Putting together a plan to lose 20 lbs. can be a life-changing decision. Losing the weight will help you feel healthier and look better. The decision to exercise regularly and make healthy changes to your diet can get you on the right path for a significant period of time. You can lose weight quickly in a number of ways, but doing it with exercise and dietary changes gives you the best chance of keeping the weight off for a long time.
Step 1
One of the most effective ways to lose weight is by doing cardiovascular exercise to get your heart rate up and help you burn fat and calories. Interval sprinting is among the most effective forms of cardiovascular exercises. Sprint 100 yards. Follow that by sprinting 90, 80 and 70 yards. Do not rest between sprints. When you finish all four sprints, take a two-minute break. Follow that up by doing another set of sprints. Do one more double-set of sprints before you finish your workout at the track. Do this four times per week.
Step 2
Lift weights to get stronger while burning fat and calories. The bench press, arm curls, the dead lift and lunges are free-weight exercises that will help you lose weight. However, if you are using free weights, you will need a training partner to spot you. If you don't have that opportunity, do circuit training to work out your arms, shoulders, back, chest, abs, glutes, hamstring and calf muscles. If you don't have circuit training equipment, do push-ups, pull-ups and ab crunches. Do this four times per week.
Step 3
Ride a bike, swim or walk for additional cardiovascular exercise. You don't have to sprint like you do when you are doing interval training, but you do have to run hard and do it for at least 30 minutes to get your heart rate up. Since you are sprinting during interval training, ride a bike for additional cardiovascular work. Do this on the three days per week you are not sprinting.
Step 4
Make key changes to your diet if you want to lose 20 lbs. Cut out red meat and eat white-meat chicken and fish as your main sources of protein. Eat two to three portions of fresh vegetables and two to three portions of fresh fruit every day. Eat complex carbohydrates like pasta and brown rice as your energy sources for your heavy exercise workload. Don't eat fast foods, and stay away from desserts.
Step 5
Drink at least 64 oz. of water every day. Water will not only keep your system hydrated, it will also help wash the toxins out of your body. Don't drink sports drinks that are high in sugar, and stay away from sodas. Your body will respond much better to drinking water when you are working out regularly.
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