Is losing weight at home in 20 days even possible?
Losing weight at home, in a short amount of time, can be quite tricky. Many people end up opting for potentially harmful ways to lose weight, and that often ends up being counter-productive, especially in the long run. While you can lose weight in 20 days at home, a disciplined regimen is of the utmost importance, alongside a realistic expectation of what the final goal looks like. Keeping this in mind, the idea of giving yourself a strict timeline in which you lose weight may not necessarily be ideal. Respecting how your body responds to changes you make is vital to the process, and thus, a time span catered to you should make the process far more sustainable, thereby producing optimal results.
Table of contents
- Get to know your body
- Set fair expectations
- Count your calories
- Implement a tailor-made meal plan
- Change the way you consume food
- Make subtle lifestyle changes
- Incorporate easy exercises into your daily routine
- Mark (and celebrate) your progress
1. Get to know your body
First and foremost, recognizing that the next 20 days will be endured by your body is crucial. Instead of looking up hacks, or choosing fad diets without in-depth research, try to comprehend your body better. A lot of the information online tends to be non-specific and can fail to take into account diverse body types, the state of your mental health, and native diets. Knowing your body in detail, with its entire scope of capabilities and limitations, will help you choose the best possible path that will lead to swift weight loss.
2. Set fair expectations
Setting unrealistic expectations is not only a recipe for failure, but it is also a definitive way to negatively impact your motivation. Acknowledging that weight loss is a possibility for you, but within the bounds of a healthy progression, is an absolute must. The task at hand may seem like an upwards trek, but consistency will be your guiding light throughout the process.
3. Count your calories
As irksome and daunting as this can be for many, counting your calories is, in fact, quite easy, and sets up quantitative measures that can lead to action. Once you calculate your daily calorie needs, you can begin to outline a calorie deficit program for weight loss. Essentially, what this does is determine how many calories you burn, and then provide a breakdown of the number of calories you need to consume for weight loss. A caloric deficit diet will always highlight that you need to consume fewer calories than those that you burn. You can use the Healthi app to track these numbers, alongside your consequent progress.
4. Implement a tailor-made meal plan
Once you’ve put in the work with your initial research, the next step is finding a meal plan catered specifically to you. Generally, quick weight loss strategies include an increase in your protein intake, given that a high-protein diet can help in boosting your metabolism. Additionally, cutting down on sugar and processed food has been shown to facilitate the process of weight loss. Once again, with the Healthi app, you can punch in details regarding your body, intake, and level of activity to unearth a tailor-made meal plan that will help you lose weight within your targeted time frame.
5. Change the way you consume food
Any form of change can not only be intimidating, but it can also act as a deterrent toward achieving your goal. Luckily for you, the smallest changes can impact your weight loss goal greatly. For instance, something as minute as eating slowly and mindfully can help you consume fewer calories. Similarly, swapping out big plates for smaller dishes can help you control your intake.
Spicing up your daily meals in moderate amounts can help too, with the presence of a compound called capsaicin in food items such as chili peppers and jalapenos being linked to an increase in metabolism and the burning of fat. Work your way toward eliminating junk food from your diet by swapping out unhealthy, processed snacks for natural, nutritious bites in the form of fruits, vegetables, and other whole foods, such as fish, nuts, whole grains, eggs, and beans.
6. Make subtle lifestyle changes
The tiniest change, such as brushing your teeth after your meals, can add to your grander weight loss intent. This particular action can help curb your appetite by decreasing the desire to eat more, and can even alter the taste of your food, depending on the toothpaste or mouthwash you use. Making sure you get enough sleep can help as well, given that sleep deprivation can lead to poor appetite regulation.
In all of this, you must remember that your progress is specific to you. Following influencers with different bodies than yours, or idealizing those who seem to be achieving their goals while you struggle to begin your weight loss journey can negatively impact your mental health. This can cause you to give up, steer from your path, or lead you to draw unfair comparisons. After all, respecting your body and its potential is of the utmost importance.
7. Incorporate easy exercises into your daily routine
Often, people hesitate while incorporating exercise into their everyday life. Many aspects can double as hurdles. You could be tied up with work, or have other commitments in the pipeline. However, giving this weight loss process its due importance must become a priority. That change in mindset will allow you to carve out some time for the betterment of your health. Easy cardio exercises that you can do regularly, such as jogging, cycling, or power walking, will increase your daily activity while also burning calories. By incorporating these into your everyday routine – whether it’s by waking up an hour earlier, or while you watch your favorite show – you may also begin to notice an overall improvement in your mental health.
8. Mark (and celebrate) your progress
Throughout the process, remember to be your own biggest cheerleader. You’re putting in the work, and any and all results are worthy of celebrating. Use a journal to mark your progress, while also noting down how you feel each day as changes begin to occur. The Healthi app contains a diverse progress tracker that you can use to monitor changes in a plethora of ways.
To conclude, while you can lose weight in 20 days at home, it is undoubtedly a task for which you must be fully prepared. As you begin to work your way towards your goal, keep in mind that your success will be specific to you. Embark on this journey with an open, but devoted mind, and approach the inevitable transformation with a holistic goal that leaves you healthier and happier in the aftermath.
