How to Lose 20 Pounds: 6 Effortless Tips
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You want to lose 20 pounds, but you don’t know where to begin. Sounds familiar?
Many people battle with trying to lose weight. With so many opinions, crash diets, and trending weight loss programs, it’s no wonder that getting started is a challenge.
Losing weight can benefit your body in numerous ways, from improving heart health to regulating high blood sugar and cholesterol. It can slash your risk of medical conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
Dropping excess fat can be life-changing, but how do you actually progress?
In short, losing weight comes down to a healthy lifestyle. It requires dietary changes and the addition of exercise into your routine. It sounds simple, but these methods are proven strategies for weight loss success.
Now, committing to losing weight is one thing, but getting it off is another.
This article covers the top ways to help you lose weight safely and healthily to reach the 20-pound mark.
What Are the Best Ways to Lose 20 Pounds?
There’s no one way or fast track route to weight loss success. The best solution to reach a healthy weight comes from an accumulation of factors. Tackling it head-on through proven means is an excellent way to gradually say goodbye to that stored fat.
The internet is overwhelming in terms of information. While there are all kinds of diets to try, you should try to avoid crash dieting and trending weight loss plans that have little evidence to support them.
We’ve rounded up 6 of the best ways to lose weight healthily. Let’s get down to business.
#1 Stay hydrated
Aside from clearing the skin, curing headaches, and refreshing your system, drinking water is proven to reduce hunger pangs and suppress appetite.
Upping your water intake while watching your calories is a simple solution to promote weight loss. It will also help settle a rumbling stomach. Instead of reaching for a snack or a quick fix from refined carbs, sip a glass of water.
Water makes you feel fuller. It fills your body and can help limit the amount of food you have at mealtimes. If you’re trying to reduce the amount you eat, drinking water prior to eating can prevent you from overeating.
As water is calorie-free, choosing it over beverages like tea, coffee, and soda will help reduce your overall liquid calories.
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#2 Incorporate exercise into your routine
Adding physical activity to your routine is vital for fat loss. It can be challenging at first, but once you’re into a regular routine, you will notice the benefits.
Whether it’s a daily walk or a swimming class, any physical movement is going to help you shed those pounds.
If you’re looking for a top solution to burning calories, cardiovascular exercise should be at the top of your list. High-intensity cardio can blast more calories in a shorter space than other more liberal exercises.
Switch up your walks to a run a couple of times a week if you’re feeling up to it. If you already follow a regular workout routine, try stepping things up a notch.
Resistance training is another option to promote weight loss. Strength training helps build lean muscle and to rebuild muscle loss.
#3 Count your calories
In a nutshell, weight loss occurs when you burn more calories than you take in. You need to make a calorie deficit.
Keeping track of what you consume throughout the day is demanding, but taking note of caloric intake by calorie counting will give you an insight into what’s going on with your body and what you need to do next.
If you want to reach your target weight, consume fewer calories. Opt for low-calorie foods which are nutritionally beneficial. You can document your food intake in a food journal. It will aid the process of counting calories and keep you focused.
How many calories you need to consume comes down to you and how quickly you want to lose weight. 3,500 calories are the equivalent of 1 pound of body fat. That means you have to burn that many calories to reduce body fat.
Try cutting back 500 calories per day and see how you manage. It can make a big difference.
#4 Try a plant-based diet
The vegan and vegetarian lifestyles are becoming increasingly popular for various reasons. One reason is the link to fat loss, as studies report weight reductions.
It’s now easier than ever to get on board with, as it’s no longer a struggle to find meat and dairy substitutes on the market.
Don’t fall under the false belief that you are limited to a vegetable salad. Many people fear a vegan diet is lacking in protein, with the elimination of meat. However, there are many plant-based foods rich in protein. All it takes is a little research.
A plant-based diet can help you maintain a healthy weight and aid in losing weight.
It’s a good way to get you to focus more on food, as you seek to incorporate all the essential food groups without animal-based products. Enrich your diet with raw veggies, olive oil, and lots of fiber.
#5 Avoid refined food
Cutting back on refined carbs is a no-brainer for any diet plan if you want to lose 20 pounds. Refined foods are ultimately processed foods, stripped of almost all nutritional value. Examples include white bread, white flour, white pasta, white rice, soda, and pastries.
Refined carbohydrates mostly contain sugars and processed grains. Although they taste good, there are no benefits from eating them. They give you a quick fix, increasing blood sugar temporarily. Treat such foods as junk food to avoid them.
Eat more healthily by sticking to whole foods and whole grains.
#6 Eat more protein
Protein is an essential part of a balanced diet. It helps build and repair muscle and bones, fuel energy, and support weight loss as studies show that eating more than the daily recommendation can reduce overall body weight.
Protein-rich foods can help you feel full for a longer time, making snacking and overeating easier to avoid.
If you’re exercising, protein will support your muscles and promote muscle growth.
What Is the Fastest and Safest Way to Lose 20 Pounds?
An accumulation of the factors mentioned earlier will give you a good shot at losing 20 pounds. As you increase your water and protein intake, count your calories, get regular exercise, and eat a healthy diet, you’re sure to see results in time.
If you’re looking for a way to lose weight faster without putting yourself at risk of health conditions, intermittent fasting can be a good option when you do it properly.
Intermittent fasting is the term given to meal timing schedules. It requires that you restrict eating to certain hours of the day. The rest of the time, your body is in fasting mode.
It’s essentially all about when you eat, and the aim is to allow your body to burn fat for fuel.
It can be mentally challenging and complicated to navigate when you’re new to it.
DoFasting is an app that acts as an intermittent fasting tracker. It guides clients through daily fasting schedules customized to their needs. It’s an easy way to lose weight and take up intermittent fasting. There’s no extra equipment, supplements, or gym membership required.
Your Personal Intermittent Fasting App
- Progress tracker and calendar
- Calorie tracker
- More than 5,000 healthy recipes
- Training routines
- Daily motivation and tips
- Water intake targeting
- Daily caloric intake tracker
As well as being educational, DoFasting offers a database of tasty recipes created by nutritionists to help you through your routine. It also includes simple exercises suitable for every day.
A completely new routine could be the solution to dropping excess weight quickly, without putting your health at risk.
How Long Does It Take to Lose 20 Pounds?
People lose weight at different rates. Whether you want to lose 5 or 20 pounds, there is no set time frame. Your weight loss journey is personal, so we can’t predict for sure when you will reach your target weight.
As well as forming clean eating habits, losing weight depends on age, activity level, and current body weight.
We know that healthy weight loss is key to maintaining your results. Rapid weight loss can lead to adverse side effects, including muscle loss, nutrient deficiencies, and a slower metabolism.
On top of that, your mental health might take a hit as your body reacts to the drastic changes.
Some research suggests that crash dieting can lead to weight gain. You could end up putting on more weight than before and even risk obesity.
It’s natural to want results fast, but it’s best to try to lose 20 pounds in the safest possible manner.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that losing 1–2 pounds of body fat per week helps people keep the weight off. With that in mind, you could expect to reach your goal in 10 to 20 weeks following a good diet plan and weight loss program.
A Word From RD
Losing 20 pounds might seem like an impossible battle, but it is entirely possible.
You’re not going to lose it overnight. It does require patience and lifestyle changes, but with a mix of proven strategies, you can progress with your weight loss journey.
The body loses fat when a calorie deficit occurs. This is when your body burns more calories than you consume. So ultimately, you need to lower your caloric intake and burn calories through exercise.
A healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is crucial. Cut out refined foods, particularly refined carbs such as white bread, pizza dough, baked goods, sweets, and soda.
Increasing your protein intake can help you shed pounds, as foods high in protein help keep you feeling fuller for longer. You won’t feel the need to snack as much or overindulge at mealtimes.
Starting your weight loss journey with a goal of losing 20 pounds is a great strategy if you are willing to lose 40 pounds in a long run.
Before starting any weight loss program, you should consult your doctor to ensure your chosen diet plan is safe for you.
Conclusion
Losing weight successfully can be an uphill battle without the right strategy. A good diet combined with regular exercise is scientifically proven to deliver results. It will also make you feel good and keep your energy levels up in the process.
For a fast and safe way to lose 20 pounds, you could consider the fasting route with the help of the DoFasting app.
Whatever you decide to try, you should speak with your physician to ensure the most appropriate action for your body. It’s only a matter of time before you will be saying goodbye to those excess pounds and enjoying your new waistline.
Edibel Quintero is a medical doctor who graduated in 2013 from the University of Zulia and has been working in her profession since then. She specializes in obesity and nutrition, physical rehabilitation, sports massage and post-operative rehabilitation. Edibel's goal is to help people live healthier lives by educating them about food, exercise, mental wellness and other lifestyle choices that can improve their quality of life.
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