How to Lose 20 Pounds Without a Pill

People struggling to lose weight sometimes turn to diet pills for assistance, which often do not live up to their promise of an easy and fast way to shed pounds. However, you can choose not to use diet pills by integrating natural solutions. If your goal is to lose 20 lbs. without the help of weight loss pills, for instance, you will need to develop a lifestyle that includes routine exercise and a healthy diet.

Instructions

• 1

  Bike, walk or swim for 30 minutes of aerobic exercise a day. Perform these cardiovascular activities three to five days a week. Increase the intensity and duration of your aerobic exercises over time. Choose an exercise you enjoy. Other options include hula hopping, jump rope or roller skating -- mix up your routine to avoid boredom.

• 2

  Perform strength training exercises such as bench preses, leg presses and push-ups. These exercises build muscle, which will help you burn more calories since lean muscle tissue increases your metabolism. When following a three day workout program, focus on your back and triceps on day one -- include pull-ups, rowing and dips. On the second day, work your legs and shoulders with the shoulder press, lateral raise, squats and leg press. On the final day, focus on your chest and biceps by doing the bench press and bicep curls. Slowly increase the amount of weight when exercising as you progress through your program.

• 3

  Count how many calories you consume in a single day by writing down everything you eat. Cut down your count to set a realistic goal of how many calories you need to consume to lose weight. The University of Maryland's Medical Center states that to lose 1 lb. per week, subtract 500 calories from your daily intake. To maintain good health, however, women should have at least 1,200 calories a day and men should consume 1,400 calories.

• 4

  Eat several small snacks throughout the day. You should have a snack every two or three hours that contains carbohydrates and protein such as fruit, yogurt or vegetables. Eating snacks throughout the day will prevent you from overeating during meals.

• 5

  Cut sugary snacks and processed food from your diet. Develop a diet plan that includes foods containing low saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. Eat foods such as vegetables, fruit, lean poultry and fish to provide your body with nutrients and protein. Use strategies such as planning out all your meals for a week before you go grocery shopping to avoid buying unhealthy foods. Also, instead of dining out with your co-workers, pack your own lunches for work, which could include a baked chicken breast and fruit. If you find yourself visiting the vending machine looking for a snack during work, pack healthy snacks such as vegetables and low-fat dressing, nuts or low-fat yogurt.

• 6

  Drink between 8 to 10 glasses of water every day. Drinking water decreases the possibility of overeating because your stomach will feel full. When your body lacks the proper amount of fluids, your kidneys holds on to water, creating unwanted water weight.