How to Lose 20 Pounds in Four Weeks

Losing 20 pounds within four weeks will require complete dedication and numerous sacrifices. A person looking to drop this much weight within such a short time frame will be required to drastically change his diet, exercise habits and overall outlook on general health. This goal can be accomplished, but consistency is necessary to benefit from such a drastic lifestyle change.

Things You'll Need

• Vegetables
• Lean meats
• Nuts and seeds
• A gym membership (optional)
• Home workout equipment
• Sneakers and comfortable clothing

Show More

Instructions

• 1

  Change what you eat to burn more calories than you put into your body. Caloric intake can be determined by how active you are, as well as your height and weight. However, no matter your body mass index, or BMI, your diet should consist of lean meats, vegetables and nuts and seeds.

  Eat six small meals a day---three main meals with three snacks---all balanced with protein, vegetables and fats in the forms of nuts and seeds. Eat about 3 to 4 oz. of protein, which is about the size of a deck of cards. Nuts and seeds should only be about a handful, or 1/4 cup per serving. You can eat unlimited vegetables. It is best not to eat fruit during this four-week period, as fruit is sugar-based. In contrast, vegetables are water based and filled with healthy chlorophyl, which will help with the detoxification process.

  For beverages, drink water, which you can flavor with a fresh-squeezed lemon or lime. Cut out soft drinks, which are pure sugar, and alcohol. Diet drinks or zero-calorie drinks count as sodas and should be avoided. Also avoid energy drinks, electrolyte drinks or anything with sugar. If you have coffee, drink it black. Dairy is fattening and will prevent obtaining optimum results.

• 2

  Take a simple multivitamin. This will help your body deal with the trauma of losing weight at such a rapid pace. Also, begin taking probiotics to aid your digestive system, such as one high in Lactobacillus acidophilus, which is extremely active in the digestive tract. In addition, stay away from diet pills and "easy fixes." There is no easy button to losing weight; those pills might damage your body, and the weight might come back quickly when you stop taking the pills.

• 3

  Start a reasonable exercise program. If you are not already exercising, do not jump head-first into an intense program, which is not sustainable. Instead, start walking for 30 minutes, then gradually increase to a walk one minute, run one minute program, slowly increasing the amount of time you run.

  Do short, high-intensity workouts that are no longer than 30 minutes and that work your entire body. You do not need a gym membership for this, but having one might offer extra encouragement. With this type of workout, you burn fat at a faster rate as it works your entire body. If working out from home, using body-weight exercises is an excellent way to get fit and stay that way; push-ups, squats, lunges and sit-ups are examples. You can also bring in equipment to add jump roping, pull-ups and dips. Stick to a program, and you will see results.