Categories: HEALTH & WELLNESS

How to Lose 20 Pounds in Two Weeks

There are several ways to lose 20 pounds in two weeks: giving birth to quadruplets who weigh five pounds each, having a leg amputated, donating three times as much blood as exists in the human body, or engaging in a session of liposuction that doubles the safe limit of fat removal. Unfortunately, the practicality of such methods is nonexistent. Essentially, it is impossible to naturally lose 20 pounds over such a short period of time.

Rapid crash diets are not effective at producing long term weight loss and they are certainly not good for the body’s general health. Naturally losing 20 pounds in two weeks is impossible; on the very best two weeks of weight loss, a person won’t burn even half of that total.

Consider the caloric math: To burn one pound, the body needs to expend 3,500 more calories than it consumes. For 20 pounds, that’s a 70,000 calorie hurdle. The only people who have even a remote chance of achieving such a feat are already in training for the Olympics and have no need to drop 20 pounds.

Yet, there are some methods that can accelerate weight loss. With dedication and no slipups, it is possible to lose five to ten pounds in two weeks. By no means should a person starve his or herself. This will not be effective anyway because once the body starts receiving normal amounts of food again, any lost weight will be regained. Simply replace big meals with smaller portions and avoid eating within a few hours of going to bed. Scatter eating sessions throughout the day; this makes digestion more efficient.

Try to keep a daily caloric intake below 1,500 total, with the biggest meal coming early in the day. Along with a full eight hours of sleep, a good breakfast is the key to maintaining a high energy level during the day, allowing for optimal workout conditions. Completely avoid soda and other flavored drinks. Drink water exclusively and in high quantities. The general recommendation is to drink eight glasses of water each day; to accelerate weight loss and while exercising, increase this to ten to twelve glasses.

Engage in a very diverse exercise routine which allows every main muscle group in the body to get a workout and burn calories. This can allow the body to exercise more frequently than it normally would be able to. After a day of intense lower body exercise like running or biking, the lower body can spend a day recovering while the upper body gets a workout focusing on the arms, abs, and chest. Plan an exercise routine to alternate between workouts for different muscle groups from day to day.

There are a few ways to accelerate weight loss, each requiring dedication, but naturally losing 20 pounds in two weeks is simply an impossible goal to shoot for. The math – namely, dropping 70,000 calories in 14 days – 210 calories per hour, every hour – just doesn’t add up. Lofty aspirations may help to serve as inspiration during a diet and exercise plan, but if your goal is losing 20 pounds in two weeks, curb your expectations or be ready for disappointment.