Though there are many diet products and gimmicks promising quick weight loss, the best way to shed pounds remains comprehensive lifestyle changes in diet and exercise. Eating a reduced-calorie diet and engaging in exercise creates a healthy and sustainable form of weight loss. How quickly you are able to lose 20 lbs. depends on a number of factors, including your current body fat percentage, metabolism and your workout program.
Setting Goals
The first thing you need to do with any weight-loss program is to establish a time frame over which you would like to meet your goal. According to the Mayo Clinic website, you can lose 1 to 2 lbs. of fat per week without any risk to your health, though your weight loss may happen faster or slower, depending on your physiology and workout program. You need to burn 500 to 1,000 calories more than you consume each day to achieve a 1 or 2 lb. weight loss per week. Make your goals as specific and measurable as possible so they are easier to motivate yourself toward. Recording your nutrition and workouts will help you stay on track to meeting your 20 lb. weight loss.
Nutrition
Changing your diet is a way to cut back your daily consumption and create a fat-shedding calorie deficit. Competitive athlete trainer Shannon Clark urges dieters to track the calories in their daily foods so you know how much you are taking in. To effectively lose weight, you need to consume 12 or 13 calories per pound at your target weight. Out of your calories, you need to eat approximately 1g of protein for every pound of body weight you have. Split the remainder of your calories between carbohydrates and healthy fats. If you are new to dieting, make changes gradually so you do not feel overwhelmed.
Cardiovascular Exercise
Regular cardiovascular exercise is a way to burn calories in the gym. In 2004, the Harvard Medical School calculated the average number of calories burned during 30 minutes of common exercises. The researchers found that vigorous cycling on a stationary bike was the best gym activity, consuming 391 calories every 30 minutes for a 155 lb. person. In terms of outdoor sporting activities, running on pace with a six-minute mile, which translates to 10 mph, allows a 155 lb. person to burn 614 calories every 30 minutes.
Weight Training
Though it is not as fast a fat burner as cardiovascular exercise, including weight training in your weight-loss program can help you burn calories even when you are not at the gym. According to Len Kravitz of the University of New Mexico, exercising with resistance training two or three times a week at moderate resistance levels can increase your metabolism not only during the training, but also after you finish working out. Your weight-training program needs to include a variety of exercises, and no muscle group should be exercised for two consecutive workouts. Programs that focus on a high volume of repetitions rather than lifting a heavy amount of weight are better for fat loss.
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