How Long Does It REALLY Take To Lose 20 Pounds?
If you’re looking to lose weight, you’re probably already aware that weight loss isn’t an easy feat. And while crash diets, deprivation, and a “magic pill” all sound like quick solutions, they’re not effective or healthy. So, if you set yourself a goal of twenty pounds, what’s a realistic timeline here? How long does it take to lose 20 pounds?
Is it realistic to lose twenty pounds in a month?
It’s entirely possible, but it’s not healthy. If you lose weight rapidly on a crash diet or caloric deprivation, you risk losing muscle mass with the weight, which would wreak havoc on your metabolism. Generally speaking, you should aim to lose one-two pounds each week. With that in mind, a weight loss of twenty pounds could take as little as ten weeks or up to ten months. It will just depend on your metabolism. Other lifestyle factors will also play a role, like how much sleep you get each night, your diet, exercise routine, and stress levels. Just remember that it usually takes most people longer than ten weeks to lose twenty pounds. Everyone moves at their own pace!
Does losing twenty pounds make a difference in appearance?
Your clothes may begin to feel looser, and most people will notice. It’s important to keep in mind that eating well and making good decisions for your health are the most important things you can do — weight loss is simply a bonus!
Here are just a few ways your body may benefit from losing 5-10% of your body weight if you’re clinically overweight:
- Increased energy and vitality
- Decrease insulin resistance and reduce A1C numbers
- Improvements in good cholesterol (HDL) by about 5 points, also lowering the risk of heart disease
- Decrease hypertension, both systolic and diastolic, by 5mmHg — reducing the risk of stroke
- Reduce inflammation in blood vessels, helping to reduce the risk of plaque and blood clots
- Lower triglycerides significantly, around 40mg/dL.
Suddenly those loose-fitting jeans don’t seem so important, right? As you’re making healthier lifestyle changes and swapping out some food on your plate, keep these benefits in mind!
How long does it take to lose 20 pounds with intermittent fasting?
Wondering if intermittent fasting will help speed weight loss? The studies have been pretty positive.
5:2 Intermittent Fasting
Weight loss studies surrounding intermittent fasting have typically investigated the 5:2 diet or alternate-day fasting interventions lasting three to six months. The research revealed that it takes four to six months to lose 20 pounds with no change in diet.
Most of these intermittent fasting studies surrounding the 5:2 diet protocol or minimal calorie fasting days report significant weight loss. These reports of weight loss on the 5:2 diet range from 3.2% weight loss in comparison to a control group over a 12-week period to 8% weight loss in an 8-week trial with overweight adults with asthma.
16:8 Intermittent Fasting
The PLATE program (read more about it below) recommends a 16:8 intermittent fasting schedule. This time-restricted fasting method involves consuming foods during an 8-hour window and then fasting for the remaining 16 hours each day. This method is popular because many believe it better supports the body’s circadian rhythm.
Looking for help with your weight loss goals? Meet PLATE.
If you’d like to transform your body after 50, you must check out our app, PLATE. This is the first weight management program designed exclusively for women approaching or over 50.
The program was developed in collaboration with Dr. Kathryn Waldrep, practicing OB-Gyn, with 35 years of experience in treating and counseling women from childbearing age to end of life. She has witnessed firsthand the havoc hormones play on a woman’s weight and her ability to lose weight. After menopause, a woman’s metabolism is likely to go down 10 to 20% each decade. No wonder losing weight after 50 is so difficult — even if it’s just ten pounds!
The PLATE acronym stands for:
PORTIONS: Weight management begins by getting your portions correct with nutritionally balanced meal plans designed specifically for women near or over 50.
LIFESTYLE: For an eating program to work, it must fit within your lifestyle. PLATE allows for eating out, traveling, family gatherings, and indulging in wine and other treats.
ACCOUNTABILITY: The app not only allows you to plan your meals and keep track of substitutions but also sends notifications to you when you are missing a meal, when to break your fast and when to start it.
TIMING: When you eat your meals is integral to the program. PLATE follows the latest and most conclusive research on when meals should be eaten.
EXERCISE: Participants are encouraged to do some sort of exercise such as walking every day and two days a week of strength training.
Since this eating program was designed specifically for women approaching or over 50, the guidelines include specific needs for our age group that are not a part of many other eating programs, such as; additional protein and calcium, reduced calories due to hormone changes and aging, and dairy alternatives as many women become lactose intolerant as they age. This is not a program that requires you to track calories. If you keep your portion sizes as recommended, you will stay within the correct calorie range that will help you lose weight slowly, yet maintain muscle mass. We provide specific guidelines around what we recommend you eat for optimum health and the proper portion sizes.
There are a lot of ways to lose weight. Some diets show quick results, reducing calories by severely limiting a food group like carbohydrates. However, the weight is likely to come roaring back when you tire of not being able to eat some of your favorite foods. We believe the wiser plan is to go back to eating the way our parents and their parents ate – in moderation. Plate sizes were smaller then and so were the portions. Weight management was a byproduct of their lifestyles.
Therefore, the key component of the PLATE program is portion control. If you will embrace this component from the beginning, healthy food choices will follow.
Learn more about PLATE and become a member today!
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