How to Lose 20 Pounds in Just One Month

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All too often we assume cutting calories as the only solution for weight loss. But as time passes by we start to realize that even if we are losing weight this way, restricting calories is just not the right thing to do. With health problems and side effects including malnutrition, gallstones, dehydration, reduced fertility. Losing weight this way is just not worth it. So, here’s a much more healthy approach to help you lose 20 pounds in a month without starving yourself every day

Assuming that you are a total newbie, training every day to burn excess calories is also not going to work. While building a skyscraper the first thing you need is a strong foundation similarly to lose weight the first thing you need is a proper lifestyle. A lifestyle that helps you manage your work life, love life, your health, and help you lose weight

You may not accept this but your sedentary, and passive lifestyle, Your inability to take control of your life, Problems you face daily, Your lack of focus on the future is resulting in poor lifestyle choices

The worst part of being an adult is that you don’t have a moment to look after yourself. With everything going around you, being in the best shape becomes less and less of a priority until you finally quit. Accepting your limits and finally letting go of your dream

But what most people don’t realize is that they don’t have to accept what they don’t want to have rather they can move in the direction they want to move, any second. What it takes is a simple decision

A decision that can propel you towards the right mindset and greater health or towards nothingness. Now is the time to take a moment and look after yourself. You can handle all the problems in your life, your work, family, and still be in the best shape

Here’s an article on how to lose 20 pounds in a month healthily by taking control of your life, your lifestyle, diet, by being more productive and avoiding small obstructive habits that act like a catalyst making you more prone to weight gain and then finally doing little things that will help you in improving quality of your life and health

women sleeping

Step 1. Lifestyle Adjustment

In the age of instant gratification, anything that requires solid work is deemed pointless. If something is not producing visible results after only the first attempt, then we automatically assume it’s inefficiency

But the real results lie in being consistent, doing a certain thing ones is not good enough. You must adopt it and make it a part of your life. There is power in consistency, there is power in doing simple things again and again

One pound is equal to 3500 calories. 20 pounds is equal to 70,000 calories. An average woman needs to consume around 2000 calories to maintain weight and around 1500 calories to lose 1 pound a week

So, losing 20 pounds in a month is no joke. Drinking water half hour before a meal is not enough. You have to take significant actions to burn 70,000 calories. Lucky for you, we have a much easier approach toward it

In the first step, we will focus on how you can burn up to 1000 calories by boosting metabolism, by exercising, or lifestyle adjustment while ensuring that you can cut maximum calories passively from your life

Let’s start from the start!

Wake-up

Do you know what Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos have in common? They all wake up at a fixed time and have a proper bedtime routine. They prioritize their sleep, over everything else

Waking up at a fixed time is so simple yet most people avoid it. I understand it’s difficult to fall asleep at a fixed time when you can scroll endlessly on Instagram but you have to overcome this obstacle

You have to find a way to sleep for at least 7-8 hours every single day. A study conducted by the National Institute of Health suggests that people who are sleep deprived are more prone to weight gain. Sleep deprivation affects endocannabinoid levels ( Chemical signal that affects appetite and brain reward system )

Making it difficult for you to control your appetite, workout during the day, and easier for you to overdose on sugar. So, 7-8 hours of sleep every single day is not a choice but a priority

How many hours of sleep you need in a day is dependent but you have to make sure that you wake up at a fixed time. Waking up at a fixed time will help you sleep more soundly

So, here’s what you need to do

  1. Set up a bedtime routine
  2. Make sure you get at least 7 hours of quality sleep every day
  3. Prioritize your sleep, over everything else

Having a proper bedtime routine will reduce your caffeine dependency, improve your overall mood, and you will be more focused and alert throughout the day

Task 1. Go to bed every night at 10:00 pm and wake up every day at 5:00 am

woman performing meditation

Meditation

Nowadays it’s too easy to get stressed. But the effects of stress are more than just depression. Stress can result in insomnia, stomach ache, high blood pressure, rapid breathing, and can also weaken your immune system

I want you to understand that the goal is not just to lose 20 pounds the goal is to be healthy both emotionally and physically. If you are stressed out about how you look chances are you will find a lot more difficult to focus on your training and then you will quit in-between

Making it impossible for you to lose weight

Remember your mental capacity will determine your results. How you think, feel, act, and handle stress is directly linked to how productive you can be. So, meditate

By meditating for just 10 minutes every day you can increase your overall mental capacity which will improve your mood and increase your ability to focus

It’s all about the feeling. If you feel stressed out throughout the day then you will accomplish nothing but if you feel good every day then you will attack every task head-on

Here’s how you can meditate to increase your ability to handle stress, improve your focus, and make yourself feel good

  1. Start by taking a few deep breaths (20-30 breaths)
  2. Then firstly focus on your sense of hearing and try to feel every sound
  3. Then shift to your sense of smell and try to feel every scent around you
  4. The objective is to feel not to judge ( In a way you are trying to get outside of your head )
  5. Feel yourself and your surrounding
  6. If your mind starts to wander, just bring it back to the present moment
  7. Feel the happiness of the present!

Remember you are trying to bring yourself to the present moment. Past is not your concern, future is not your concern, what your concern is every second of the present moment

Task 2. Meditate every day for 10 minutes ( Not compulsory but will help you in the long run ) in the morning. Meditation will not help you in losing weight but it will help you in staying consistent and focused

downward dog pose

Yoga

There are various intense styles of yoga you can utilize to burn calories. But assuming you are a newbie we will shift to performing some basic yoga poses in the morning so that you can gain the required amount of flexibility and balance for advance styles

After meditation, you should perform Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutation. Surya Namaskar is like a complete workout for your entire body. The most appropriate time to perform Surya Namaskar is in the morning at sunrise

Performing one full round of Surya namaskar can burn up to 13.91 calories. Assuming you are performing at least 5- 10 rounds, you can burn up to 100 calories

If you find it difficult to perform Surya Namaskar then start by performing these simple yoga poses which are perfect for plus-sized women

Performing yoga poses in the morning will help you in warming up your body for more intense exercises. Moreover, yoga will help you in building balance and flexibility which will improve your posture and physical performance

Task 3. Perform Surya Namaskar or Simple Yoga poses after meditation to align your mind, body, heart, and soul in perfect harmony. Performing yoga has numerous health benefits apart from the fact that you can lose weight with it

woman jogging

Jogging – Walking

Ready to burn some real calories?

Weight loss = 20% Physical Activity + 80% Diet

Now is the time to complete 20% of the equation before shifting to the other 80%. Assuming that you are a newbie, start by walking every day briskly for an hour. Yes, an Hour no less no more

Walking for an hour will help you in burning around 210 – 360 calories. After 2 weeks of walking every day for an hour, start pushing yourself but slowly. Try to jog in between walking. That’s it.

If you think that you can do better than walking every day then Jog for an hour. Jogging can help you in burning up to 300-400 calories in an hour

Bonus tip: Start Slow but remain consistent no matter what. Being consistent is the only difference between success and failure

Task 4. Walk every day for an hour. Just go out and have a nice little walk. Try to enjoy nature!

100 Burpees

This is something you can do if you want fast results. Perform 100 burpees throughout the day. 20-30 Burpees in the morning, 20-30 burpees before lunch, 20-30 burpees before dinner.

This way you will be able to burn more calories throughout the day. Moreover, burpees will help you in building muscles that will improve your posture and will help you in gaining the hourglass physique

If you are overweight then start by performing just 30 burpees only

  1. Ist Week: 30 Burpees in a day
  2. 2nd Week: 40 Burpees in a day
  3. 3rd Week: 60 Burpees in a day
  4. 4th Week: 70-100 Burpees in a day

Task optional. Perform 30-100 burpees every day.

Sports

Sedentary lifestyle is the reason why you are unable to lose weight. Spending your entire day on the counch watching games of thrones is a great way to relax and put on weight

But this time, you are going to enjoy your life. Don’t spend your evening on your sofa instead learn a sport

I always wanted to learn basketball, and while I was losing weight, I decided to add it to my daily schedule. And the result, I was burning more calories then I could even keep a track of every day

Don’t crush your dream, Now is the time to do what you want to do. No doubt at first you will find it difficult but sooner or later you will get good at it. If you stick with it. It can be any sport ( any outdoor sport )

Task 5. Go out and play

woman hiking

Hiking ones a Month

Have you ever tried hiking? If not, then make sure this month you go out for a hike with your friends. You may consider this irrelevant and dangerous right now but after your first hiking trip, your viewpoint about hiking will change by leaps and bounds

The most blissful view you will ever see is waiting for you at the top of a mountain

Ones you start enjoying hiking, You will start to do it every week. With thousands of health benefits, hiking will help you fall in love with mother nature.

A 160-pound person can burn up to 400 calories in an hour of hiking. Moreover, the more you weight the more calories you will be able to burn

Caution: Losing weight without adjusting your lifestyle is possible but it won’t be sustainable. Yes, you can lose weight by just adjusting your diet. But the most effective and healthier option is a little bit of exercise with a proper diet

Task 6. Go out for a Hike

Additional Lifestyle Hacks

  1. Walk more, drive less
  2. Avoid the sofa at all cost
  3. 10 Minutes of jumping rope in the evening ( 1 minute of jumping rope burns around 15-20 calories )
  4. Use stairs instead of a lift
  5. Start doing housework to burn more calories
  6. Keep calm

Benefits of Lifestyle Adjustment

With all these actions you will maximize your body’s ability to burn fat. While burning up to 1000 calories every day ( 30,000 calories in a month ). Now the rest of 40,000 calories will be targeted in Step 2. Diet adjustment

food

Step 2. Diet Adjustment

20% of the equation is over Now is time to focus on the rest 80%. Losing weight requires consuming fewer calories then you can burn in a day. No matter how hard you workout every single day if you are consuming more calories then you are able to burn then your hard work is insignificant

This is common sense. Keeping a proper grip on what you put in the body is important. let’s start adjusting your diet so that you can minimize diet mistakes that are preventing you from losing weight

Count your calorie intake

You need to know how many calories you are consuming through every meal. If you preparing meals randomly to fuel yourself without keeping a track of calories, macronutrient, etc while you are trying to lose weight then this small mistake can work against you

You can never know the number of calories & macronutrients a food contains just by looking at it. So, do yourself a favor and avoid falling for this trap

Prepare meals by keeping a close check on calories & nutrients it contains

Task 7. Make sure that you know how many calories you are consuming throughout the day in each meal

vegetables

Controlling Your Hunger

If you are unable to control your hunger chances are you won’t be able to lose weight. No doubt your new lifestyle will help you in controlling your hunger but there are few more things you can do to suppress your appetite

You can start by drinking more water

30%-59% of US adults who try to lose weight, increase there overall water intake. Studies even show that consuming 1-2 liters of water is enough to aid in weight loss if consumed before meals. So, you can start by consuming 1-2 glass of water half hour before a meal

The second thing you can do is consume zero calorie foods

Zero-calorie foods are low in calories and high in macronutrients. They have so few calories that consuming them will have no significant effect on your overall daily calorie intake. The best part is that you can consume as many zero-calorie foods as you want. Moreover, they are rich in vitamins making them healthy yet weight-loss friendly

Here are few Zero calorie foods you should try

  1. Apples
  2. Watermelon
  3. Lettuce
  4. Lemons
  5. Kale
  6. Broccoli
  7. Cucumber
  8. Grapefruit
  9. Strawberries
  10. Raspberries
  11. Apricots
  12. Celery
  13. Beetroot
  14. Leeks

Task 8. Consume zero calorie foods & drink more water

woman eating

Diet is Indispensable

Weight loss = 20% Physical Activity + 80% Diet

To lose 20 pounds you have to burn around 70,000 calories ( 1 pound = 3,500 calories ). You can burn up to 30,000 calories just by adjusting your lifestyle and cutting calories from your diet ( 30 days x 1000 calories/day)

But what about the 40,000 calories left. Yes, a balanced diet is effective but only if you are trying to maintain weight but losing weight requires a diet that encourages weight loss

For 40,000 calories left, you need a special diet. A diet that can help you in cutting down calories, prevent you from nutrient deficiencies and help you burn fat

Suppose you are burning up to 1000 calories daily. But just like the last time you paid no attention to what you are going to eat and in what quantity. You managed to cut down calories by consuming a lot of zero calorie foods

But what about nutrients that your body requires during this transformation? You are not a dietician so, chances are you will just skip meals randomly without even paying attention to macronutrients

This will make your body weak, and as the time will pass it will be harder for you to stick to skipping meals. I work at a desk job, I am always one burger away from fat. Rather than skipping meals, I follow the keto diet whenever I gain weight. On a side note, I highly recommend it

The Keto diet is a Low carb diet with a moderate amount of proteins and Lots of fat. The diet contains 55%-60% fat, 5%-10% carbohydrates, and 30%-35% protein. It works by depleting the body of its sugar reserves which results in the breakdown of fats for energy

Molecules called ketones are formed in the body as fuel. When the body burns fat, it results in weight loss. The Effectiveness of the keto diet has been proved in a lot of Studies

With The Keto diet, You will no longer need to skip meals, You will be consuming what you need to lose weight, and cutting down calories for your diet will be a cakewalk

A study on the ketogenic diet even suggest that people who followed the keto diet lost 2.2 times more weight than people on low-calorie and low-fat diet

The problem with the keto diet is that it’s very difficult to get into ketosis. As it requires properly managed macronutrients that varies from person to person. Moreover, balancing carbs, proteins, fats according to your body is an intricate task.

Following an untailored keto diet will make you more prone to nutrient deficiencies, and side effects which include headache, fatigue, etc

Hence, I highly recommend you to consult a dietician to help you with the keto diet. To ensure that you are consuming meals that are altered to what your body needs to lose weight and avoid side effects. If you are like me and you don’t have time to consult a dietician due to your crystalized routine then you can get a custom keto diet plan from here

This plan will be tailored to your needs and you will have no problem in preparing meals and balancing calories and macronutrients. The diet plan will also protect you from nutrient deficiencies, people develop while trying to lose weight

Task 9. Follow a diet plan that is specifically created for you

Additional Diet Hacks

  1. No more shopping when hungry
  2. Using Small plates
  3. Eat slowly
  4. No more fast food
  5. Minimize your sugar intake
  6. Make a conscious diet decision
  7. Stick to your diet
  8. Avoid skipping meals
  9. Increase your overall protein intake
  10. Drink more fluids

Benefits of Diet Adjustment

By adjusting your diet, you know understand how impactful a right diet can be, How easy it is to lose weight when you are following the advice of experts and sticking to your routine. Know cutting down calories from your diet, and losing weight is a piece of cake

focus

Step 3. Mentality Adjustment

Do you think you are ready for the challenge?

Ready to go beyond your life long goals

I know It’s scary to take action, failure is scary, success is scary too. But you have to trust yourself and Give it a shot

The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it, as long as you really believe 100 percent.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Even if you fail, just keep trying. You will lose only if you stop trying

You failed to follow your routine on the very first day, No problem Let’s give 100 percent tomorrow. Tomorrow you failed again. Let’s try overmorrow

But don’t stop giving your 100 percent. Losing 20 pounds is easy if you put your mind into it

Now is the time to take action

Task 10. Believe and Achieve

P.S. If you enjoyed this article on how to lose 20 pounds, feel free to leave a question down below in the comment section

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Rudra

Hi, I am Rudra, a computer engineer, and a certified procrastinator. I started FitnessGained in 2018 to help me stay fit despite all my desk time. Now I run this blog as a hobby. Here at FitnessGained, I will share what I do to stay fit & more. Our motto is "Reaching True Potential with Effort."

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