How to Lose 20 Pounds Healthily

Weight loss can help improve overall health, fitness level and self-esteem. You can lose 20 lbs. in a few months by committing to a healthy diet and regular cardiovascular exercises. Determine how many calories you should be eating daily and stick to it.

Instructions

• 1

  Calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate by entering your height, weight, age and gender into an online calculator.

• 2

  Cut calories. A deficit of 3,500 calories is required to lose 1 lb. To lose 20 lbs., for example, it will require you to cut 70,000 calories from your diet. If your BMR is 2,500, you may choose to consume 2,000 calories per day, putting you at a 500 calorie deficit.

  You can reduce your caloric intake by cutting out all "empty calories" such as soft drinks and candy. An empty calorie is defined as a calorie that does not have nutritional value. Use an online food tracker, such as Fitday.com or MyFitnessPal.com to track your calories and help you stick to your plan.

• 3

  Eat lean proteins such as chicken breast, tuna and turkey, complex carbohydrates like brown rice, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, healthy fats include olive oil, avocado, nuts -- and include lots of fruits and vegetables in your diet. While the most important factor of weight loss is consuming the proper number of calories, it is always beneficial to your overall health to consume foods that are natural and free from additives, sugar and high-fructose corn syrup.

• 4

  Consume at least 100 g of protein per day. This is important because it allows you to keep muscle mass you may have while losing extra fat.

• 5

  Exercise regularly. Use an online calculator or heart rate monitor to determine how many calories you are burning. Be sure to eat more to replace the calories burned. The exercise is great for your cardiovascular health and will help build muscle mass, but it can be unsafe to put yourself at too low of a deficit. Exercise at 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate to burn fat. Use an online calculator to determine your maximum heart rate. Multiply that number by .6 to find 60 percent of your heart rate and .7 to find 70 percent.

  Cardiovascular activity can be anything that gets your heart into the appropriate range. Some popular exercises are running, jogging, aerobics and swimming. Aim for 45 minutes of cardio exercise per day, five days a week. If you are unable to achieve this goal, start at 15 or 20 minutes and work your way up as your endurance improves.