When we have important events coming up, we often take measures to lose weight quickly. We diet and exercise, doing everything in our power to fit into our ideal outfits. From limiting sodium to completing an extra set of ab exercises, there are many measures we can take to look and feel our slimmest. Nevertheless, it’s important to remember that sustainable weight loss takes time.

In order to drop pounds and keep them off, we need to maintain healthy habits long term, constantly challenging ourselves to be better. This includes a balanced diet and an active lifestyle. Most diets and supplements that promise rapid weight loss won’t give you lasting results. In order to lose 5 pounds of fat in 2 days, you would need to have a calorie deficit equal to 2.5 lb. per day. Using the frequently-quoted 3,500 calories per pound, this would mean you would need a deficit of 8,750 calories. A person of average weight would need to complete about three marathons per day to achieve a deficit of this magnitude.