Weight loss is the direly expected fact of many people and it is questionable how long in a sauna to lose some weight. Basically, a sauna enhances weight loss into several policies like kilo weight loss or pound weight loss. There are several situations in life that might require you to immediately lose weight. You might want to lose weight for a weigh-in before a weight-based professional sport like boxing, wrestling, free weight lifts, kickboxing, etc. Or you might want to appear slimmer or less heavy for any special occasion like a party or a wedding. Just as there are lots of reasons for needing immediate weight loss, there are several methods for it as well.
All of these methods have their positive and negative aspects, some are quicker, but more detrimental to your overall health, while others take more time while protecting your long-term health. If you’re intrigued by this idea, here’s a quick guide on the dos and don’ts of losing two pounds of weight in a very short amount of time, using a sauna.
We’ll tell you everything you want to know so you can get all the necessary information on how to lose weight in a sauna, we’ll also tell you the ideal amount of time for your quick weight loss technique along with all the pros and cons of the process. If you want to know how long you need to be in a sauna to lose 2 pounds, read on.
Things to Know about Sauna-Weightloss
Medical experts suggest these things must be taken into account before you decide on losing water weight in a sauna. First things first, it won’t last. This is a given. It’s water weight, it comes and goes and fluctuates even in normal situations. So after a sauna session, it will inevitably come back and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Secondly, you can’t lose fat through this method as it’s based on your body’s sweating process. This method is useful, however, in getting rid of the toxins and waste chemicals like urea and other nitrogen-based compounds from your body.
Physical Metabolism
We must keep in mind that everyone’s body is different. Bodies react in different ways to the heat in the sauna. You might not be a person who sweats a lot, so using a sauna to lose weight may not be as viable an option for you as it would be for another person. You could just get overheated all for nothing and the sauna treatment may even cause more harm than good.
Alternatively, your body may have a low tolerance for heat. There are a lot of health hazards when it comes to heat induction by artificial methods or overheating for a body of this kind. You may have nausea, lightheadedness, dizziness, you may pass out, go into a coma and even die. Thousands of people die from heat strokes or heat caused a hemorrhage in the brain every year. So, you have to take into account your body’s reaction to heat and then decide if you want to lose weight in a sauna.
Related: Best Infrared Saunas For Weight Loss
Electrolyte Balancing
The electrolyte balance in your body is closely connected with the amount of water you have in your body. The more salt or electrolytes you have in your body, the more water it will retain. Side by side with this, your electrolyte amount is also connected with your muscular function. You don’t want to lose too many electrolytes because that will definitely make you lose bodily function in all areas, from sensory perception to the ability to exert your body to do anything even remotely strenuous.
Body Mass Index
Another thing to factor into your consideration before you decide you want to lose water weight in a sauna is that the effect the sauna will have on your body will be definitely impacted by your body mass. Your weight, height, how old you are, even the way water is distributed inside your body will have an effect on how you can lose two pounds of weight in the sauna. The best thing to do is to ask a doctor if it’s possible for you.
Related: How Long Should You Wear a Sauna Suit
Pre-requisitions Before Sauna to Lose 2 Pounds
If you’ve decided on doing this anyway, here we go. These are the things you need to do before you can use a sauna to lose 2 pounds of weight.
You have to do this under the supervision of a doctor or an experienced coach. If you’re losing weight for the first time, a good way to do that would be to ease your body into the process.
- Make sure that you’re not losing weight this way for the first time on the day of the competition or any other event. You have to practice this a few times before that date, preferably well before that date. You must work to lose progressively larger amounts of weight every time you practice and slowly work up to the two-pound mark.
- Check your body’s reactions during the weight loss process. If you feel too dizzy or uncomfortable or nauseous, do not consider this option. Similarly, you have to closely watch how much, if at all, your body’s normal functioning is affected by this loss of water weight. If it is significantly altered, do not consider this process a viable option anymore.
- If you observe any complications with the subsequent weight regain, you should not go with this method. It all really depends on your body and the way it adjusts and acclimates to the rapid weight loss process in a sauna.
- ou have to make a few adjustments to your diet. You are not supposed to eat any salt before you get into the sauna. While we say it should be three days at least, this step has worked best for different people for different amounts of time, ranging from a week or more to just one day. The practice sessions you undertake will also help you figure out all the details, including how much time you need to adjust your diet before you get into the sauna.
- Stop eating a large amount of food starting from the day before the weight loss day at breakfast time. Your food intake should be small amounts of filling food that isn’t too rich in salts. The basic objective is to decrease the quantity or weight of the food you eat while giving you a feeling of fullness. You may indulge in a couple of slices of bread spread throughout this time or an energy bar but mostly it should be proteins.
- The most important thing to do before you get into a sauna to lose two pounds is to hydrate. We can not stress this enough. You must hydrate before you get into the sauna. Start from the day before and keep drinking copious amounts of water. This helps in water retention in your body and it will ease the subsequent water weight loss.
- The salt and the water work in conjunction with each other to keep your body’s water levels to an optimum. The more salt you retain in your body the more water it will attract and keep inside your body. If you really want relatively long water weight loss you must cut down on salt and increase your water uptake.
- When you drink a lot of water it causes a lot of urine production. The urine takes with it the salts and harmful materials from your body causing you to slowly lose the salts in your body that make it retain the water that you want to lose.
- You must need a bucket of cold water to breathe cool air from because that sometimes helps if you are feeling dizzy. You need to take a towel with you inside the sauna.
Different saunas have different heat settings and different time settings. You must adjust the heat and time on the control panel before you go in. If you’re a beginner, you might want to begin with just 7 minutes and forty degrees Celsius and work your way up slowly.
Related: Sauna vs Steam Room: Which is better for Health Benefits, Weight Loss, Acne on the Skin?
Working Procedures in a Sauna
When you have turned your sauna on, and adjust the temperature and time settings you must now take a towel and go inside. If you are comfortable, you should stay in there naked. The point of it all is to expose the maximum amount of skin to the heat and humidity inside the sauna so that you can lose your water weight through the natural sweating process of the pores in your skin.
- Once you’re inside you should relax and enjoy the environment. You can listen to some relaxing music or you can read a newspaper or a magazine.
- What you absolutely need to remember is to take short breaks for drinking water and breathing. You may think that it’s weird that we’re asking you to drink water at a time when.you’re supposed to lose water weight but this does make sense. The water that you’re going to lose is the water inside your body already.
- When you sweat, a large amount of water comes out of your body with a little number of salts too. That leaves you with little water and a lot of salt in your body. So, it is recommended to drink a lot of water because it will then bring out the excess salts in your body when you sweat it out in the sauna.
- Evacuate sauna for 5 to 7 minutes after every 15 to 20 minutes. However, this is not a set in stone rule. You may allow yourself breaks at any time if you are feeling particularly uncomfortable.
- For the target weight loss of 2 pounds, anything from 2 hours to 6 hours in a sauna is enough. This means you may lose 2 pounds in 1 day if you do it properly and remember all the precautions you must take into consideration. These precautions make sure you have minimum long term side effects from this procedure.
- You can keep a weighing machine nearby and weigh yourself each time you come out of the sauna so that you know when the target weight loss has been achieved.
- A common question that people ask is whether you should be wearing extra clothing or plastic bags inside the sauna. Well, this is strictly prohibited. You should not cover your skin with multiple layers of clothing inside the sauna because it affects the breathability and open-air exposure of your skin pores. Moreover, the plastic of the garbage bag might become hotter and cause skin damage.
Related: Best Portable Infrared Saunas
Post-requisitions in a Sauna to Lose 2 Pounds
After you come out of the sauna to lose weight, you may dry off with a towel, but do not take a shower however gross you may feel. This is because the shower may cause your skin to reabsorb water through your skin’s pores and you may regain lost water weight. The best way to take your body back to normal temperature is to slowly put it in successively lower temperature environments and gradually bring it back to normal temperature because it is harmful if you immediately expose your body to cold air after you come out of the sauna. When you’re out and dried up, it is now time to go to that weigh-in and use your water weight loss to your advantage.
How To Regain Lost Water Weight
To regain lost water weight you only need to drink some water consistently and eat a couple of healthy meals. A full meal consisting of a good portion of carbohydrates proteins and most importantly, minerals and salts, is the way to go after you undergo a rapid weight loss procedure. That and a good night’s sleep will restore your body to normal temperature in no time.
How To Deal With Heat-Related Difficulties
If you’re feeling nauseous or dizzy during the course of your sauna to lose two pounds or more, and you don’t want to take a break yet, you can use your cold water bucket to keep close to your face and breathe near it. You must be able to resist the temptation of having cold water near you in such an environment, however. You can also try putting your head between your knees.
If the situation worsens and the nauseous feeling isn’t going away, you should take a break and go outside the sauna for a breather and a glass of water. Then, when you feel better, you can go back in and continue the process.
If that doesn’t work and you keep feeling worse, you should immediately consult a doctor or any other health care professional nearby.
Bottom Line of “How long in a sauna to lose 2 pounds”
Apparently, it is not easier how long in a sauna to lose two pounds or more always. Losing weight quickly is a dream for many and a necessity for some, and though it is possible, it should be undertaken only after knowing all the necessary information about it. If you’re looking to know how long it takes in a sauna to lose 2 pounds of weight, it should only take you a maximum of four to six hours of sauna time, including breaks. Make sure to drink lots of water before, during and after, stay safe, and don’t put yourself in any unnecessary medical risks.