How to Lose Weight in 20 Days

Calculate your daily calorie needs based on your current weight. Use an online calorie counter to determine a deficit for weight loss. Creating a deficit of 500 calories per day equates to loss of 1 pound per week. You can safely lose up to 2 pounds per week by creating a 1,000-calorie daily deficit, notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Limit foods or beverages that add empty calories to your daily diet. Soda or sugar-filled beverages, processed foods such as chips and candy bars, and high-calorie fast foods can significantly increase daily calorie consumption and contribute to added weight.

Replace high-calorie foods with low calorie options such as fresh produce and water. Fruits and vegetables are naturally lower in calories and do not contain additives, such as salt, that can bloat or cause water retention. Drinking water instead of sugar or calorie-filled beverages is an easy way to boost weight loss results, notes the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."

Up your physical activity to burn calories. Take a brisk 30- to 60-minute walk or jog during your lunch hour, try a new aerobics exercise video or include interval weight training into your day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate- to high-intensity cardio exercise, such as cycling, swimming, brisk walking, jogging or running, each week. Meet this goal by engaging in at least 30 minutes of cardio five days a week. If you have a tight schedule, break it up into three 10- minute workouts per day. Aim for up to 300 minutes of moderately intense physical activity per week to torch even more calories.