March 2021 - #088 - How to Lose 20 Pounds Fast

Hello All and Happy March

Finally spring is approaching and hopefully we can slowly start getting back to normal, I Hope and Pray!

Now is a great time to focus on weight loss before our summer wardrobe comes out of the closet.

So for those of you who are determined to lose 20 pounds fast it can be done by following these few guidelines.

Count Your Calories

Yes, that is the number one rule for success. Keep your calories under 1000 a day and you’re as good as golden.

Try to be as accurate as possible when figuring out your calorie intake. A small weight scale is almost a necessity when calculating the calories in certain foods, such as the calories in meat.

For instance I know by heart that 3.5 ounces of Costco chicken is 138 calories, and after a while you get pretty familiar with the calories in the foods you eat more often.

Also it is wise to take note of the calories in sauces, dressings and dips because those can really add up fast.

Watch portion sizes as you don’t want one meal to use up your whole day calories.

Eat Slowly

This may sound silly but eating slowly helps you chew your food better which helps speed up digestion, which is also a good weight loss strategy.

Try to savor each bite, chew well and enjoy your meal the best you can.

Keep a Journal

Keeping a journal can be a big help to actually see what foods have what calories in them and it is also handy for future reference. Tally up the calories and try not to go over a thousand.

When I keep a weight loss journal it is also nice to write down exactly what exercise I did that day.

Exercise Daily

It is very important to exercise every day to really lose the weight in a fast fashion.

I usually took a 50 minute brisk walk daily and sometimes even added a shorter ½ hour walk later in the day if my schedule allowed and if I felt up to it.

Choose any exercise you like and try to incorporate it into your daily routine. It is a great way to burn 300 extra calories a day or more.

Drink More Water

Drinking more water is a great way to stay hydrated and help rid the body of toxins while keeping your tummy feeling a little fuller.

If you are not a fan of water than drink lots of zero calorie drinks. There are so many you can choose from at the super market these days.

Black coffee and teas are also good and if you need it sweetened then stick with sweeteners that practically have no calories like NutraSweet, stevia and sweet & low.

Eat More Protein

Eating protein has always been a great weight loss tool and that’s because it does three things to your body. First of all protein speeds up metabolism, it also requires more energy to digest and it also keeps you feeling fuller for longer.

Eat More Fiber

If you want to be healthy then fiber must be part of your diet.

Fiber is practically mandatory if you want to avoid constipation and have healthy regular bowel movements.

It also reduces the bloated belly feeling, helps lower cholesterol, helps regulate blood sugars and can help achieve a healthy weight.

Foods that are high in fiber content are (we have only listed a few):

Chia seeds

Flax seeds

Some nuts are also a good source of fiber, but even though nuts are an extremely healthy snack, they can be high in calories.

Most beans and legumes (examples are baked, navy, pinto, Lima, black, kidney and soy beans, lentils, chickpeas, green peas and some others).

Brown rice

Bran Cereal

Whole Grains

Oatmeal

There are a ton of vegetables that are a good source of fiber, so we have listed only a few of them:

Potato

Sweet potato

Spinach

Artichoke

Squash

Pumpkin

Avocado

Broccoli

Try and get a good night sleep

You don’t have to weigh yourself daily:

If you are a person who gets frustrated quickly that you are not losing weight fast enough than only weigh yourself weekly, not daily.

This is important because our weight can fluctuate daily and sometimes it could go in the wrong direction for a short period of time.

This could be due to many factors, such as not having a bowel movement that day to retaining more water than usual. Whatever the reason it may be more advantages to only weigh you once a week.

This is totally a personal decision based on which method better suites you.

Stay motivated

Staying motivated is probably the hardest thing that we all have to deal with when trying to lose weight.

The start is usually great with lots of enthusiasm which may start to fade away after a period of time.

So how can we maintain the strength to follow through?

For more help with staying motivated please feel free to explore the following links on our website:
Motivation for Weight Loss Success
Motivation Techniques to Help Ignite Your Inner Spark
Motivational Worksheets

Sharing My Experience with You

I too have sometimes let my guard down and have gained enough weight to do this 20 pound weight loss diet so I can get back to a kinder weight.

I have done this diet now three times in the past and it has worked every time.

To give you some idea of how my diet went I will give you some information and include copies of 4 random pages out of my journal to give you an idea of my journey.

My diet started on October 17, 2019 and ended on December 8, 2019, which was a total of 53 days.

My starting weight was 144.6 pounds and my end weight was 124.2 pounds, a total loss of 120.4 pounds.

You tend to lose more weight in the first 2 weeks and then the weight loss does slow down, but you are still losing weight.

I have included 4 pages out of my diet journal to give you an example of what I ate and what I did for exercise.

The only things I did not include in my daily journal were a list of zero calorie drinks I had through the day and also I sometimes would eat a spoonful of chia seeds with a beverage to keep me regular in the bathroom department.

Here are the 4 pages out of my journal to give you a glimpse of how I did it.

For those of you who want to lose 20 pounds fast, this definitely works if you can stick with it.

Take care of each other and

Until next time…

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Use our Contact Us page - or our Weight Loss News page (Your Story Counts).