Can You Lose 20 Pounds In 2 Weeks?

If you want to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks, then it’s essential that you have an effective and healthy plan for rapid weight loss. Losing weight quickly can help you to kick-start a long-term diet plan if you need to quickly shed weight and then keep off extra pounds. As with any effective diet plan to lose extra fat from your body safely, you need to take into consideration your own health. That is why the best ways to lose weight fast should combine lifestyle changes, exercising, and being physically active.

Having the goal to lose 20lbs in a couple of weeks is certainly a good goal to have if you are overweight and have weight-related health issues. However, it is not always a good idea to try and lose a large amount of weight in just two weeks, so you may need more time for that. Rapid weight loss can take a toll on your health and cause other unwanted health complications. Therefore, if you plan to use a fast weight loss program, you should speak to a qualified medical professional.

In this article, you will find out how to lose a lot of weight in the shortest time possible. You will find out healthy ways to help shed extra pounds in no time at all and you may already start to look slimmer within a few weeks.

Is It Possible to Lose 20 Pounds in 2 Weeks?

Extreme dieting measures could help you lose weight rapidly but you need to follow an effective plan to make sure your body gets all the nutrients it needs.

You need to realize that you didn’t gain 20 pounds in 2 weeks so losing this weight in a short period of time can be a great challenge. It is certainly possible to lose 10 pounds of weight in one week but it will not be pure body fat and some of it will be water weight.

Losing 20 pounds in just 2 weeks will require a very low calorie diet which is not the best approach if you want to lose weight and keep it off.

According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, very low calorie diets lead to a fast weight loss. However re-feeding after such extreme dieting leads to fast and excessive weight regain.²⁸ The most sensible approach is to develop effective habits that will help you lose weight gradually and keep it off.

In this detailed article I am going to give you the best possible information on how to lose weight fast and keep it off. You’ll learn about the most effective ways, based on science, to lose weight and develop eating habits to keep it off.

Here are the steps you need to take to lose as much as 20 pounds in 2 weeks.

How to Lose 20 Pounds Fast: Effective Steps to Lose Weight Quickly

Lower your calorie intake to drop pounds fast

One of the best ways to lose weight quickly in 2 or 3 weeks is to lower your daily calorie intake.

Lowering your calorie intake helps to speed up weight loss as you will burn more energy than you consume. To lower your calorie intake in order to lose 20 pounds fast, you can swap foods for healthier options, limit your intake of saturated fats, and eat smaller portions.

Consuming fewer calories every day will help you lose 20 or even 30 pounds at a steady, healthy pace and boost your general health at the same time. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, you should reduce your daily calorie intake by 500 to 750 calories per day to lose significant weight in a couple of weeks.¹

Doctors from the National Health Service recommend some healthy food swaps to help lower calorie intake and lose weight faster.²⁹ Here are some examples to help you lose as much as 30 pounds in a month:

• Swap white breads for healthier wholegrain varieties.
• Choose leaner cuts of meat like turkey cutlets, chicken breast, and “choice” sirloin beef.
• Instead of creamy cheesy sauces on pasta or fish dishes, choose tomato or vegetable-based sauces.
• Drop sugar-laden sodas for green tea (green tea can also help you lose weight faster).
• Choose lower-fat alternatives when it comes to dairy products.

For more information on how to tweak your diet to speed up the effectiveness of your weight loss plan, please read my article on the best hacks for speedy weight loss.

Change your eating habits to lose weight faster

If you want to make sure and lose as much as 20 or 30 pounds in a month you should change your eating habits.

Changing your eating habits helps with rapid weight loss because it helps you develop positive habits that contribute to weight loss at a regular pace.

For example, one way to help speed up weight loss and lose unnecessary pounds is to drink a glass of water before each meal. Dr. Arefa Cassobhoy on WebMD reported on a study into the effects of drinking water and obesity. The study found that drinking 16-oz. of water 30 minutes before a meal helped severely overweight people shed extra pounds easier and faster.²

Another habit that can help to lose a lot of pounds in a couple of weeks is to start the day with protein. Starting your day with eggs for breakfast or consuming lean meat, milk, or nuts are all great sources of protein that will keep you feeling fuller for longer and give you plenty of energy. This reduces the temptation to snack during the day and helps boost weight loss in a 2 or 3-week diet program.

You can also lose weight much quicker in 2 or 3 weeks if you are careful about when and why you eat. A study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that emotional eating is associated with body weight gain. It was found that eating due to emotional responses caused people to become overweight and obese.³

There are many effective ways to beat emotional eating. These include reducing stress and anxiety, getting plenty of sleep, and eating proper amounts of dietary fiber and protein.

Consider eating small frequent meals to lose more weight in 2 weeks

Eating small frequent meals will help you lose 20 or even 30 pounds faster.

Rather than skipping meals during the day, you might find that eating small frequent meals throughout the day helps you lose weight at a proper pace. However, there is some controversy whether people wanting to beat the battle of the bulge quickly should eat 3 or 6 small meals during the day.

For example, in 2015 the journal Nutritional Reviews reported that eating frequent meals seems to help people lose excess fat and reduce overall body weight.⁴ But, the journal Obesity found that in their study, eating 3 meals a day or 6 meals a day had no overall impact on weight loss. The report found that total calorie intake in a day was the most important factor when it comes to fast weight loss.⁵

So, if you are looking to lose several pounds of body weight as fast as possible using an effective diet plan, you could try to see which of these methods work best for you.

Reduce portion size to lose large amount of weight faster

Reducing portion size should help you start losing pounds of body fat in 2 weeks.

Eating smaller portions at lunchtime and in the evening can help to reduce energy intake and help you lose weight and keep the weight off.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that when individuals ate smaller portions for lunch, their daily energy intake was reduced by 30%. The researchers concluded that eating smaller portions can help to treat and prevent obesity. The study highlighted the fact that portion sizes in restaurants are getting larger and most people finish their large entrees.²⁵

Another study showed that one way to control portion sizes and lose weight quickly is to eat more foods that are low-density energy sources and limit high-density energy foods. For example, having more vegetables and lean protein and less fatty foods can help reduce energy intake from meals and thus help you lose weight much quicker.²⁶

You could also try using a portion control plate for your meals at home to help you greatly reduce portion size to eat healthier meals and lose weight. You might not lose 20 pounds of body weight in 2 weeks with this method, but it is a safe and healthy way to control body weight.

Lower carb intake to lose 20 pounds quickly

To shed more pounds of body fat in 2 weeks, you should also limit your intake of unhealthy carbohydrates.

Unhealthy carbs that can make losing body weight difficult include simple carbohydrate sources such as white bread and pasta, cakes, pastries, and sugar. Low carb diets have many proven health benefits that include more than just losing weight fast.

When lowering your carb intake, you should remember not to cut out “healthy” carbs that are classed as complex carbohydrates. These include wholegrain bread, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, beans, vegetables, and fruits. Dr. Kathleen Zelman on WebMD says that fiber in food helps to control weight and can lower your risk of heart disease and colon cancer.⁶

Dr. Zelman recommends switching to whole grains as much as possible and avoiding foods that have added or refined sugars. You should also eat plenty of fruit and vegetables every day and include beans and legumes in your diet.

Avoid junk food and limit sugar consumption to drop fat quicker

You should avoid junk food and limit sugar consumption to lose weight quickly.

Junk food and foods with added sugar not only have very low nutritional value but they can make it very difficult to slim down very fast in a short period of time.

The University of Michigan reported on a study showing a correlation between fast food and increased body mass index, weight gain and obesity. The study also found that people get heavier as the number of fast food outlets increase.⁷

Cutting out sugary foods and sodas can also help you lose a lot of weight in two weeks. Dr. Laura Martin on WebMD says that limiting foods containing refined sugars will help a person lose weight and reduce levels of obesity.⁸

Drink water to lose fat quickly

You can also lose several pounds quicker by increasing your daily water intake.

Drinking more water doesn’t just help lose weight from around your waist but it prevents the symptoms of dehydration. Water is also one of the best ways to flush toxins out of your system and boost the health of your kidneys.

A study published in the Journal of Natural Science, Biology and Medicine reported that drinking 1.5 liters of water every day helps to reduce body weight, body fat, and body mass index. The researchers concluded that drinking water can be a useful and cheap way for obese persons to lose weight quicker.⁹

You don’t just have to stick to plain water to lose a lot of weight in a few weeks. You can easily make your own calorie-free flavored water that will help boost your weight loss plan in 2 weeks.

Make Lifestyle Changes to Lose Weight Faster in 2 Weeks

To reach your goal of losing a lot of excess body weight in 2 weeks, you should also make some lifestyle changes along with sticking to an effective plan to lose weight fast. Lifestyle changes to help lose weight are just as important as reducing calorie intake when it comes to getting rid of body weight in a matter of a few weeks.

Here are 4 lifestyle changes that doctors recommend to boost the effectiveness of your weight loss plan.

1. Stay active throughout the day

While it is important to exercise regularly every week, staying active throughout the day will help to accelerate how quickly you lose weight.

A study in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that non-exercised activity thermogenesis (NEAT) can help to significantly increase calorie expenditure. It was found that NEAT movements can also protect a person from cardiovascular disease and reduce obesity in people who have difficulty exercising.¹⁰

Here are some easy ways to increase NEAT movements throughout the day and help burn fat quicker in a couple of weeks.

• Walk around the room while you are speaking on the phone.
• Always use stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. If you work in a high-rise building, you could get off a few floors earlier and walk the rest.
• Take quick walks for 10 minutes every 2 hours in your workday.

2. Sleep to lose weight faster

If you are serious about losing a lot of weight in a short space of time, then getting plenty of sleep is essential.

Although a hectic work schedule and stress can make getting to sleep difficult, there are many positive health benefits of getting proper rest during the night.

Dr. Melinda Ratini on WebMD says that lack of sleep is linked to weight gain and obesity. For example, feeling well-rested reduces food cravings and gorging on high-carb snacks. Also, getting the right amount of sleep helps to balance your hormones naturally and reduce fat by increasing your metabolism.¹¹

To help improve your sleep patterns to stop fat accumulating in your body, here are some helpful tips to lose as much as 20 pounds in 2 weeks:

• Don’t work at a computer or watch TV for at least one hour before going to bed.
• Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on the weekend.
• Don’t take stimulants like coffee, chocolate, and alcohol before going to bed.
• Make your bedroom as dark as possible to help you sleep better.

3. Get rid of stress to lose weight quicker

If you really want to shift those extra pounds of body weight in two or three weeks, you should find ways of reducing stress in your daily activities.

According to Dr. William Blahd on WebMD, stress increases cortisol levels in the body which can increase the desire for sugary, fatty foods. This can also increase your risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, or diabetes.¹²

Dr. Blahd recommends some easy ways to deal with stress at home and increase the effectiveness of your weight-loss program:

• Have a regular exercise routine.
• Get plenty of sleep.
• Meditate.
• Use natural stress relief methods.

4. Keep yourself motivated to drop pounds and keep them off

To make sure and lose as many pounds as possible in a two-week period, it is very important to keep yourself motivated.

Having strong motivation will help you stick to your weight-loss plan even when it seems that results aren’t what you expected.

Doctors from the Mayo Clinic say that long-term weight loss is only achieved through making permanent changes to your eating habits and lifestyle. To keep yourself motivated to lose weight quickly and keep it off, this is what they suggest:³⁰

• Make a commitment and be focused on your weight-loss program.
• Find inner motivation through a network of trusted friends who will support you.
• Have realistic goals on how much weight you want to lose in a two or four-week period.
• Change your perspective when it comes to permanent lifestyle changes and don’t give up if you have a setback.

Exercise to Help You Lose 20 Pounds in 2 Weeks

When looking to lose a lot of weight in the short-term, it’s necessary to boost your weight-loss plan with healthy exercise. Getting regular exercise is not only good for your heart but it will help to burn even more calories.

Here are some of the best way to burn off extra body fat that has accumulated around your face, waistline, or other parts of your body.

Daily walking can help you shed weight quicker

Increasing the amount of walking you do every day will help to shed pounds from your body in no time at all.

A study published in the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders reported that brisk walking for 30 minutes on most days of the week was an effective part of a weight-loss plan.¹³

How can you include walking as part of your plan to lose weight fast and start seeing results within two weeks? In my article on how walking can help lose weight, you will find out how many calories you can burn if you add 10,000 steps to your day.

Ways to increase your steps daily include:

• Getting off the bus a few stops early or parking your car further from your destination and walking.
• Take the stairs rather than the elevator.
• Include a brisk walk as part of your lunchtime routine.

HIIT exercising for rapid weight loss

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is an excellent way to quickly lose weight and see results within a short space of time.

HIIT training involves short bursts of intense exercise followed by short recovery periods. For example, it could be 30-40 seconds of hard sprinting followed by 30-40 seconds of light jogging.

According to the Journal of Obesity, high-intensity intermittent exercise or training has been shown to significantly increase aerobic and anaerobic fitness. It also helps the body get rid of excess fat quicker. HIIT exercises can also help to boost cardiac health and reduce the symptoms of type-1 and type-2 diabetes.¹⁴

For more information on how you can use interval training to speed up weight loss, please read my article on using interval training to lose fat quicker.

Lift weights

Lifting weights is another proven way to see quick results when wanting to lose extra pounds in a two-week period.

Lifting weights as well as kettlebell workouts help to not only burn calories very quickly but they also build muscle mass which helps to burn even more calories.

A study from Europe reported that heavy-resistance exercise during intense workouts boosts muscle metabolism.¹⁵ An increase in your resting metabolic rate also helps to burn calories even when you are resting.

Before starting a program of intense, heavy-resistance exercising, you should speak to a qualified medical professional to get advice.

Other ways to get rid of as much as 20lbs in 2 weeks

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are some other ways that can help you lose body weight quickly when used in conjunction with an effective weight-loss plan. Some of these include:³¹

• Actively playing with children.
• Cycling regularly.
• Walking briskly.
• Working in the yard.

Diets that Help you Lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks

So far, this article has concentrated on the 3 main principles on how to achieve a goal of losing 20 pounds in two weeks. However, there are some specific weight-loss diets that help to lose a lot of weight in just a few weeks.

Ketogenic diet for fast weight loss

The ketogenic diet is a low carb high fat diet that restricts the intake of carbs to help boost the body’s fat-burning potential. Usually, people who start a carb-restrictive diet see rapid weight loss in the first few weeks of dieting. The journal Experimental & Clinical Cardiology reported that a keto diet can help to reduce body mass and body mass index in obese individuals.¹⁵

There is one thing that you need to be aware of when dropping carbs from your diet: many of the foods that contain carbs also contain beneficial nutrients and vitamins.

For example, if you eliminate whole grains and brown rice you are going to miss out on nutrients such as b vitamins and magnesium. These are important nutrients for the energy production in your body so you will get tired easily.

3-hour diet for fast weight loss

The 3-hour diet can help you lose weight quickly without having to cut out many of your favorite foods. According to Dr. Michael Dansinger on WebMD, the 3-hour diet involves eating small portions of food every 3 hours and limiting calories intake to just over 1,400 calories a day. Dr. Dansinger says that visible results are often seen within the first 2 weeks.¹⁶

Intermittent fasting to help you lose pounds quickly

Intermittent fasting, or the 5:2 diet, will help you see quick results to help reach your weight-loss goals quicker. Intermittent fasting involves eating normally for 5 days in the week and restricting calorie intake to 600 calories on 2 non-consecutive days. According to the International Journal of Obesity, far from being a “fad” diet, intermittent fasting can help achieve weight loss that stays off as long a person sticks to the diet.¹⁷

You can find more information about this diet in my article “Intermittent Fasting 5:2 – Principles, Science and How To“.

Unsafe Ways to Lose 20 Pounds in 2 weeks

When searching the internet for ways to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks, you will come across many unsafe methods to lose weight quickly.

Skipping meals

In your diet plan to lose extra weight in under a month, you should avoid skipping meals as a regular habit. For example, a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that although skipping breakfast can help reduce daily calorie intake, it can increase inflammation in the body.²⁷

Dr. Kathleen Zelman on WebMD reports that breakfast helps improve blood sugar levels and gives the body a needed boost for the day. You also get important vitamins and nutrients from breakfast and reduce the tendency to snack. People who eat breakfast every day are able to lose weight and keep it off.¹⁸

Leaving out one or more meals during the day shouldn’t be confused with intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting doesn’t involve skipping meals but reducing calorie content on 2 days of the week. However, most 5:2 diets include 3 low-calorie meals during the fasting days that contain a good amount of vitamins and minerals.

Fad diets

If you are trying to lose a lot of pounds in a short space of time, you should stay clear of “fad” diets. Fad diets may give quick results, but the extra pounds usually pile on very quickly after the diet is finished.

According to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, fad diets usually promise quick dieting results with little or no effort. They usually restrict important food groups and can be difficult to maintain. Fad diets can also cause various health complications like kidney stones, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular issues.¹⁹

Diet weight loss pills

Diet pills will not help you lose 20 pounds in two weeks. Because diet pills and supplements are generally expensive, they could help you lose hundreds of dollars in a month rather than pounds of body fat. According to Dr. Gary Vogin on WebMD, there is only scant evidence that weight-loss pills have a minimal effect when it comes to dieting. Some natural products may help to boost metabolism or stimulate fat burning, but they won’t in themselves help you lose weight quickly.²⁰

Starvation diets

Starvation diets and extreme fasting are unsafe ways to get rid of a lot of weight in a week or two. According to Dr. Kathleen Zelman on WebMD, even though starvation diets result in rapid weight loss, they can also cause loss of muscle tissue and may even cause your body to burn calories slower. You may find that at the end of the diet, you put on more weight than you lost.²¹

Other unsafe ways to drop 20lbs in 2 weeks

Doctors from WebMD also say that creams and other so-called weight-loss devices are just as effective and scientifically proven as voodoo spells.²²

How to Lose 20 lbs in 2 Weeks – The Bottom Line

So, when it comes to losing 20 lbs in 2 weeks, what is the bottom line? Although it is feasible that a person could lose many pounds of body fat in a couple of weeks, these generally involve risky methods of dieting.

To achieve your perfect body weight and maintain good health, you should reduce calorie intake over a period of many weeks, make positive lifestyle changes, and exercise regularly. After all, extra weight was gained over a long period of time.

By making some simple calculations, doctors from the Mayo Clinic advise on the dangers of trying to lose too much weight in a very short space of time.

For example, the Mayo Clinic says that every pound of body fat contains 3,500 calories.²³ So, to lose 20 lbs of fat in 14 days, you would have to lose about 1.5 lbs. of fat a day. This means burning on average 5,000 calories more than you consume per day. You also need to be aware that initially you will lose water weight and not just fat.

How many hours per day will you have to work out to lose 20 lbs. in 2 weeks? The Mayo Clinic says that high impact aerobic exercising burns about 650 calories an hour.²⁴ Therefore, you would have to work out for about 7 hours of intense exercise every day for 2 weeks to lose 20 lbs.

The bottom line when it comes to losing a lot of weight rapidly is this: stick to safe and healthy methods of losing weight that will boost your health and help you reach your perfect body weight.

How to Maintain a Healthy Weight

After you have reached your ideal body weight, it is important to maintain that weight. Researchers from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute say that there are 3 ways to maintain a healthy weight. These are:

• Keep average daily energy intake and output balanced.
• Stay physically active.
• If you start putting on weight, aim to reduce your calories by 500 per day.

Losing 20 Pounds in 2 Weeks – Precautions

If you need to lose a lot of weight quickly in the space of a few weeks, you should speak with your doctor first. Your doctor will carry out a medical checkup to check your general health and recommend a diet and exercise regime that will help you achieve your weight-loss goals.

Your doctor will also check for any underlying health conditions that could affect the type of weight-loss plan that will be most effective for you. This includes checking your blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and any signs of joint pain and stiffness.

Also, if you start feeling fatigued, dizzy, lightheaded, or have an increase in watery bowel movements, or generally unwell while on your weight-loss program, you should speak to your doctor.

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