Easiest way to lose 20 pounds?

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  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    Very achievable. Stay within the calorie limits as set out by MFP and weigh all your food portions.

    I predict however that you will complicate this by planning on some sort of crash diet and failing, making the easy nearly impossible.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
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    marinasusadiamonds wrote: »
    Wanting to lose this weight by the summertime.

    What are your stats?

    How much do you have to lose overall?

    Summertime is officially mid June, and this is mid February- this is about 18 weeks, which would be a little over pound a week.

    If you are obese, or quite a bit overweight, this might be healthy and sustainable.

    However, if you are closer to a normal weight, this will not be sustainable or healthy.

    Also, in any scenerio, weight loss is not linear, and patience is a virtue.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    jgnatca wrote: »
    Very achievable.

    I still don't get how people can say this not knowing the stats of the OP? If they have 20 lbs of vanity weight to lose, and are close to or already a healthy BMI, then it is not achievable in the timeframe suggested.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
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    SophieeBrook wrote: »
    I exercise 5 days a weeks and eat around 1200 to 1300 cals. Spme days more depending on the type of exercise I do.
    I have been losing around 2kg a month.

    I drink a lot of water and avoid pastas and rice at night because ot makes me bottled. Eat good foods like veggies, fruit, beans, rice, lentils. Avoid meat and dary, but if you still eat it make smart choices about it, no fats.

    This has worked for me, went vegan and lost like 3 kg, after that I started MFP.

    Base line is: exercise and eat in a deficit and you can do it by summer like I will :smile:

    Nope, there is no reason to avoid any food unless your doctor tells you to for a medical reason.

    To lose 20 pounds in such a short time is not sustainable.

    The reason you've lost weight is because you've eaten less than you burn.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
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    markswife1992 wrote: »
    multiply your weight x 12
    subtract 500
    that should be your calorie goal each day to lose one pound per week

    example: weight 180
    180 x 12 = 2160
    2160 - 500 = 1660 calories per day

    walking is great exercise :smile:

    This is not an accurate way to come up with calories because it's too general and does not take into account activity level, age, gender. If I followed this to lose .5 a week, the calculation comes out to 200 calories less per day than what is truly accurate. For me:

    140 lbs x 12 = 1680
    1680-250=1430 per day to lose .5 pounds a week.

    My actual calories to lose a half pound a week is about 1650. Tried and true.

    OP, enter you stats into MFP, set it to .5 pounds a week and you will come up with a calorie goal. Stay within our calorie goals and you will lose a sustainable amount of weight by summer.
  • Dnarules
    Dnarules Posts: 2,081 Member
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    paperpudding wrote: »
    Dan I think it simpler than what you are saying and you are making it sound more complicated.

    It is just eat less than you burn.

    Whether you are a personal trainer, nutrition coach , a nurse or anyone.

    And NEAT is a part of that. So in this case I am not sure what you are really responding to. There is nothing complicated in knowing about NEAT, unless you think people are too stupid to understand.
  • Dnarules
    Dnarules Posts: 2,081 Member
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    paperpudding wrote: »
    Dan_Rollins_ACE_PN wrote: »
    Alpine021 wrote: »
    Dan_Rollins_ACE_PN wrote: »
    dragon_girl26 wrote: »
    Alpine021 wrote: »
    Why do people say losing 2lbs a week is not possible or too aggressive? That's not supportive or motivational. 2lbs a week is absolutely doable. It requires a 500 calorie deficit a day which isn't easy I agree but when you add exercise it's not that hard. 2lbs a week is not only possible but also a perfectly healthy weight loss. Any more is too much - I aim for 1lb a week but 2lbs is fine if you can do it.

    2 lbs a week requires a 1000 calories a day deficit, not 500. That's why it's too aggressive for some, because that would put them at a daily calorie intake that is way too low to be healthy or sustainable. It's not about being mean or unsupportive.

    Kind of.
    Yes calories in/out is important.
    However you'll be hard pressed to find any study that backs 1000kcal/day deficit = 2lb loss per week.
    That info is from bomb calorimetry and not studied in an organic environment.
    In other words, someone's 1000kcal/day deficit may only equate to 1lb loss, or 1/4lb loss....
    Keeping it simple:
    Lift weights
    Manage NEAT
    Eat a balanced diet
    Hydrate
    Reduce stress
    Sleep better

    All the ingredients of a great lifestyle.

    Apologies you are right it is a 1000 calorie deficit. I'm sure I've read loads that it's 500! Let's stick to 1lb a week then! 2lbs is possible and on the edge of healthy but very difficult.

    Just remember we can create deficits in a few ways.
    1) reduce calories
    2) manage NEAT
    3) add exercise

    If you do all three you'll want to monitor stress, sleep, resting heart rate.

    If any of those start to give you trouble, ease off a bit and see how you feel.
    This is the best time to learn what you're capable of.

    I would say, we can create deficits in two ways

    the 1) and 3) of your list.

    Often shortened to Eat less, Move more.
    Or eat less than you burn, as posters above said

    However we dont want to reduce calories to below a healthy sustainable level - hence people recomending aim for a steady and healthy weight loss rate which if OP only has 20lb to lose is not going to be at rate of 2lb/week

    What is wrong with #2?
  • Hello_its_Dan
    Hello_its_Dan Posts: 406 Member
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    Here's the thing, and sorry if it didn't come across earlier, make the easiest change that offers the biggest result.

    If just reducing calories gets you the result, just reduce calories.

    If exercising gives you the best results, exercise.

    If manipulating NEAT gives the best results, fidget all day!

    It's when you have a rank beginner who wants to lose weight busts out the checklist:

    Change diet completely
    Exercise 12 days a week
    Buy $150 a month worth of supplements
    Adopting a clean/dirty attitude

    Reach for the lowest hanging fruit and when that stops producing move to the next.
  • markswife1992
    markswife1992 Posts: 262 Member
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    SLLRunner wrote: »
    markswife1992 wrote: »
    multiply your weight x 12
    subtract 500
    that should be your calorie goal each day to lose one pound per week

    example: weight 180
    180 x 12 = 2160
    2160 - 500 = 1660 calories per day

    walking is great exercise :smile:

    This is not an accurate way to come up with calories because it's too general and does not take into account activity level, age, gender. If I followed this to lose .5 a week, the calculation comes out to 200 calories less per day than what is truly accurate. For me:

    140 lbs x 12 = 1680
    1680-250=1430 per day to lose .5 pounds a week.

    My actual calories to lose a half pound a week is about 1650. Tried and true.

    OP, enter you stats into MFP, set it to .5 pounds a week and you will come up with a calorie goal. Stay within our calorie goals and you will lose a sustainable amount of weight by summer.
    it works for me and i was just giving a simple way to try.
  • SadDolt
    SadDolt Posts: 173 Member
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    buy a food scale

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