisable strategy for weight loss or safe for most people, even under medical supervision. Nevertheless, a very obese man eating absolutely nothing for a year seems to satisfy the OP’s curiosity about the _fastest_ a person can lose weight. And it’s a very interesting story. But yeah, don’t try it at home, kids. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-a-person-can-lose-weight/789459/34 "2017-06-23T15:07:05Z")
Note that starvation is the worst way to try and lose weight. Thanks to eons of evolution where starvation was the bigger risk (not obesity) the body has a process to deal with “not enough coming in”. (I’m sure a real medical expert can chime in…) It shuts down a number of essential processes and begins to use as little calories as possible. As a result, that stored fat will be burned a lot slower than the anticipated 2000 calories a day. Plus, as starvation proceeds, all your muscle mass - which burns extra calories just being there - gets absorbed by the body to also reduce calories needed. Sometimes this includes the heart muscles, which is one reason why people on crash diets risk heart complications - and any seriously intense diet needs medical supervision. People on a habitual low calorie diet, even if not so intense, tend to have difficulty with weight loss because their body has gone into that “survival mode” and allows itself to get by on minimal calories. Allegedly, the best weight loss regimen was moderate calories and more exercise. Which also made you healthier… (This was the point of the Atkins diet and similar - the contention that it was consuming carbohydrates that determined the rate of fat burning, while a lack of protein triggered the starvation response; eat only proteins - and fat - and the body would consume fat reserves for the rest without going into starvation shutdown. AFAIK, this has never been concisely proven but the fad diet world seemed to take it to heart.) ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2017, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-a-person-can-lose-weight/789459/35 "2017-06-24T20:07:23Z")
> [@choie](#): > > Actually I’m pretty sure he’s lost even more weight via an even more extreme method starting in 1980. He’s now nothin’ but skin and bones. Or I should say, just bones. 😃 I’m pretty sure the skin’s still there. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2017, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-a-person-can-lose-weight/789459/36 "2017-06-25T00:10:34Z")
Couple starvation diet with acute influenza, or cancer, or hyperthyroid storm and maybe lose lots. Without something medical causing abnormal metabolic burn? But very low calorie diets (VLCD), meaning 400 to 800 calories a day, which I think qualifies as “starvation diet”, have been [well studied](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1038/oby.2001.134/full). Short term (4 to 6 weeks) VLCD can result in 1.4 to 2.5 kg loss per week, but over the course of 16 to 20 weeks it still averages out to 0.7 to 0.9 kg/wk. Calories out is not a constant and the body adjusts in response to the change. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2017, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-a-person-can-lose-weight/789459/37 "2017-06-25T12:18:57Z")
> [@blood63](#): > > A pound of fat is about 500 grams and each gram of fat is 10 Calories. Therefore a pound of fat is 5000 Calories. I’m wondering how an obese person, presumably inactive, could burn 5000 Calories a day. An average person burns about 2500 Calories per day. By my calculations, a person can only burn 1/2 pound a day. > Perhaps more mass equals more energy burned. > Can anyone help? A pound of fatty tissue is not all fat. Others have mentioned water weight. However, from random googling I’m seeing that adipose tissue is only 10% water. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2017, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-a-person-can-lose-weight/789459/38 "2017-06-26T19:07:24Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > This story says he died in 1990, and was not confined to the hospital, which makes me wonder just how well he stuck to that “fast”. 😕 :dubious: I’m all for healthy skepticism but he _was_ monitored by doctors aregularly nd he _did_ lose the weight in the time reported. If he did slip, it can’t have been much or often, so the accomplishment stands even if we find out he had a burger in there somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2017, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-a-person-can-lose-weight/789459/39 "2017-06-26T20:59:43Z")
The show naked and afraid is pretty much a starvation diet. Weight looses usually range up to about 24# for women and 32# for men in 21 days of near starving. ---
**Author:** ![GiantRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@GiantRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GiantRat)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2017, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-a-person-can-lose-weight/789459/40 "2017-06-27T01:50:41Z")
I’m a bit confused at how slowly people think weight can come off. When I wrestled, I generally lost 2-3 pounds in a 2 hour practice (weighing only about 150 pounds). In a pinch, I’ve lost nearly 10 pounds in a day to make weight. Not healthy, not sustainable, but doable (it certainly does suck, though). The bigger guys (200 pounds+) could sweat out 7 pounds in a practice (and make fun of the smaller guys… they were allowed to eat because they didn’t need to fight to make weight). And then when we’d run laps after practice, the smaller guys inevitably slip and fall in the puddles of sweat they leave on the mat. Not pleasant. It comes down to the exercise component. Work hard, lose water weight, burn fat and calories, sacrifice muscle at times. Again, not a recommended regimen; but it’s possible. ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2017, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-a-person-can-lose-weight/789459/41 "2017-06-27T08:59:36Z")
I can’t believe that, on a board dedicated to fighting ignorance, no one has yet mentioned the fastest way of losing **weight** : go into free fall. Orbit would be a good long-term option, but jumping off a tall building would work too, temporarily. Instant loss of all weight.\* Losing mass, on the other hand, is trickier. 😃 - Please read terms and conditions before jumping. Not covered by most health insurance. ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2017, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-a-person-can-lose-weight/789459/42 "2017-06-27T09:19:24Z")
That’s nothing, I lost 500 pounds in one night. I’ve really got to be careful in British casinos… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-fastest-a-person-can-lose-weight/789459.md?page=1)