Losing 20 pounds is a great goal for anyone who wants to live a healthier lifestyle. Once the decision is made to lose weight, most people want to do it as quickly and as easily as possible. But as most dieters know, it's not easy to lose 20 pounds. However, you can lose this weight relatively fast if you eat properly and do cardiovascular exercises and strength training.
Cardiovascular Exercise
Develop a consistent cardiovascular exercise program. You can run, swim, bike or walk. It doesn't matter which exercise you choose as long as you exercise for at least 25 minutes at a time in order to get your heart rate up.
Strength Training
Strength training is an important part of any exercise program to lose weight. It builds muscle and also helps burn calories. Lifting free weights is usually the best way to build muscle and burn calories because you also have to balance the weight as well as lift it. If you don't have access to free weights or don't have a spotter who can help you, use circuit training machines to build strength. The bench press, arm curls, lunges and dead lifts are excellent for building strength. Don't lift more than three times per week -- your muscles need time to recover after each workout.
Diet
Make healthy changes to your diet. Cut out fatty red meats and eat white meat chicken, fish and lean meats. Eat two to three portions of fresh fruits and fresh vegetables every day. Cut out fast foods and junk foods. Drink 64 oz. of water every day in order to wash the toxins out of your system and lubricate your muscles, joints and tendons.
Warning
You may be tempted to use diet pills, diet drinks and take drugs to help facilitate weight loss. Not only is this a poor long-term solution, it can have unhealthy long-term implications. Weight-loss drugs may help you get the weight off, but you are likely to regain the weight quickly. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, taking off and putting weight back on -- known as yo-yoing -- can impact your heart and other vital organs.
Considerations
According to MayoClinic.com, cutting 500 calories from your daily diet results in losing 1 pound per week, since 3,500 calories is the equivalent of a pound. You can burn 1,000 calories a day through moderate exercise. By subtracting 3,500 calories per week from your diet and burning 7,000 calories per week through exercise, you will lose 3 pounds per week. This is reasonable and healthy. As a result, you will lose 21 pounds in seven weeks.
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