You cut off your favorite drink, favorite chocolate, and also bid farewell to the biggest piece of cake. You shove down the most-hated green veggies into your throat. You walk 10,000 steps every day. You sweat every day.
All of these hard works make the weighing scale turn a bit on the left from what it shows already. But what delayed it so much? How long does it take to lose 20 pounds? When you saw your favorite celebrity do it, it seemed very easy. But, when you are at it, it is the most difficult job out there.
Weight loss appears effortless when seen from afar. The closer you get, the more you realize how much blood and sweat is behind it.
Let’s get to the article on how you can achieve a toned body, correct BMI, and a weighing scale that gives you peace when you look at it.
Precisely speaking, you can lose 20 pounds as quickly as 4 weeks or even a year. It is up to you how fast you act on it. Few of the basics are the same for all. A good diet, exercise routine, and unending consistency and motivation are key to trick your weighing scale on the left.
Table of Content
What to eat
You are wrong to think you will get away with whatever you eat and remain slim. Not everyone is blessed with such a great metabolism. Most people tend to gain weight whatever they eat and the lifestyle they lead.
Without pondering how long does it take to 20 pounds, pay attention to the following factors.
Calorie count
The easiest way to begin any of your weight loss journeys is by counting your calories. If you are a sedentary worker, your average calorie demand should be within 1200-1500 kcals. For an active person, it is a little more than that.
In this calorie range, it is wiser to choose foods that are beneficial for your health and helps you lose weight. You will have to alter your habits and exclude high-calorie, carbohydrate-rich, trans-fat-rich, and sugary foods.
Ensure the solid and necessary calories only. You need to eat the right kind of calories to secure yourself from gaining the extra pounds.
Pick the right foods
Suppose you are deficient in fat, but you want to rapidly get those extra 20 pounds off your body. Will it be a wiser choice to omit the fat from your diet still? No, it is not.
The stereotypical misconception of fats being harmful has proved to be fatal for many. Inarguably, fats are an essential component of your body. It has so many advantages; I can go on and on.
If you plan to lose 20 pounds as soon as possible, it is essential to know your body type. On that basis, you must know what foods are best for you, what foods you are allergic to, or even what foods slow down your metabolism.
Pick a high protein diet. Choose carbs at the least amount. Include more green vegetables in your diet. Never forget the good fats for you, which could be nuts, butter, anything!
Seasonal fruits can be an excellent medium for losing weight.
Try to prefer your locally available ones over internationally marketed ones. Try to pick foods that are readily available and easy to make. Treat yourself once or twice you don’t lose your taste over various foods.
Is it safe to lose 20 pounds in a month? It is if you never forget your water!
Proportionate eating with the right foods
The crucial part of any weight loss journey is to choose the right foods in the right quantity. You need to pick the correct amount of foods according to your needs. If your tummy suffices in two leg pieces of chicken, but you still want an extra piece, fight your inner self.
Proportionate eating will help significantly in calorie counting. You can ascertain which foods are most needed for you and which you can avoid. An excellent trick to have food in a lesser proportion is to try the Placebo effect. You can trick your mind by having a smaller plate and fill it up with your favorite foods. Naturally, as the less amount of food will accommodate, you can control your proportions.
Losing the extra pounds is the key. You do not have to give up your favorite foods for it. Include even the junk foods but in smaller portions.
Intermittent Fasting
Fitness enthusiasts are always looking out for the next best option. And one such way is Intermittent Fasting.
Most people are looking for answers to “how long does it take to lose 20 pounds with intermittent fasting”.
Intermittent fasting is not eating anything except for your eating window. In your eating window, you must eat healthy foods and in lesser proportions. At a 16:8, 12:12, or 20:4 ratio, you can eat anything according to your diet.
In your fasting window, you can only have water, green tea, or coffee.
In your eating window, it is highly recommended to eat low-carbohydrates and high-protein food. Protein-rich foods will increase your muscle bulk and help to give you satiety. Include fibrous foods in your eating window, along with healthy fats to make you feel full.
Various diets
Out there, you will find numerous diets and tricks to lose 20 pounds quickly. There are plenty out there: Keto diet, One Meal a Day diet, Protein diet, water diet, Low carb diet.
When you aim to lose the extra 20 pounds off your body, you should stick to one diet and get used to it. A diet is a key to losing fat and also not gaining any more of the extra weight.
Try not to be too harsh on yourself with the diet. Go easy on yourself and eat foods that will benefit you. A good diet will keep you energetic and active throughout the day. You will be feeling fresh all through.
Burn what you eat
You can’t be searching options on “how long does it take to lose 20 pounds?” and keep on munching your favorite chocolate. If you are looking for rapid and sustainable results, you must work very hard on it.
To lose that much weight, with an effective diet, you need a good exercise routine. The routine should burn all the extra calories that you eat and that in-store. Here are some tips on how you can burn what you eat:
Cardio
Cardio exercises help to accelerate your heart rate and make it beat faster. These workouts are suitable for a healthy heart. These are highly effective for weight loss as well.
Some of the most common cardio exercises are walking, swimming, jumping ropes, running, cycling, burpees, squats, planks, lunges, pushups, kickboxing, stair climbing, jogging, power walking, etc.
Cardio plays a vital role in increasing your metabolism and keeps you feel fresh. It also improves your breathing and makes you more functional.
Take breaks
Infusing a workout schedule into your daily routine is crucial. It makes constructive changes in your body. But it is also significant to take breaks between your heavy workout routine.
When exercising for a long time, and at a constant rate, your body tires too. It becomes more sluggish and exhausting. To get away from this fatigue, it is highly recommended to take breaks in between working out.
Rather than exercising every day, take a day’s break and relax. Then start up the next day with more strength and agility.
Strength training
Fat produces energy in our bodies. When the body undergoes the weight loss regime, it loses a noticeable amount of fat. All these can make you physically weak. For such, strength training exercises are recommended to ensure you are strong and sustain the entire process.
Various strength training exercises are there to burn out what you eat and shape you up. Namely, leg raise, squat, plank, deadlift, lunge, push-ups, squats, deadlifts, side planks, etc.
Sleep well
A 6 to 8-hour sleep is mandatory for successful weight loss. Good sleep will keep you fresh and also help you lighten up your mood. You will feel more motivated doing exercises.
Stay on it
Weight loss can be a very frustrating thing to do. It’s pretty common to start questioning how long does it take to lose 20 pounds with exercise. There will be times when you feel like giving up, crave your favorite meals, and want to have that drink, but you can’t. There will be times when you have to give yourself that extra push and fight for yourself.
It would help if you stayed highly motivated through the time you want to lose weight. Starting from the morning to finishing it off at night, remember to stay focused. Only then you may get what you want.
Losing 20 pounds is not an easy task. Even if you do it rapidly, it is extremely tough to maintain it. So it is advised to stay on the routine that you are following and be on it.
Motivate yourself
Mental strength is inarguably the most dominant part of any fitness journey. There will be days when you don’t want to run the extra mile or give that extra push-up.
But you have to.
Fitness is not easy. Having a desirable body looks great, and most importantly, being healthy is not easy to achieve. Many people have been on the fitness mantra for years and have not achieved it only because they get motivated.
Yoga, meditation, and enough rest help to keep you motivated. Indulge yourself in activities that keep you happy and jolly.
Wake up early in the morning and do some yoga or aerobic exercises. At about mid-day, enjoy your lunch and then go for a walk. Give your family some time at the dinner table. Do anything that will help you drive through.
FAQs
Is it possible to lose 20 pounds in a week?
Factually, it is possible to lose 20 pounds. But, it will not be long-lasting. This is because it is a sudden change, and the body tends to adapt to it. So for this sudden change, the body can go back to what was easy.
Nevertheless, it can be controlled if a person keeps on continuing his lifestyle for a longer time.
Can you drink alcohol and lose 20 pounds?
Alcohol contains a huge number of sugary substances. It is never a good choice if you want to lose weight. Moreover, it does not keep your heart and liver healthy.
Will your skin loosen if you lose weight quickly?
Do a few body toning exercises so that your skin does not loosen quickly.
Can you have milk and still lose 20 pounds?
Lactose tends to increase more muscle pounds and increase the bulk. But it may increase your body weight. If you want to reduce weight rapidly then, it is better to avoid it for a while.
Conclusion
“How long does it take to lose 20 pounds?”
Healthily, it takes more than four to six weeks. Otherwise, you can do it within two weeks. However, It is wiser to choose the healthier route because you want a sustainable result. You do not wish to gain weight again after losing it at a rate that too can be double.
Weight loss is 80% of what you eat and 20% of what you burn. So choose your meals rationally and eat in a proportionate amount. Do not forget to sleep well and exercise every once in a while.
Happy eating!
