20 pounds is a great goal, but you could really hurt yourself by trying to hit unrealistic goals. Safe weight loss can be anywhere from half a pound up to 2 pounds per week. That equals a 250 to 1,000 calorie deficit every day.
On average, a 15 to 20-pound loss (approximately 2 to 5 percent of your starting body weight) is enough to notice "significant changes in your body," he said. You can start seeing differences in yourself as early as two weeks with rapid weight loss.
Losing weight safely typically involves losing 1-2 pounds per week ( 1 ). This would allow you to lose 20 pounds within about 5 months at 1 pound per week or 2 1/2 months at about 2 pounds per week.
"Losing 20 pounds, even if it's as little as 5-10% of your body weight, can reduce obesity-related risks," says D'Angelo, "and not only that, but losing 20 pounds can also help your overall quality of life, increase your mood, improve your lung function, and reduce blood sugar levels."
Simply put, you can lose 20 pounds in several months by eating fewer calories than you do now and exercising vigorously for three to five hours per week using resistance training, interval training, and cardio training. Simple enough, right?
On average, every 10 lbs of weight a person loses will equate to 1 pant size smaller. So, for example, if someone lost 25 pounds, they would likely drop 2 and a half sizes in pants.
“Women and men of average height need to gain or lose about three and a half and four kilograms, or about eight and nine pounds, respectively, for anyone to see it in their face,” said Nicholas Rule, associate professor in the Faculty of Arts & Science and Canada Research Chair in Social Perception and Cognition.
Decreased: your chances of developing heart disease, prostate cancer, diabetes, sleep apnea, depression, back pain, impotence, gallstones, joint problems, high blood pressure, low sperm counts, and an impressive collection of prescription-drug bottles.
The body needs water to burn fat.
Upping your water intake may increase lipolysis, the process by which the body burns fat for energy, according to a 2016 mini-review of animal studies published in Frontiers in Nutrition.
The first place men typically lose weight is the belly, while women tend to lose weight all over, but hold onto weight in their thighs and hips, Dr. Block explains.
Carrying a lot of extra weight puts your health at risk. According to experts, being overweight (possibly even 20 pounds overweight) increases the risk of diseases including high blood pressure, diabetes type 2, cardiovascular disease, and osteoarthritis (18).
In terms of how your body looks, “it usually takes 4 weeks for your friends to notice weight loss, and 6–8 weeks for you to notice,” says Ramsey Bergeron, a certified personal trainer. “Your friends who don't see you every day are much more likely to see a change than someone you're around all the time,” he adds.
Skin laxity can change after losing about 30 pounds, says Desai. “If you notice changes in larger areas of the body, like arms, abdomens, thighs, and buttocks, you may get that change in the face as well.”
Losing 20 pounds might not make a huge difference in your physical health, but it can lower the risk of contracting obesity-related diseases. You will feel a change in your mobility, meaning you'll be able to run and walk faster.
Losing weight takes commitment and a well-thought-out plan. Getting started on your weight loss journey means changing your lifestyle to eat a variety of healthy foods, get regular physical activity, get enough sleep, and manage stress.
While everyone loses weight differently, dropping as little as 3 to 5 pounds can show up on your face first, Eboli says.
Losing a lot of weight can leave a person with saggy skin, especially if weight comes off quickly. Unfortunately, there's no magic lotion or cream that can get rid of extra skin after weight loss. You should keep seeing improvement, but you may need to give it more time.
The rule of thumb, Fernstrom says, is that losing 8 to 10 pounds translates to going down one size.
Exercise
Building muscle mass through weight training exercises can help decrease the appearance of loose skin, especially if the loose skin is from weight loss. If excess fat distends the skin for a long time, the skin can lose some of its ability to shrink with weight loss.
The phenomenon diet face indicates that weight loss can be disproportionately noticeable in the facial features. With major weight loss and for older patients, it can be prematurely ageing.
For a weight change to show up on your face, you'd need to change your BMI by 1.33 points, the study found. That means a woman and man of average height would need to gain or lose eight pounds and nine pounds, respectively.
Specifically, most men need to get to the 10% body fat range before they see a noticeable shift from facial roundness to angularity, and most women need to get to around 20% body fat.