Twenty pounds seems like a great deal of weight to lose when you're standing on the scale. To lose 20 pounds in two months, you need to commit to making healthy food choices and exercising five to six days a week. Your level of commitment will determine how successful you are in your attempt to lose weight.
Calculate Your Rate
Two months is about eight and a half weeks. Divide 20 pounds by eight and a half weeks and you will find that you need to lose an average of two pounds a week. To lose two pounds a week, you must burn about 7,000 calories more than you eat each week. Create a calorie deficit for yourself by eating less and moving more. The combination of the two can help you lose 20 pounds.
Eating Strategy
How you eat while losing weight makes a difference in your rate of loss, as well as in your overall health. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends reducing your caloric intake by 500 to 1,000 calories a day, exercising five hours a week and reducing your fat intake to less than 30 percent of your total caloric intake. To reduce your fat intake, avoid foods in which more than 30 percent of their calories come from fat. To cut calories easily, remove unhealthy foods from your diet, such as chips, candy, butter and fast food. Replace unhealthy food choices with low-calorie vegetables, lean meats and fruits.
Exercise Regularly
It would be difficult to cut enough calories on a daily basis to lose 20 pounds in two months without exercising. Exercise can be as easy as completing an hour of fast walking each day or joining a gym and working out every morning before work. Choose challenging activities that you enjoy. Consider circuit training, using a recumbent bicycle, jogging, rebounding or using a rower. Include two sessions of strength training workouts a week to improve your muscle tone as you lose weight.
Keep Track
Keeping a journal of every item of food you eat is an easy way to increase the number of pounds you lose. A 2006 study published in “The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity” found that participants who tracked their calorie and fat intake, planned meals and measured food on their plates were more successful at losing and maintaining weight. You can track your progress online or in a notebook
References
- CaloriesPerHour.com: What It Takes to Lose a Pound
- ACSM’s Certified News: Nutrition Tips for Health and Athletic Performance Enhancement in Adults; Peter Ronai; October-December 2008
- WomensHealth.gov: Physical Activity
- “The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity”: Dietary and Physical Activity Behaviors Among Adults Successful at Weight Loss Maintenance; 2006
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