How to Lose 20 Pounds in 10 Weeks

Losing 20 pounds (lb) can have significant health benefits for people who are overweight or have obesity.

Rapid weight loss is not always the best option. Crash diets often fail because their extreme measures are not sustainable.

You can achieve steady weight loss through new approaches to sleep, stress management, exercise routines, and diet, resulting in measurable outcomes with a higher likelihood of success.

How Large a Calorie Deficit Would You Need?

In the most basic terms, a calorie deficit means consuming fewer calories from foods and drinks than your body uses in a day.

Maintaining this for 10 weeks, although challenging, could result in losing 20 lb.

What Diet Changes Can Help You Lose 20 Pounds in 10 Weeks?

If you find that you feel hungry when you cut calories, try changing the type of foods you eat. Here are some substitutions to consider that can help you feel fuller:

• Broth-based soups instead of cream-based soups
• Carrot and celery sticks with hummus instead of pretzels, chips, or crackers
• Extra-lean ground beef instead of regular ground beef
• Low-fat dairy instead of regular-fat dairy
• Steamed vegetables instead of fried vegetables or french fries

Exercising for Weight Loss: More Than Just Calories

When choosing cardio workouts or activities, make sure you choose something you enjoy enough to stick with it. You’ll also want to mix up your activities to keep them fun and engaging as well as to work out different muscles and joints.

The following activities and exercises can support a weight loss journey:

• Walking
• Hiking
• Running or jogging
• Gardening
• Yard work
• Group fitness classes
• Swimming laps in a pool
• Water aerobics
• Using exercise equipment like ellipticals, rowers, stationary bikes, or treadmills
• Playing a team sport

Lifting weights is an excellent way to strengthen muscles if you have a gym membership or access to dumbbells or kettlebells at home. But you can still practice strength training with other equipment, such as resistance bands, or body weight exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, and squats.

If you’re brand new to exercise, you may want to talk to a doctor or personal trainer before getting started. A doctor can give you a safe starting point. A trainer can support you by creating an individualized routine, guiding you through the correct form for each exercise, and keeping you accountable.

Other Lifestyle Measures to Support Losing 20 Pounds in 10 Weeks

Sustained and steady weight loss goes beyond exercise and diet changes. Other factors can influence weight management beyond your initial goal.

• Assess your readiness to make the necessary changes, including whether you are prepared to commit. Discuss your goals with a doctor. Consider stress eating and stress management strategies, and identify other barriers that might prevent you from reaching your goals.
• Set reasonable goals for your weight loss and track your progress against them, especially if you’re aiming for 2 lb per week, which is at the more ambitious end of the safe weight loss range.
• Discover your inner drive to stay motivated, including your personal whys. Surrounding yourself with people who can support your goals, such as a fitness group, a weight loss group, or supportive friends and family, can help you stay driven and accountable.
• Discover how to make healthy foods taste great with a variety of spices, herbs, and aromatic veggies. Explore other cooking techniques.

Thinking about other goals may help if you don’t quite hit your weight loss targets. While it may have health benefits, 20 lb in 10 weeks is simply a number (and a high one at that). Your motivation may benefit from considering your deeper drive for weight loss.

Accounting for more than just dieting and exercise may help you maintain your efforts past your initial weight loss goals and live a healthier, more active life.

The Takeaway

• Losing 20 lb in about 10 weeks is challenging but possible. You’ll need to maintain a calorie deficit of 750 to 1,000 calories per day to lose 2 lb weekly.
• Achieving this goal requires a combination of healthier eating, increasing exercise, and managing other areas of your life, such as stress and sleep.
• Setting realistic goals, tracking food intake, and working with others can all help you achieve your initial goals and continue making healthy choices after you reach your goal weight.
• Speak to a healthcare professional, nutrition expert, or personal trainer if you’re finding weight loss challenging or feel you’d benefit from support.