The way to lose weight by dieting is with a slow and steady calorie restriction. Losing weight slowly is safer and is more likely to keep you from gaining it back, and yo-yo dieting puts a strain on your body. Cutting your calories, keeping a food diary, getting support from friends, and eating low-calorie, nutritious foods will help you lose 20 pounds in 10 to 20 weeks.
Step 1
Keep track of everything you eat for a week. Writing down everything you eat and drink will show you exactly what you are eating and how much. Add up all your calories for the week and divide by seven to calculate the average of what you are consuming daily.
Step 2
Reduce your daily calorie average by 500 to 1,000 calories. The American Obesity Association advises this amount to help you lose 1 to 2 pounds each week. Substitute water for beverages like colas, coffee drinks and alcohol to cut 200 or more calories per drink. Skip bread or rolls at lunch and dinner to save 300 or more calories, as recommended by "Shape" magazine in an article called "Drop a Pound by Friday." Eliminate all junk food and eat an apple, celery or carrots if you're hungry between meals; the low-calorie fiber will fill you up.
Step 3
Consult a nutritionist, dietitian, or your doctor if you are not losing 1 to 2 pounds per week. Have her look over your food diary to be sure you are eating a well-balanced diet and an appropriate number of calories.
Step 4
Ask your friends or family to be supportive. Companies like Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig have meetings, meal plans and food for sale that may make dieting easier for you, but just having friends to talk to and share your progress with can be motivating.
Step 5
Keep your food diary until you've lost the 20 pounds. This should take about 10 to 20 weeks. The more calories you cut, the sooner you will reach your goal.
Tips and Warnings
- Exercise will contribute to weight loss as well as dieting. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends 30 to 90 minutes of exercise five days a week. If you cut too many calories per day it may become too difficult to stick to your target goal. Be sure to eat healthy foods so you get enough nutrients for your body. If you eat so little that you feel deprived enough to binge, you will set up a cycle of failure. See the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's sample menus on low-calorie diets between 1,200 and 1,600 calories for help eating fewer calories as part of a balanced diet.
Things You'll Need
- Food diary
References
- Common-Sense Strategies to Long-Term Weight Loss
- CDC: Losing Weight
- "Drop a Pound by Friday;" Shape magazine; Sharon Liao; November 2009
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