In order to lose 20 lbs. in 61 days, you'll need to burn 70,000 more calories than you eat, using the Mayo Clinic's formula of 3,500 more calories burned than eaten for each pound of weight lost. This translates to a deficit of approximately 1,150 more calories burned than eaten per day, which might be unhealthy if you attempt to create this deficit through diet only. Creating your calorie deficit using a combination of diet and exercise, such as walking, is a more healthy approach, and will provide additional fitness benefits, such as improved heart health.
Step 1
Calculate the number of calories a person your gender and age should eat for weight maintenance and good health. Use the U.S. Department of Agriculture general guidelines, or consult with a health professional for your specific needs. The USDA suggests 1,600 calories daily for inactive women, 2,000 calories for active women and teenage girls, and 2,800 for men and teen boys.
Step 2
Calculate the number of calories you will burn each day through walking. A MayoClinic.com exercise chart shows that walking for one hour at 2 mph burns 183 calories for a 160-lb. person, 228 calories for a 200-lb. person, and 273 calories if you weigh 240 lbs. If you walk at a rate of 3.5 mph, those calorie numbers go up to 277, 346 and 414, respectively. If you already walk and will maintain your current pace for your weight-loss program, use a heart rate monitor to determine the calories you burn during your walks.
Step 3
Write menu plans for each day's meals and snacks that create a 1,150-calorie deficit. For example, if you need 2,000 calories per day to maintain your weight and are a 160-lb. woman who will burn 275 calories by walking each day, you will need to create daily meals plans that provide you with no more than 1,125 calories (2,000 - 1,150 + 275 = 1,125). The USDA recommends 1,200 daily calories as the minimum for an adult woman, so you should consider raising your walking pace or duration to burn more calories so you can raise your caloric intake.
Step 4
Begin walking at a brisk, but not high-intensity pace for several minutes as your heart rate, blood circulation and muscles adjust to the exercise. Raise your heart rate to a level you can sustain for one hour. If you try to burn more calories by walking at a faster pace, you may tire too soon and have to stop. Swing your arms and occasionally skip or raise your knees high to add more muscle movements and burn more calories.
Step 5
Check your heart rate monitor during your walk, if you are using one, to gauge your progress, in terms of expected calories burned during your outing. Talk every few minutes to ensure that you have not left your aerobic heart range--if you are out of breath and can't talk, you may be working too hard.
Step 6
Walk more slowly for the last five minutes of your outing to lower your heart rate. Stretch after you are finished to improve muscle flexibility and decrease muscle soreness later. Look at your heart rate monitor, if you use one, to check your calories burned.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Walking for Fitness: How to Trim Your Waistline, Improve Your Health
- Mayo Clinic: Metabolism and Weight Loss--How you Burn Calories
- Mayo Clinic: Exercise for Weight Loss--Calories Burned in 1 Hour
- Reader's Digest: Walk Your Way to Weight Loss
- American College of Sports Medicine: Basic Recommendations From ACSM and American Heart Association
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