To accomplish your goal of losing 20 lbs., you need to decrease your calorie intake and your increase physical activity. Together, these lifestyle changes assist with losing unwanted fat. The average time for weight loss varies, based on your weight-loss goals and type of activity and diet you select.
Fat-Loss Goals
For each pound of fat you want to shed, you need to burn 3,500 calories a week. A safe weight-loss goal is about 1 to 2 lbs. weekly. If you decide to lose 1 lb. a week, it will take about five weeks to shed 20 lbs. If you lose 2 lbs. a week, losing 20 lbs. takes about 10 weeks. Discuss the best fat-loss goal for your situation with your doctor.
Combining Exercise and Diet
Combine cardio activity and strength training to make achieving your fat-loss goal easier. For example, if you want to lose 2 lbs. a week, you need to burn about 1,000 calories a day. If this seems like to much to accomplish with exercise alone, cut calorie intake too. for example, decrease your calorie consumption by 600 and work out to burn 400 calories. Keep in mind that women need at least 1,200 daily calories and men need at least 1,500.
Moderate Activity
If you’re just starting your workout plan, start with moderate activity. With moderate activity, you burn fewer calories, but over time you’ll build strength and be able to participate in activities that burn calories more quickly. An example of moderate activity is walking. A 160-lb. person burns about 277 calories an hour with this activity, according to MayoClinic.com. If you walk an hour daily, you’ll shed about ½ lb. a week. Another type of moderate activity is water aerobic, which burns about 292 calories an hour. If you complete an hour of water aerobics daily, you’ll shed a little over ½ lb. weekly.
Intense Activity
As you build strength, challenge your body to vigorous activity. You’ll lose 20 lbs. of body weight quicker. For example, a 160-lb. person burns about 584 calories an hour jogging. If you jog an hour daily, you’ll shed a little over a pound of body fat weekly. With running, your calorie burn will increase to 986 calories an hour. If you run an hour daily, you’ll lose about 2-lbs. of body fat each week. Other high-calorie burning activities include rollerblading, playing racquetball or jumping rope. These activities shed over 500 calories an hour.
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