Although everyone's body is different, in general, people can expect to lose one to two pounds a week if they are doing so in a healthy manner, Jim said. So for three months, or about 12 weeks, a healthy goal is 12 to 24 pounds. Losing weight at this rate ensures that you'll keep it off for the long term.
That burns an extra 3,500 calories per week. Since there are about 3,500 calories in one pound, it would take you one week to lose one pound and 20 weeks to lose 20 pounds.
With the right exercise program — and a healthy diet — most people can easily lose 20 pounds in three months.
A safe, healthy, and realistic goal is to lose 0.5-to-1% of your body weight per week, which is around 1-to-2 pounds of weight loss per week for most people. In other words, you can expect to lose 12-to-24 pounds in a 3-month period.
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.
And if you exercise regularly, over time you will gain even more fitness benefits. “At 6 to 8 weeks, you can definitely notice some changes,” said Logie, “and in 3 to 4 months you can do a pretty good overhaul to your health and fitness.” Strength-specific results take about the same amount of time.
“A generally accepted rate of healthy weight loss is a half-pound to one-pound per week. So, budget five-to-six months to achieve a 20-pound weight loss,” she says. McAllistre explains that losing weight slowly helps you keep the weight off.
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.
Rapid weight loss diet is a type of diet in which you lose more than 2 pounds (1 kilogram, kg) a week over several weeks.
But do you really know what's realistic? Over the long term, it's smart to aim for losing 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kilogram) a week. Generally to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week, you need to burn 500 to 1,000 calories more than you consume each day, through a lower calorie diet and regular physical activity.
At one to two pounds per week, losing 25 pounds will take you a little more than 12 weeks, or three months. To lose weight in a healthy manner, you should cut 500 to 1,000 calories a day by eating less and exercising more.
Losing 1 to 2 pounds per week is a safe, sustainable rate of weight loss, according to the Mayo Clinic. Losing 25 pounds in three months puts you right at the upper end of this scale, but it should be achievable with hard work, dedication and a structured plan.
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.
While losing 20 pounds in a month is possible, losing weight too quickly often comes with a metabolism that slows down, increased cravings, and risks that include muscle loss, gallstones, increased (or decreased) hormones, and nutritional deficiencies. It's much healthier to lose weight at a sustainable, slow rate.
"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."
But many health care providers agree that a medical evaluation is called for if you lose more than 5% of your weight in 6 to 12 months, especially if you're an older adult. For example, a 5% weight loss in someone who is 160 pounds (72 kilograms) is 8 pounds (3.6 kilograms).
Hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid, develops when your thyroid gland makes too much thyroid hormone. These hormones control many functions in the body, including metabolism. If your thyroid is overactive, you'll quickly burn calories even if you have a good appetite. The result can be unintentional weight loss.
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.
By burning more calories than you take in, your body gets the triglycerides out of storage in your fat cells to convert them to energy, reducing the size of your fat cells and changing your body shape.
To lose stomach overhang you have to burn fat cells in both the fat you can see directly under the skin and also the more dangerous fat that you can't see that surrounds your organs. Cardio such as swimming, aerobics, running or dancing will burn this excess fat store.
Drinking at least 64 ounces (eight cups) of water every day may help with weight loss. Downing liquid is not the only way to meet this goal. About 20 percent of your hydration needs can be met through your diet, says Caroline Susie, RDN, a national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
A high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet is the most effective diet for promoting weight loss and reducing hunger, at least in the short term, according to scientists at Aberdeen's Rowett Research Institute.